Used 2002 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan Consumer Reviews
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Teutonic Rocket
Finaly picked up my 2002 GLI last week. I shopped around for the best price and was able to get a "base" GLI (with the NE Emissions) for $20.3K. The car is a blast to drive. Fit and finish are excellent. Feature content is really high for a car of this price.
Fun Car to Drive Outdated Styling
Love the car the 180 hp engine is a great motor, fun to drive, nice interior, somtimes wonder what is different than the A4 seems the same to me
- GLS SedanMSRP: $6,999578 mi away
- GLS SedanMSRP: $2,8501,018 mi away
- GLS WagonMSRP: $4,2501,132 mi away
Unreliable
This car gets great gas mileage and in my case the mechanical aspects are good. However, i have had numerous problems with my jetta. Both front door sensors broke, my arm rest broke, the glove box door fell off. Both front turning indicator light covers broke. Small but extremely frustrating problems.
disappointed
this is not a great review - car overheated and glitched after I had it for a couple months, light switch broke, cup holders suck (they drip on the a/c adaptor when I have my phone plug in), the car and insurance is overpriced, tiny back seat, gas mileage is not great and you have to use 91 octane gas. transmission slips and the dealer won't fix it. blah blah blah...
jetta
Had suspension problems at 15,000 miles. Dealer fixed (under warranty!) Stated that it probably came off the line this way. good pick-up at high speeds. Go with stick shift. It is, after all, a VW!
All the problems you can get in a car!
I have had my jetta for a year and can no longer count the problems on one hand! In the past year I have replaced 2 radios. Dash lights went out, bright lights stuck on, doors and dash have uncontrolable noises, one of the spark plug's system went out so I had to drive for a few days on 3 pistons! Shifting is jerky. Like the dash lights and pep, handles the snow well.
Beautiful Rubbish
I am very mixed about this car. It was a zippy, fun to drive car and the experiences it gave me made the money spent worthwhile. But the money spent was A LOT of money!!! EVERYTHING breaks on this car, from knobs on the stereo, to the coolant expansion tank to the muffler mounting bolts, to the window actuators. It's very expensive to repair and you must get aftermarket upgrades if you want the repairs to last, OEM parts just fall apart in equal amount of time. The engine and tranny will last forever but before long everything else in the car will have been swapped out. If you have a love for VW and some money to spare, get this car, otherwise stay far away from it!
NICE CAR
I HAVENT HAD ANY ISSUES WITH MY JETTA. I DONT USE THE CUP HOLDERS OR THE BACK SEAT (ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE ISSUES) THE SEATS ARE HARD TO CLEAN. I PLAY MY MONSOON PRETTY LOUD SO I HAVENT HAD THE SOUND ISSUES (FINGERS CROSSED)
awsome and reliable
I have the jetta wagon with the 5 speed auto. and the 1.8t. I drive around 75,000 miles a year and have had mine for about 10 months. I have 58000 miles on it already, and my wife has a turbo jetta sedan with 50,000 miles on it ( our work is far away. Great cars. HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!! And ardmore volkswagen/acura was very helpful. (ardmore, PA)
jetta
this is by far the best car it is comfotable, stylish, great on gas, very reliable
turbo rocks
this engine blows all comparable models away! honda, toyota, etc. manual trans is a must! rides great at high speeds. Have had no major problems since bought. only problem is leg room in rear, there is none for adults.
Great Jetta 1.8T
The vehicle has performed flawlessly for the past 12 months. Service has been limited to oil changes, scheduled maintenance, and one selective coil replacement paid by VW.
A nice car and fun to drive.
The VW Jetta is a fun car to drive. It handels well in all road conditions. When the exstra power is needed, the car will give it to you w/o hesitation.
bling, but your bnk acct it will clean!
This car was fun to drive until the relationship degenerated to the point I cringed ever time I had to start it, fearing something else would break.If I weren't able to complete most repairs myself, I'd probably have spent 5-8k in repairs.All the usual problemsbad ignition coils, 3 radios, window regulators,broken keyfob, multiple wheel bearings (as in 7 or 8 of them), various failed switches, broken glovebox door, broken center console latch (x5) & antenna. In addition, I had 3 airbag system component failures (which I couldnt fix myself and cost $$$) and a wheel vibration issue that nobody could resolve. I gave up at 79k because I knew the plastic waterpump impeller was on borrowed time
Pretty cool car
I have this car for only a few months now, but i got to drive it for about 13000 miles already. This car has a nice interior that fits two adults very well but not so good in leg room in the back seat. The engine is really powerfull and with the manual transmission its even more fun to drive. I've had a few problems with it so far but nothing big.
Very Happy with used Jetta for daughter
I just bought this fun little car after much research for my daughter. I have owned German porsches before and loved them. Although you can't compare this car to a porsche, it really is fun to drive. With six air bags, solid build, it is a very safe car for a new driver. I have read the negative posts and the positive ones. Even though there were more negative ones than positive, I chose a car that is fun to drive and is safe. It has more than ample power for a teenager or adult commuter. I did get an extended warranty, mainly because of the negative posts and the costs of German repairs. As I said, I have owned porsches so I know.
STOP!
Do not buy this car! My engine light is the only electronic item that works, it's always on. Radio, door locks, windows headlights, only work when they want to. You almost have to bring it into the shop for everything because you need a special tool to do anything on the car. I will never buy another VW again! I wouldn't even feel comfortable giving this car to a friend.
So far so good
I've had the car for a year now with no problems. Still burning oil but my '89 did that until there were 40000 kms on it. No problems with windows or rattles.Fun to drive quotient is very high. Dealership I use for service has been excellent. Cold weather performance here in Canada has been very good.
The Worst Car I've Ever Purchased!
I bought a 2002 VW Jetta with the Turbo engine. This is the worst car I have ever bought. It has broken down three times due to the coil pack, the turbo went out twice, I have had a bunch of electrical problems and my door would not close. All these problems have happened to a new 2002 car with 14K miles. I'm starting the process of getting a Lemon law layer. I will NEVER buy a VW again!!!
Haven't Gotten a Complaint Yet :)
I've only had this car for about 5 months now, but I have only good things to say about it. I insisted on the "virtually" fully-loaded silver one and am glad I did. The turbo stalls the pick-up just for a moment, then the little "jet" wants to leave the road when it gets going. Fun to drive, especially with the tiptronic control. The only thing I'm missing is the temperature indicator on the driver panel, but have we REALLY gotten so lazy we can't just stick our head out the window to tell?
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?...
If it weren't for the engine . . .
I am so disappointed in my Jetta except for the bit of "pep" that the engine exhibits. The whole car rattles and the passenger side front window hums and coughs. The upholstery is dismal. No vacuum or lint brush known to man can keep the seats from looking other than disgusting. All of the literature (incl. the sales brochure) and websites reflected a CD player as standard with the GLS model, but in the end, it was not included. I should have just replaced the Honda Accord I had with another.
VW sells LEMONS and doesn't care
The car itself would be great if it didn't break down every 2 weeks. The WORST part of it all is the VW customer service. If you EVER have a problem, they will laugh at you and tell you tough luck. They sold me a lemon, and they won't take responsibility for it. My car has broken 8 times in under 2 months. DOCUMENTED evidence. Better Business Bureau case opened against VW, still VW doesn't care.
Goog little ride!
I have a 2001 Jetta and so far so good. The only problem I've had is that recently the sunroof got stuck...while open. The dealership took it and fixed it right away and even gave me a rental car. I commute about 45 miles everyday to work and I feel very safe in my jetta. I think it is reliable and sturdy.
6.5 years, 85,600 miles
Just traded in my VW and wanted to share a little from my use. Overall the engine and mechanics worked fine, except for the loud rattle and the oil leakage. All the issues I faced were on the interior; broken hinge on glove box, arm rest broke twice, interior film peeled in several areas, stereo and speakers cut in and out occasionally and the cloth as many stated is absolutely horrible. Good gas mileage and nice to drive.
I Love My Jetta
I to have had my windows fall in and my radio stop working, but it was covered under warranty and quickly fixed. I cannot complain about my Jetta, besides the few cosmetic failures, it runs great and is a fun car. The turbo is great to have, it gives the car some pep. I have owned 5 cars in the last 3 years and this is definitely the best.
Excellent
I was very skeptical about buying a new car. But i know that buying the jetta was one of the best decisions i have made. the jetta not only makes me feel in affordable nice car but a fun car too. I love the jetta it has given me what i wanted. Relaible, fun, comfortable, and sexy.
Love my car-HATE my car
My car has been in he shop on average every four months in two years of ownership; engine coils twice, my drivers side window fell inside the door, the oxygen sensor was faulty, the plastic engine guard cracked and was dragging. The car drives beautifully although it is a bit hesitant out of the gate. It has nice features for the price but the unreliability has just slowly but surely killed my love of the car. DON'T buy VW, they make beautiful cars but they just don't care about quality control! Everything is made of plastic!
Worst Decesion Ever
This car has turned out to be no more than a large green lemon. There is always a problem with the car. Stay away from this car. If you are thinking about buying this car, do so at your own risk... and buy the extended warranty because you WILL need it, I promise.
New Jetta
Although I have just made this purchase recently, thus far it is more fun than our other vehicle (suzuki swift). The Jetta always turns heads. At this point I don't mind sitting in traffic. Overall I would rate this car a 9.
Good commercials, bad car!
I have had nothing but problems with my 2002 Jetta 1.8T. It looks very good, is fun to drive(when it goes into drive!) But has so many problems in the first two months, that I would strongly urge anyone considering buying one to really reconsider. I can not put my car into drive directly, have to go into 3rd or 4th gear and then sometimes it will go into drive is the largest of the problems.
Great Car for your MONEY
this car is like a wolf in sheeps clothing.Lets just put it this way I surprise alot of drivers when they have to take a better look at the trunk emblem and see that it's a VR6.I purchased this vehicle with the 17" upgraded sports package and also modified the suspension by replacing with neuspeed. When I first bought the car I loved it but it was to high. It looks like a SUV until I changed the suspension (night and day difference.) Overall the car is great. I truly recomend this car if you want something practicality and understating. I personally love the 330ci bought I want to sleep at night. ENJOY YOUR VW THEY ARE GETTING MUCH BETTER THEN THEY USED TO BE!
Beautiful machine!
Great German engineering! Great ride and solid feel, good with Tiptronic. Only problem is a bad door seal, no big deal. With leather and spt. luxury, its a dream! Wonderful acceleration. This car stands alone- the Civics and Altimas can't touch it.
Don't waste your money or time
I purchased this vehicle new and within one month; there has been nothing but mechanical/electrical problems. At least every other month something else was and still is breaking and needs repair. The trade- in value is horrible; however after this mornings episode; I made up my mind to finally get rid of this piece of junk. The latest break was found when I went to get gas. The tank release button on the door broke and the gas door can't be opened. After looking throughout the car and trunk for an 'emergency release button'; none could be found. I drove the car to a local station; warranty expired; so this cost will be added to the long list of headaches that came along with this car.
VR6
I bought a GLS VR6 over a year ago and I love it. I haven't found a better car under $40k.
Value for Dollar Spent
Own two Jetta's and a Passat, like the Jetta driveability and road feel better!
Fun, But Not For Golfers
The car is a blast to drive, and has a good stock stereo system.
BMW here I come
Bought this car brand new and fell in love with it, until I realized that I was going to be at the dealer every 4 or 5 months because something failed or broke.
Love it, better than Civic, but.........
Great looking car, a little expensive, have had problems with it. Mainly it would die starting it in the morning when it was cold outside. Dealer fixed it after several days, lousy service from them, and they broke my cruise control and had to go back to them to fix that. I have a lot of squeaks and rattles that would never happen in a Japanese car, dont get me wrong I love it, but VW needs some quality improvement to make me loyal.
Buy the extended warranty.
If the quality was better, then the Jetta would be an excellent vehicle. Always buy the extended warranty if you plan to own this car longer than the standard warranty.
A sad disappointment
The car rides low, and the bumper pulled off twice after barely scraping against a barrier. Service man stated, "Jetta owners learn real quick to stay away from curbs." The car also required extensive work after I hit a pothole. Don't EVER hit the curb if parallel parking. My car needed a new rim and an alignment, which is more expensive than most and has to be done at the dealership. The windshield's position allows for rocks to repeatedly hit it. I could no longer afford monthly payments and repair costs, and thus did not mind losing $2,000 when I traded it in for a Toyota.
the modern Yugo
I dont know VW can get away with selling this piece of junk to people and still laugh in people faces when they turn to them for help. Sad part is that there are still new people buying this junk...Numerous problems with mine: windows, check engine light seems to live its own life, engine stalling, finally pieces falling off. Worst car I've ever owned.
My First New Car
I bought my 2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T brand new because I wanted a reliable car that I did not have to worry about how the owner before me had cared for it. Well, this was a huge mistake. Even though this car is fun to drive it was the worst car I have ever owned. In the first year the transmition was replaced along with the fuel pump radiator, radio, hvac, and power window switch. I tryed to do the lemon law thing but the same thing had to happen three times in 18 months. during year two my car needed another tranny, more window regulators, and had a fire, yes a fire. I was driving down the road and looked in my side mirror to see that it was on fire (shorted out heated mirror). I had $24,000 worth of warranty repairs made on my Jetta! At 48,000 miles I traded it in on a Honda. Thanks for nothing VW.
VW Cannot Fix My Jetta After Ten Attempts
My Jetta has had problems since it hit 15,000 miles, when it needed a new transmission. The issue was not solved by this repair and has continued even after 10 attempts to fix it by the local dealer. The car skirts erradically / hard in all gears, it stalls from park to reverse after sitting overnight, it does not downshift properly (or at all) when going up hills, and is unreliable in when and how it will shift. The dealer tried to fix it, but the issues came back. I have been told that this is common in 2002-2004 Jettas - and was told this by the dealer and the service manager. VW customer care has also offered no recourse - I am stuck with a car that is now out of warranty and has yet to be fixed by the dealer.
Fast Whip!!!
Very impressive vehicle for $24K. Fast and more fun to drive than my '99 Audi A4 2.8.5spd!
Poor
At 9000 miles a new transmission had to be put into the car. The service dept at the dealership has done all the maitenance on the vehicle and there is either an oil consumption problem or the service dept never checked the oil when I brought it in so 5 days later there was no oil registering in the engine. I also just received a recall in the mail about the ABS system potential to malfunction and cause a fire. For a 9 month old car this is unacceptable.
jetta review
This car is horrible. Windows rattle over rough surfaces and suspension makes chirping sounds. Car will not come out of park from a cold start. Additionally a spring off of passanger seat fell off in the first 5 months of ownership. Driver's side seat bladders make popping noises. Also you have to manually turn gear mechanism to make seats recline. I used to drive a Honda and I'm trading this VW in for one again.
dysteria
This car with the 6 cylinder and the 5 speed is a blast to drive. It really goes from a stop and all the way through the rpm curve. I was also very impressed with the handling, it handled like an expensive german car (ie BMW). The quality was also outstanding.
VW Lemon
This is my 2nd VW and it is a lemon. Before you buy a Jetta read all of the information on the internet. My car has had numerous electrical problems. The engine coils have been replaced. The transmission has been replaced...I could go on. I have alway loved the handling of VW's, but they are not reliable. To make my situation worse VW will not fix my car, because they claim I have broken it -- even though they have sent service advisories regarding the oil pump on 1.8Ts.
Highly recommended
When I was 18, I bought a new car to replace my '98 Ford Contour. My old car was unreliable, shameful, and boring. So for $12,500, I bought a 2002 Jetta 1.8T. This car is a perfect blend of practicality, power, class, and reliability. I get 23 mpg city/31 highway. The Turbo kicks into high gear, and gives you all the power you need . The interior? I have leather, heated seats, power windows, even a power sunroof. And now, almost 2 years later, STILL not one thing has gone wrong with it. Sure, I take good care of it, but Volkswagen has really given me a great product here. not a very big car, but extremely safe. So if you want a car that you can be proud of, for a good price, get one of these