2002 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews

BMW here I come

Written by: BMW here I come!!! on 09/30/2009

Vehicle

2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS VR6 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 5M)

Review

Bought this car brand new and fell in love with it, until I realized that I was going to be at the dealer every 4 or 5 months because something failed or broke.

Favorite Features

Stereo system, moon roof, seat heaters, the incredible speed this car is capable of

Suggested Improvements

Make a much more reliable car. I'm so disappointed in this German car. I had a 1969 VW bug that I drove into the ground. I had to trade this one in at 81,000 miles. I will never purchase a VW again. BMW here I come.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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bling, but your bnk acct it will clean!

Written by: don't do it on 09/16/2009

Vehicle

2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Review

This car was fun to drive until the relationship degenerated to the point I cringed ever time I had to start it, fearing something else would break.If I weren't able to complete most repairs myself, I'd probably have spent 5-8k in repairs.All the usual problems—bad ignition coils, 3 radios, window regulators,broken keyfob, multiple wheel bearings (as in 7 or 8 of them), various failed switches, broken glovebox door, broken center console latch (x5) & antenna. In addition, I had 3 airbag system component failures (which I couldn’t fix myself and cost $$$) and a wheel vibration issue that nobody could resolve. I gave up at 79k because I knew the plastic waterpump impeller was on borrowed time

Favorite Features

The fact vwvortex has step by step repair instructions.This saved me thousands--literally. I'm so grateful people take the time to document repair procedures. The blue illuminated dash is a piece of art. The sheet metal body panels are very solid. Good paint job Upmarket look inside and out

Suggested Improvements

Where do I start? Um, reliability? Ever heard of it VW? No wonder VW doesn't have customer loyalty. To add insult to injury, VW dealership repair costs are in the stratosphere--even compared to most other dealers. You would think they would cut you a little slack knowing you will be back.

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not so fun to push

Written by: NOLONGERAFAN on 09/09/2009

Vehicle

2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Review

I was excited to purchase my third VW. I bought it with 31k on it.. By 70k I was stranded in Boston with a blown engine. VW refused to fix it because it was 5k or so over the powertrain warranty. Sludge problems on them are common yet they have no desire to correct any issue with it. Finally they agreed to give me 1k towards fixing it (which as you know if you own a VW dealeship garage prices are insane .. I was quoted a 6k figure to fix the engine ) in addition to the engine brake lights cont to come on and off, the check engine regardless of anything refuses to go away, and electrical system is poor. Its sad to see that a car that had a solid reputation has decreased in quality so much.

Favorite Features

the moonroof and gas mileage

Suggested Improvements

sludge issues..durable engines that last longer than 70k miles

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VW WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE

Written by: fred on 09/06/2009

Vehicle

2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Review

I beg anyone reading this to please DO NOT ever buy a VW. This car has caused me so much stress. I will go as far as to say it has ruined my life. Buy this car if you want to cough up about $300- $600 every 3 months for repairs. NOTHING is cheap to fix. I have had this car for 5 years & have spent well over $5000 in repairs. You name it, I've replaced it. Its in the shop AGAIN. I am done with this car. I don't care if I lose money I am going to buy a Toyota or Honda this week. I never thought a car could be such a nightmare. VW customer care was a joke so don't even bother trying to contact them about any problems you may have. They may be cute & fun but they are not reliable at all.

Favorite Features

None. I have had such a horrible experience with this car that there is nothing good to say. It is a waste of money.

Suggested Improvements

AC that works would be nice, or how about a transmission that lasts longer than 60,000 miles. Interior that doesn't peel. Doors that don't leak water inside the car. There isn't enough space for the rest. This list could go on forever.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Haven't had any major issues

Written by: Ryan on 09/03/2009

Vehicle

2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Review

This car has been great to me for 7 years. It's fun to drive, get's great gas mileage and I haven't had any major issues. The ignition coil recall several years back was a a bit of a pain (all Jettas and Audi A4s), but they fixed it free and quick. I did have to replace hoses a couple years ago and have had my share of flat tires due to city driving and performance tires, but no real complaints.

Favorite Features

The turbo engine, the heated seats, and the surprisingly large trunk

Suggested Improvements

I don't like the way the seats adjust. Sometimes the sunroof has trouble staying closed and I have to mess with it.

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Worst car I ever owned

Written by: upchuda on 09/01/2009

Vehicle

2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Review

If you value you wallet, don't purchase this car! I bought this "certified pre-owned car from Osborne Automotive on Colfax. Every piece of the car has had to be replaced including the coolant tank, transmission, gas tank etc. I am so upside in what I owe compared to the $7,437.23 that I have put in it in the last 3 years that I will be paying for the car long after it's dead.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

VW needs to stop making plastic parts that break!

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I should have listened to my instinct!!

Written by: Never Will Again on 08/30/2009

Vehicle

2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Review

I got this car thinking I would give VW a chance in hopes that they had come a long way. I knew that VW/Audi didn't have the best consumer reports for reliability, but I felt if I found one that was care for w/ low miles, I would be fine. I was wrong. In the short time I have had it, I had to replace the ignition coils, a hose, the emobilizer shut my car down from moving (when all I had was a dead battery), and now finally, the timing belt just skipped a notch and blew the head and bent valves!! You wanna know how much the repairs are? Oh about $3000-4000. That is no joke. I am so mad I ever got this car. I warn you now, don't make the mistake I did. email if you have more questions.

Favorite Features

Tiptronic (but I was using it when I blew the timing belt)....It sounds good and all, but these cars aren't meant to be driven hard. I babied mine - I have my 4 year old riding with me all the time. I am a guy and I do my own maintenance on cars. I will never buy a VW again.

Suggested Improvements

You can read the top and see that they just aren't a toyota. You might pay a little more for a toyota/lexus, but I never had a problem with either of my 4runners the whole time I owned either, and both of them were used and not new. This car was 7 years old with 70,000 miles on it...yikes huh.

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sell @ 90000 miles

Written by: john on 08/27/2009

Vehicle

2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Review

Our Jetta was great until it reached 90,000 miles. The first thing that happened was the check engine light came on. After unsuccessful 3 tries by VW to correct the problem (average $300 repair each time) the light remained on. At 92,000 the generator went out (cost $850). You would have thought it was made of gold or something. That depleted my savings of which I was going to replace the timing belt/water pump (recommended @ 100k) @ $900 and the front stablizer mounts @$250, but instead I sold it. It was a great vehicle until 90k when it began to eat us out of house and home.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

Do not design a vehicle that quits @ 90k miles

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Are you Kidding

Written by: Gman on 08/21/2009

Vehicle

2002 Volkswagen Jetta GL TDI 4dr Sedan (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)

Review

I bought this from a Lady in Kansas over the internet and she drove it to me in Colorado, delivered in pretty much perfect shape. I have over a million miles on it now and I am pretty much shocked by the other owners reviews. It was built in Mexico and has had the usual faults like electric window problems and seat heaters but that was all covered in the warranty and replace with no hassle at the dealers. On the last days of my warranty I had them replace the Turbo as easy as if it was a light bulb. Since then I have done most the work on it myself. A lot cheaper than mechanics will do. Replaced the thermostat for 15$ in thirty minutes. $200 plus at most shops.

Favorite Features

Incredibly smart vehicle, great speed, fun to drive. 34mph driving hard passing a lot racing through mountains. 51mph if driving conservative. 43mph is my average. Great handling, cornering with good Michilen tires.

Suggested Improvements

Bumper will remove easy if you park over a high curb. Back seat stinks.

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WONDERFUL CAR

Written by: Ginger on 08/04/2009

Vehicle

2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I Love my VW Jetta- for some reason mine has not had any problems! The car has over a 100,000 miles now and is still running like a champ! Great car, affordable, and very cute!

Favorite Features

Everything! Huge Trunk, Very reliable, Great sound system!

Suggested Improvements

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