Used 2002 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan Consumer Reviews
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VW Lemon
VWBAD, 12/17/2004
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
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.
What is the matter with Volkswagen
Another Jetta Owner, 03/04/2003
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
We purchased our 2002 Jetta due our past experience with owning several prior to this. The car has given good gas mileage, but has recently started to burn oil. We have had to have front windows repaired and the passager's seat repaired. Volkswagen feels that burning a quart of oil per 1,000 miles is acceptable. We are going to get rid of this car as soon as possible, before anything else goes wrong. Transmition started to jump on cold mornings. Dealer says transmition is compensating. What ever!! Alot of rattles. Too bad, we really wanted to like this car.
Fun - Until It Breaks
garrythegarlic, 02/09/2006
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
There are no two ways about it, the Volkswagen Jetta is a fun car to drive. I love its performance and the style. However, it has had a ton of maintenance issues over the 80,000 miles I've owned it. All the issues it had while still inside the 50,000 mile warrantee period should have been a warning to me, but since they didn't mean out of pocket cost to me I never let it bother me. Now that the warranty is up, I seriously regret not trading in this car early, even considering the high cost of early termination of a lease.
Glad to be rid of the Jetta
Goodbye Jetta, 03/10/2006
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Be ready for MAAAAAANY trips to the service department if you buy the Jetta. I traded in my Acura for the Jetta in 2002 - bad choice. Here's the laundry list of problems I had: windows fell into the door, brake switch went out - meaning no brake lights for who knows how long, radio replaced x 2 (plus two other trips for repairs), check engine light x 2, heated seat short - yeah, that really burns when that happens, and new battery x 4!! (they were never able to tell me WHY the car couldn't hold a charge - I always kept the jumper cables handy). I finally sold it two weeks ago and bought a BMW - it HAS to be better than this one. Do your research BEFORE you buy (oh, and find a good mechanic).
My First New Car
Rick, 11/02/2005
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
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
maxwellTN, 09/02/2006
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
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.
So Unhappy With This Car!!!
VW Sucks, 04/01/2002
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
2000 Jetta GLS-worst car I have ever owned.W/in 2 months of purchase,had problems w/ gear shift,couldn't get car out of park: had to get it flatbed towed.>1 yr after purchase,brake lights remained on even w/ key out of the ignition. >1.5 yrs after purchase, engine simply died while I was driving in traffic. >2 yrs after purchase, front right window malfunctioned.Dealer said problem was so common,part was on national backorder.I asked courtesy driver from the service dept about problems he'd seen:doesn't sound like VW has fixed newer yr models either.Now I received a recall notice regarding emissions and fuel efficiency.Unbelieveably,unacceptably unreliable car.Stay away at all costs!!!
Jetta sport wagon 1.8T 17" rims
Rob O'Neil, 02/29/2016
updated 08/31/2022
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
0 of 7 people found this review helpful
Good car to own if maintained well. Spunky through the gears, and excellent "monsoon" sound system. Sporty feel while driving.
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