2004 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews

I LOVE MY JETTA!!

Vehicle

2004 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)

Review

I got my 2004 VW Jetta used after losing my 96 Honda civic in a tragic accident. I love everything about my Jetta. I live in IA so the heated seats are a really nice feature to have. I feel super safe in it because its heavy, and has every air bag in every place you need them to be. I haven't had any big problems with it and its super fun to drive. Its a great car for liability and I wouldn't trade it. I used to love hondas, thats all I ever owned. But after driving my Jetta, I really have a liking to Volkswagens! People say they're expensive to fix but I repaired two things on it and found someone to do it cheap. Just look around for the right person! If you live in Iowa, go to Bensons
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VW Jetta TDI

Vehicle

2004 Volkswagen Jetta GL TDI 4dr Sedan (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)

Review

The VWs that were built in Germany,rather than in Mexico were much better quality.I have seen a decline in the overall quality & reliability, also the VW dealers like their cars service has declined.The Jetta TDI is a small compact car, it is a very safe car,but service on the engine can be very costly.Fuel Economy is excellent & I would recommend a Turbo Diesel anyday over a Hybrid.Diesels are proven engines that can take 300k-500k miles.The A/C does not cool very well & it takes a long time to heat in the cabin in cold weather.Technology is shared between the German Car Co.,which is good,they are safe,& reliable,but also be prepared they have high service cost.
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Great car so far

Vehicle

2004 Volkswagen Jetta GL 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Review

I think this car has been very reliable so far. Sure a few things have needed to be replaced but I think you can expect that. At 65K miles, my water pump went, unfortunately the impeller is made of plastic and I couldn't find anyone that made a non plastic impeller pump. I had the CV joints replaced around 70K mostly due to me taking curves like I was a nascar driver. My car is 7 years old and the battery, alternator, exhaust, are still original so I'm really impressed...so I will not be shocked when any of those need replacing soon. At 76K miles, I had a coolant leak that was coming form the cooling hose flange...it's a $20 part, if you have the time I would just replace that myself.
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All around awesome.

Vehicle

2004 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

When going for a different vehicle I was searching for something stock turbocharged that had potential as far as tuning goes. Originally I set out to find an srt-4 but found a 1.8T GLI first. I'm glad I decided to purchase that instead. The car is fun to drive and fairly quick stock, but with apr stage 1 software It definitely kicks it up a notch. I love my VW and I doubt I will ever drive anything else. They are well built and very reliable. The only downfall is VW vehicles are expensive to maintain. Other than that the car is well worth what I paid for it.
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2004 Jetta

Vehicle

2004 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)

Review

We bought the Jetta with 25,000 miles and it has 65,000 now. The only repair was that we replaced the thermostat, otherwise it runs and drives great. Gas mileage is around 24 mpg mixed driving. The build quality is really good and the interior has a lot of room for a compact car. However, the transmission is acting up. It shifts hard and slips on occasion, which at only 65,000 miles is surprising.
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Love the Car but Not perfect

Vehicle

2004 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI 4dr Sedan (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)

Review

Fun to drive and love the fuel efficiency. Still get about 45 MPG and about 550 to 600 mi range. Suspected potential problems when I bought it so purchased extensive 100k warrantly and was money well spent. Was looking specifically for a high MPG desiel for business travel. Engine died about 40k due to main electrical panel, several O2 sensors, coolant getting into exhaust due to some gasket leaking. Check engine light has been on since 95k but not an issue as far as I know. All covered under warranty. So far no signficant problems after 100k. 125k on it now. Leaks (drips) a little bit of engine oil, armrest console latch broken but otherwise in great shape. Would take it anywhere!
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Jetta has it all....except reliability

Vehicle

2004 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I purchased this vehicle brand new after previously owning a 97 Jetta. It was my first new car and I researched my purchase extensively. I really like the value of it while having a better look than similar cars in its class. I've owned it for 7 years now and as much as i want to say it's a great car, i simply cannot recommend it. I've come to realize that it's simply not a well build machine. The water pump went after 4.5 years b/c the impellers are made of plastic!. Fuel pump went, various recurring electrical problems and now my cd player went. It comes and goes so i figured i'd tough it out and now, the AM and FM stereo are going. Currently looking and will not be buying a VW :(
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Never buy a VW

Vehicle

2004 Volkswagen Jetta GL TDI 4dr Sedan (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)

Review

This is by far the worst car I have ever owned. I bought it used w 100K miles 18 months ago. One month after purchasing, the turbo diesel failed, with significant power loss. I have replaced the waterpump ($500), radiator ($500), brake switch ($180), alternator ($250), and now the transmission is badly going out. The interior is falling apart, the ceiling is hanging, the fabric on the doors is falling off, the glove compartment no longer latches, there are creeks and rattles all over the place. I am so disgusted by the poor quality and poor craftsmaship in vw's product. I used to have a toyota b4 this, it ran for 300K miles with out engine or transmission problems. Forget about buying a VW!
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Piece of crap

Vehicle

2004 Volkswagen Jetta GL 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)

Review

This car is nickel and dimeing me. If its not a wheel bearing, its a sensor, or its a headlight, or its a taillight, or its the headliner, or its the interior chipping and falling apart, or its the igntion coil failing. Yeah, as you can tell, I have been very disappointed in the VW Jetta. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT BUY VOLKSWAGEN! And as far as EVERY ignition coil failing, and having repalced two out of pocket before they issued a recall for the last two...do not rely on VW of America making you whole. After spending over $250 in new plugs, coils and labor, they would only reimburse for $125. I will never buy VW again.
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I miss my jetta already = (

Vehicle

2004 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)

Review

Just sold my jetta after 5 great years in it. bought the car w/7k miles on it. No issues until about 35k miles and the chrome strip on the right panel start to peel and had it replaced along with the catalytic converter (warranty). Around 70k the car would stall for a second and kick in under 1/4 tank gas. Never replaced the fuel pump, but I'm guessing thats the problem. The remote worked half the time around 50k miles as well. Other than that, I drove this car in all weather conditions and loved every moment of it through college. Sold it at 80k to another college student Great car! Drove it hard at times and it kept up with the abuse. Never paid a dime in repairs! LOVED IT
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