2005 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews

Never go without a warranty

Written by: gunz20 on 07/14/2009

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Jetta New TDI 4dr Sedan (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)

Review

Our first import car. TDI is great for fuel economy. Problems; we hit 20000 miles & had to replace the fuel filter. Could have been bad diesel fuel, but paid because its suggested to be replaced every 20000 miles. Vehicle now has 64000, no problems since. Trunk lid latch doesn't work in cold weather. Got it replaced under warranty, now it doesn't work again and no warranty to help. Most recent, driver side door electrical harness went out, leaving me with no controls, no way lock car or open up the fuel tank door. VW wants $500 to repair. Dealer said passenger door is going out, another $500. Also, we have replaced several, blown exterior light bulbs, some multiple times.

Favorite Features

Gas mileage meets and exceeds what I was expecting.

Suggested Improvements

Better service from VW and to back their product up would be nice. I understand user ware & tear on products, but bad wire harnesses sound like a faulty designed product. Not to mention the $500 to replace a wire harness.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Cheap plastic knobs are pealing

Written by: susan on 05/19/2009

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Love the heated seats. Thought I would get better gas mileage. Plastic covers over knobs peeling off. Wipers come on without turning them on. Needed new timing belt, this was covered , thank god, very expensive repair. In cold weather, loud rattling noice from muffler area, was checked out, can't fix. Design problem. Right now, trying to decide whether to buy or walk away from lease.

Favorite Features

Spunky, fair gas mileage, big trunk.

Suggested Improvements

Wheel covers are cheap. Better covering for knobs, not cheap plastic that melts away.

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What now

Written by: crr on 03/07/2009

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Jetta New 2.5 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

Review

This is a comfortable, efficient car. I have had no problems at all. It drives great, is comfortable and sporty. I have heated leather seats a sunroof and a great sound system. I also get about 32 mpg. My only concern is finding a 4 wheel drive car that will live up to the Jetta.

Favorite Features

heated leather seats

Suggested Improvements

none

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Okay Car, But I Would Not Buy Another VW

Written by: 123Blue on 03/05/2009

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Jetta New 2.5 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

Review

This our third VW. We also have an '01 Beetle and an '04 Passat. I purchased my '05 New Jetta 2.5 in June 2008 w/ 27k miles on it, previously a loaner. Compared to similarly priced cars (Civics, Corollas) the Jetta had a lot more features for the price. Fully loaded with leatherette interior, rain sensing wipers, auto lights, etc. Nice ride, a little sporty, not too fast, but not too slow either. Reliable as far as getting from point A to point B, but way too many problems with the build quality. Faulty trunk latch, auto window stopped working, lightbulb sensor going on and off, sunroof acting funny, buttons peeling, even the gas cap not unlocking. Will not be buying another VW!

Favorite Features

Auto headlights, wipers, sunroof, leatherette interior, heated seats, large trunk with hooks for groceries...

Suggested Improvements

Improve on build quality!!! Also, car calls for regular fuel, but seems to run much smoother on mid-grade. Not much of a difference between mid-grade and premium.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Not as good as I thought

Written by: Vdub on 03/03/2009

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I have loved my Jetta until today. All of sudden, I was stuck in the middle of the road because my car would not go into gear (manual transmission). I have read many complaints on the National Highway and Safety website of other owners complaining of the same problem and VW who will not take responsibility. My warranty was up less than 1000 miles ago. My car has only been driven 50,000 miles. I should not be having problems with it so soon. It is costly to fix and I am very upset. I had planned on upgrading to a Passat in 2 years because I was so happy with the Jetta, but I don't think I will.

Favorite Features

heated seats, good sound system and good gas mileage

Suggested Improvements

A reliable car that won't have major problems like the transmission or clutch breaking. A better warranty.

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Maintenance expensive, had some trouble

Written by: HighMileage on 02/01/2009

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI 4dr Sedan (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)

Review

I put over 230000 km in 4 years on my Jetta. It did stay remarkably tight. Parts I had to replace include 5 wheel bearings, a dozen headlight bulbs, a new turbo for $2400., a fuel pump for $550., a turbo hose, various front end parts, e-brake cables etc. The fuel mileage is good and you think you are getting ahead but you pay it all back for the $100 oil changes and $300 every 32000km for fuel filters. My other complaint is the electrical systems, had intermittent trouble with headlights and my door lock system. For a while there I thought I owned HERBIE. Lastly, everybody loves the heated seats because a TDI takes 30 minutes of driving to actually heat up. HELLO TOYOTA HERE I COME.

Favorite Features

Heated seats, power roof.

Suggested Improvements

Should have a block heater, maintenance is too high, expensive for a sub compact car, forever to heat up! They eat light bulbs, count how many you meet on the road with a light out. It is rather amusing!!!!!!!!!!

1 out 2 people found this review helpful

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My First German Car

Written by: Jetta Fan on 01/08/2009

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Jetta New 2.5 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

Review

I bought 2.5 Jetta couple of weeks back. Love the car. It's fun to drive. I drove Focus for 5yrs before buying used Jetta. The car had 78k miles, hoping to drive for another 80k. Since I bought it from Ford dealership, the dealer didn't give any warranty on my Jetta. This is a great Winter car. I live in Michigan and this year it's snowing really hard. The car got ABS and traction control. It drives great in snow and slippery roads. The car is small, but heavier than Corolla and Accord. Very Solid !

Favorite Features

Dual Climate Zone, Leather trim, Heated Seat, Tiptronic, Sound

Suggested Improvements

Exterior more Corolla like Mileage

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Great car... But BEWARE!!!!

Written by: Luftlinea on 01/02/2009

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Jetta New 2.5 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

Review

Bought this certified pre-owned car with 25,000 miles. Although it was 3 yrs old... It seemed new. Friends and family love this little car. I have gotten many compliments at stop lights. Here are a few problems I have experienced. Some rattling sounds. Have taken it to dealer twice to fix, but panels keep coming loose. Cold start is very load and diesel like... They say its normal. Wiper come on for no reason. There was one occasion where trunk release did not work. Had to replace the gas tank release mechn. Word of advise... I have extended warranty until 74,000 mi. Do not be afraid to take it back to get fixed. Every is great at the dealership. They know me by name.

Favorite Features

Interior lights, heated seats, six disc CD changer and large trunk. Friendly staff at dealership. Great support even though some problems keep recurring.

Suggested Improvements

Crap Happens!!! what the hell is that noise during cold starts?

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Solid car, MSRP pricey

Written by: mike ogle on 12/16/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Jetta New 2.5 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 5M)

Review

This is third Jetta we have owned, Bought new body style, $28K MSRP 5spd chosen to try and improve power of 2.5 and package 2 which puts it near to entry level luxury vehicles but so does the price. Interior design is superb, tops in class I would say, high quality plastics for most part, with a few cost cutting exceptions. Black exterior with beige interior and real wood accents, very impressive. Leather seats have held up well, no wear apparent after 64K miles. Reliability problems have been minimal with exception of stereo system which has been disappointing. Overall a nice vehicle, plan on moving to a used Audi A4 in next few months to upgrade handling and power

Favorite Features

3 spoke steering wheel, interior elegance and looks, great gas mileage, regularly get 30+ mpg, overall drive ability excellent for class, nice size trunk, comfortable ride, real wood trim, real full leather, heated seats, computer display for statistics (mpg, etc)is great

Suggested Improvements

2.5 engine is coarse sounding, not befitting a $28K car, stero controls have blistered, sound quality poor, cheap plastics used on door handles, exterior looks are on bland side

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The 4 Cylinder Jetta Sucks!

Written by: Jewel2 on 12/15/2008

Vehicle

2005 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)

Review

I have not had this car for a year yet and I'm already having problems. Like other owners, I have electrical problems with check engine lights coming on, coolant lights and all seem to be "fine" when checked by mechanics. Also the transmission sticks when driving. It sometimes jerks when trying to accelerate going uphill. My driver's side door squeaks when I open it. I've lost a hubcap and on a rainy day the tires slip. Also the fuel economy sucks on the highway as well so I'm left wondering, why did I buy this car?

Favorite Features

I do like the compact size and find it easy to fit into most parking spaces. I also like the design of the dash. It gets good gas mileage for staying in town and not driving much.

Suggested Improvements

I suggest the New Jetta. I hope its better than the old one.

1 out 2 people found this review helpful

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