Used 1997 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews
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VW built to save lives.
My 17 year old daughters (twins) have been driving this car for 1 1/2 years. Friday night my daughter lost control of the vehicle, flipped twice, hit a tree, hit a rock wall and landed on the roof of the car. The exterior of the car is completely totaled. The interior of the car is completely intact. The frame work around the top and sides of the car held it from crumbling around her. My daughter walked away from the accident and has only 9 stitches in her knees (and I believe that is from crawling out of the car.) VW is built tough and will be the car of choice for my children to drive.
Never Buy a VW
I really hate this car with a passion. Literally every day something goes wrong. Yesterday my starter went. I had it replaced. Today the idle is going crazy and its smelling like gas really bad. The coolant system is terrible. Pretty much everything on this car is designed poorly and made of plastic. The exhaust rattles of the underside of the car. The electrical system is total junk. I have had problems with this car since day one. If you are reading this and are considering getting a VW, please go buy a Honda, seriously.
1997 VW Jetta GL
We currently have 180K miles and no major problems other than the necessary and routine maintenance plus its FUN to drive! I understand some of the cars were put together in Mexico and others in Canada; ours was from Canada. We would definitely consider purchasing another VW when the time comes to replace this one (which won't be too long from now).
Great overall car, maintenance is key to go 200k+ miles
I owned 2 VWs on the past, a 02 Jetta Wolfsburg, and 03 Gti , both 1.8t 5spds. I recently got rid of my newer truck to go back to No payments, and found a 1997 Jetta Gt black with black leather w/140k miles this past January. This car has been awesome, ive taken great care of her, since it was a 1 owner and interior is immaculate with no rips and paint looks new. mechanically car seems very sound, especially on the freeway, its very smooth. Ive had a few hiccups with car, such as gas gauge not always working or power door locks not working on driver side, but its expected with a older car. I plan to do a full overhaul and tune up to car in next 6 months, glad i finally own MK3 JETTA.
Worst Car I Ever Owned
This car was the never-ending money pit! Engine had to be replaced along with two clutches. Window motors were constantly breaking. Electric side mirrors stopped working. Glove compartment hinges broke. Windshield washer system stopped working. Molding was falling off. Seat recliners never worked. Emergency break broke several times which resulted in the car rolling into the street and finally - a LAKE! The repairs were incredibly expensive compared with US or Japanese made cars.