Used 2001 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews
One of the few happy Jetta owners
Considering trading for new GTI was going to look at those reviews and thought I'd check the Jetta reviews first. Wow. Surprised by all the problems. Have the base GL with 5sp. Added alloys wheels and CD player. So far, knock on wood, no problems. Electrical, engine, windows, etc. all fine for last 2 yrs. Car has been just as reliable my last Acura. Been to the dealer only for 2 oil changes and to install CD player. Hope the GTI reviews are better or I may stick with what I have. Cool message board.
Don't let this happen to you.
To get straight to the point the Jetta Wolfsburg is a car to be avoided. I have had it since new and most of the time it exhibits a mind of it's own. I wait until there is nothing in sight before pulling out because I never know if I'm going to get the peppy little car or the die as you accelerate car. The ASR control feels like it's going to rip the drivetrain apart when it engages on damp pavement. But VW says to speak to the dealer, the dealer says it fine. If it's doing what it should be then VW needs to go back to the drawing board. What do you get when you cross a wonderful interior with bargain bin mechanicals? The VW Jetta Wolfsburg.
- GLS TDI Diesel SedanMSRP: $3,495237 mi away
- GLS VR6 WagonMSRP: $6,995536 mi away
- GL SedanMSRP: $4,500583 mi away
Ticking Time Bomb
29k mi. Have replaced the transmission, AC..twice, window clips..twice (window dropped into door), climatronic ac thermostat, CD player, radio, cup holder, center console/leather arm rest..(handle broke), battery...(they used unsealed batteries before 2002 which leak in hot weather like here in Houston), and have reprogrammed transmission points...8 times (red lines and shakes car). There is 2 second delay when shifting from R to D. The brakes wear out at 15-20k mi and have no sound indicator so that you ruin the routers w/out even knowing it. This wolf in sheeps clothing will take every dollar you have in repairs.
Economy, Performance, and Style
I absolutely love my TDI. It took a while to find one with a 5 speed, but it was worth the hunting. I can't believe this kind of pick-up from a standstill on a diesel. And naturally, unless you're in the market for a hybrid, you can't beat the mileage. Plus, even though the car is (comparatively) low-priced as far as German sedans go, it seems to be an eye- catcher, not to mention that there almost seems to be a TDI clique/club/cult? Comfortable and stylish interior for two adults (don't plan any road trips for four 6-footers) Only real complaint is: why doesn't VW give up on the dial knob for seatback adjustment that they've been using ever since the (original) Beetle?
Gotta be something betta
When it's in operating condition, the ride is awesome and fun. Comfortable, stylish & unique features on the interior. I like the way it drives and the comfort, but there's been just too many problems with it to recommend it to others. Window fell into the door, oil plan needed replaced, some computer sensor for $180, serpentine belt and I've had to replace the same headlight bulb twice w/in last 30K miles. Interior parts look nice but they break easily and are expensive to replace. Trunk latch snapped in cold weather, console latch busted & cup holder broke ($160 for a new cup holder, for example). Just found out the cooling fan is broken ($500). Everything is expensive to fix.
GLX Wagen
Since bought as demo with 4k, front roters have been replaced, cupholder non-functional, power roof adjusted, then would not close completely, and the transmission is absolutely horrible, in that it upshifts too quickly when starting from a stop, then downshifts abruptly just to keep up a moderate acceleration. During this, the RPM jumps back and forth from 1500 to over 3k. Dealer has told me twice that the tranny is normal, but in over 500,000 miles and a lot of vehicles, I have never driven such a strange transmission. Next is to the VW rep, I guess, or lemon suit.
Check Engine Light: bane of my existence
I've had so many issues! It's like they've gone out of their way to make repairs and maintenance as difficult and expensive as possible. The engine leaks oil, a known VW issue. The worst part is the check engine light. In the 3.5 years I've owned this car, the CE light has been OFF for a total of 2 months. I have taken it to 5 different mechanics, each one plugs it in to the diagnostics computer and either gets NO codes or codes that make no sense. All they can do is turn it off, but it just comes back on. No one can fix it, no one can even find a cause, but the car can't pass an emissions test, and so now I can't legally drive it. $12K wasted!
Review of 2001 Jetta Wagon
The Jetta wagon looks great, is fun to drive, and can haul a lot of stuff...but it is not reliable. It has spent 30 days in the shop in one year. The problems have been sensor malfunctions, failed switches (casuing the car to be unable to switch out of park), and transmission problems (causing 4th gear to fail and the other gears to malfunction). VW dealer and customer service has been terrible. I have serviced the vehicle at TransOcean VW in Pasadena. I would not reccomend them. In additional to the mechanical problems, they dented the car.
If I knew
This is a great car in general, but I would strongly advised you of some major problems. Take the leather interior, the black material seats will leave you spending hours a week tring to remove the dust that will accumulate on it, and it is extremely hard to remove. Also pay the extra for the 1.8 liter or TDI or even better VR6 cause the regular model is slow, slow slow!!! You will be disapointed it has no power. If I would have to do it all over I would much rather spend that money or less on other models, like acura or nissan ... But the comfort, the cheap fuel and the style still makes it worht buying!
repair despair
Fuel pump failure, check timing belt repair, check electrical problems, check I could go on and on about the problems I've had with this darn car.