Used 2002 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews
never again!
while fun to drive, the jetta has been very dissappointing when it comes to reliability--water pump...fuel pump...ignition switch...indicator switch... seat tracking (3X!)...drivers door window regulator (2X!)...main onboard computer went beserk and locked us out sporadically and spontaneously... had to wait 3 MONTHS for part to repair ignition switch. what would you think?...
Fun But Troublesome
I fell in love with this car at first sight. It was fast, comfortable, fun, and the wagon offers generous space. The VR6 combined with the 5-speed provided lots of good times. Then came the problems. Little by little, this car started having electrical issues. O2 sensor, plug wires, ECU, random blinking lights, check engine light for no reason, and more. The "Comfort Module" also went out, causing the moonroof, door locks/alarm, horn, and interior lights to stop working. The final straw, yesterday I found out the timing chain had basically destroyed the engine. The service guy at the dealer told that my only option was to "get rid of it". Even he acknowledged that these cars are junk.
Love that diesel
Have only had the car for a couple of weeks, but really like the ride and handling of it. For someone who grew up on a farm and has been around diesel powered vehicals for a while the sound of the turbo winding up from a stop light is pure music.
love my TDI wagon
I drive this thing hard commuting in and out of SF. I get a consistent 37 mpg during my two week fill up period and that's hard driving up and over SF hills with some freeway mixed in. It's comfortable for me as the driver but the back seat is a bit limited in leg space behind me because I am 6'2" and the seat is all the way back leaving about 5 inches of leg space back there. No Mechanical problems ever, always run low sulfur. Even with the 90 HP it still pulls fully loaded w 4 people and gear over highway 80 Donner pass at 75-80 mph. I smile at the SUV's because I know I'm getting at least 2 or 3 X their mpg as I pass them over the mountain :)
Do your research
This jetta has been my dream car for forever, until I purchased it. A month after I bought it would no longer run due to transmission problems. I took it back to the dealer and demanded they fix it, which they did. In the past year I have replaced 2 mass air flow sensors, the main computer for the car, countless other sensors and recently the fuel pump. If you are interested in a VW you better do some research to make sure it's a good fit for you. Jetta's are cute and fun to drive, but if you get a bad one it's going to be a money pit. Also, they are expensive to maintain, my oil changes cost around $70. Make sure you are prepared for all the comes with being a VW owner before you get one!