Used 2003 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Awesome
This car is amazing. But, don't let the beauty of this car fool you. I just recently purchased it used and already have to replace the catalyst converter($380) cause of the fuel fumes I smell in the cabin of the Jetta. Well i did buy the car used with 122,00+ miles on it, these things are bound to happen. Also, the Monsoon radio has just shut off. If that happens just take fuse #42 out for thirty seconds and let the static electricity calm down. other than that this car is Amazing! The power of this vehicle is amazing.
TDI all the way
My TDI is great because I drive 30,000 miles a year! It did have a transmission defect at 3,000 miles which promted VW to replaced the entire transmission. VW made the best of a bad situation but the dealership was horrible, never goto Congressional! The best thing about the TDI diesel is I use a type of diesel fuel called Bio- Diesel. It's diesel fuel made from vegetable oil, the kind I use is soy based. It's not very well know that this exists because of limited availability but I can switch back to dyno-diesel (regular diesel) if Bio- Diesel is not available. The TDI will run on Bio-Disel with no modifications to the car.
- GLS SedanMSRP: $2,90062 mi away
- GLS 1.8T SedanMSRP: $3,99170 mi away
- GLS TDI Diesel WagonMSRP: $5,980558 mi away
Precious, fun vehicle
This Jetta has been very good to me. After having a 2001 GLS automatic and a 2001 manual, this is the best I've driven. The heated seats and mirrors are perfect for the Minnesota winter. Braking is well beyond above average, and even though HP might not be a huge asset, the ride is smooth and the highway torque while passing is just perfect. If you are looking to buy an Audi A4 or BMW 3-series, save your money and buy this reliable, fun car.
Handles like a dream
I've only had this car for a couple of months but I love it. It is a very solid car and you have to be careful not to speed because it doesn't feel like you are going as fast as you are. Diesel engine is great, can't wait till the US finally realizes what Europe has figured out about diesel engines. Great roadtrip car- Cleveland to DC and still have almost half a tank. The diesel also has much better pickup at highway speed that gas engines so it shifts less with the cruise control on. Actually, I don't think it ever had to shift with the cruise control on.
Nothing but Problems
I bought this car in 2003. For the first two years, I loved it. Then, about a year ago, I started having problems. First, something started leaking. My warranty covered it. Then I broke down on a major road and had to get towed. The warranty also covered this. My car has stalled and I had to get towed (not covered), my air conditioning had to be recharged (not covered), then it had a leak (covered), my passenger side door stopped working (covered), etc. I would not recommend ever purchasing a used version of this car...it has too many problems.
Awsome new engine
Well folks I just got a 2004 Jetta and man its great. Aside from the new trunk lid design and chrome outside and around the guages, it run wonderfully. The HP is up by 10 but the torque is up i think about 30ft lbs. The only thin i'm not really jazzed on is the sound system. Its not bad...but, MTX makes a subwoofer that fits on the right hand corner of the trunk and its really brings the bass nnotes to life. Jazz has never sounded so good. If you haven't driven one yet you owe yourself a favor to go drive the new 2004 model. Bill P.S. Don't forget the subwoofer install
Love the Jetta
This is my second Jetta, had a 5 speed GL for 3 years, just got an automatic Wolfsburg and I am in heaven. So easy to drive, takes turns so smoothly. A lot of pick up, no turbo drag. Won't buy anything else. Love the Jetta.
Don't buy it!
I regret buying my my 2002 1.8T Jetta. Within 3 months the engine went down, not once but twice. They claimed to have fixed the problem at the first time, but a week after, the engine went down again. It was the coils that they said caused the problem but they didnt replace all of them the first time even though they knew they were not right for the car. Another problem - Just a few days ago, my A/C was broken. Since all the dealerships are so busying fixing other more serious problems like engine and falling-apart windows, they won't have time for my A/C problem until after this summer is over.
Best car I have ever owned!!!
I love this car. I get excelent gas mileage average around 45 miles to the gallon. The only thing is that an oil change cost 60 dollars because you use more oil along with a different kind of oil in the disel version. I would not trade my car for anything it is fun to drive very cute and money efficent. I highly recommed it to anyone who is on the road often. I put 6500 miles on it in 3 months and got it straight off of the truck. Its great!!!!
Jetta Wolfy Sweet
Well, if you plan on buying a Jetta 1.8T I would highly recommend it with all honesty. I've put 36000 miles on my Wolfsburg and have never had a problem or felt that I was not in control of the vehicle especially on curves and with highway "pass the bad driver" moments which occur 73% of the time these days. Driving the Jetta is truly an exciting and fun experience everyday and still feels like it did the first day of purchase. Quiet, quick, and comfortable would be an appropriate description. I would be hard pressed not to buy another VW in the future.
Love my 1.8t!!!!!
This car is so much fun to drive, it's super smooth and great when you need an extra boost. I love the interior style and the outside design is solid. I would recommend this car to anyone...it's perfect!
I love it
I picked up my new car on January 3rd. I have 1600 miles on it already. I am getting between 500 and 600 miles out of a tank of fuel, combination city/hwy. This is a great car I plan to keep a long time. And you can even make our own fuel.
Got it right!
VW has gotten it right with this one. I pulled into the fuel station yesterday and filled up. 229 miles city dirving took 5.1 gallons of fuel. Oh, by the way that was my first tank. Can't wait to see what it does when it gets broken in. This car drives like it was made to drive. I have owned several diesels and loved the economy but not the lack of power. This one has both economy and power. Love it.
VW Jetta TDI Wagon Review
I love the gas mileage on the TDI. It gets 35 mpg city & 45 mpg highway. My wife loves the heated seats. We got the cold weather package which is just great.
Good car for awhile
When I purchased my 2003 Volkswagen Jetta, it only had 47,000 miles on it. Not bad considering it was already three years old, and there was only one owner before me. I put at least almost 40,000 miles on it in two years, and it has not been bad, but when I first got it the wheel alignment was so off that I had to replace the rear CV joints and purchased new tires TWICE for the rear. Volkswagen should keep manufacturing in GERMANY and stop being so what I call America Cheap. That is when large corporations instead of paying export fees opt to manufacture in less expensive countries, which turns out to be more expensive for the consumer. I have compared the 1996 with the 2003. Keep trying
I hate my jetta!
There is not enough room to write everything I hate about this car. I have had nothing but problems with this car from day 1. I've had problems w/ the shifting, replaced a cracked tri-pod ball joint replaced the coolant system, and now I have to replace the timing belt and valves, not to mention all the other minor problems I have had too. The VW dealership is as terrible as their car. I would NEVER recommend a VW to anyone! I am now the irate owner of a very heavy/expensive paper weight. My VW Jetta is worthless. Worst car ever!
I loved my car, but it was unreliable.
I got a jetta turbo. the timing belt blew, then the tranny went out. i sold it cheap and bought a bug. I loved the jetta. I would buy another one, but i fell in love with the bug. make sure you check the history with any foreign car. especially make sure the timing belt was changed before you bought it and that the oil has been changed regularly. And don't let the VW dealer lie to you and steal your money.
i love my GLI
I have a 2003 Jetta GLI and i love it. no one expected my car to be fast because it is vw and o boy where they wrong. i took the limiter of the car and have gone up to 150mph... Great car and a lot of fun. the only thing that i don't like is that the car needs more power. It has 200 hp but i will have it turoed by the end of the year and will be putting down 475hp at the wheels. I would say that it is a great car because i have been in an accident in my old Jetta were it rolled end over end and i had only a broken finger because my hand hit the roof so other then that it is a great car.
great buy
I enjoy every moment in my Jetta, it is fun and has been very reliable. I have 70k miles on it and have not had one problem.
German Engineering?
The TDI engine and the handling of this car were certainly the highlights. Reliability was horrible, making me wonder why they emphasize "German Engineering". Overall, the car was very fun to drive and solid over my 60,000 miles of ownership. I sold it due to having to take it to the dealership over and over: bad wheel bearing, heater coil, heated seat caught on fire while I was driving, each light, f/r went out within 20K, flickering lights, shudder in clutch, creaking sound from suspension, rear washer fluid tube plugged, just to name a few, there were many more issues, but can't remember all. Sorry, VW, but your premium price has lost me as a repeat customer.
VW Stinks
Lemon Alert! This car is a great, fast, sexy model, but its mechanical reliability is horrible. VW has a serious problem with premature clutch blowouts at less than 50,000 miles. $2,000 later I have to sell the car because of a problem they say is my fault. As an experianced manual driver, this is more than an insult. This is a sham. VW of America is a racket! At 47,000 miles a clutch should not blow out! Every mechanic I spoke to has told me that even if I was a cluch rider, this should not have happened. This is not an isolated incident. Google "vw clutch failure" and you will get thousands of reports from VW owners for the same premature blowout. This is the last VW I will ever own...
Too Many Problems
I haven't been too pleased with the many various problems I've had with this car. Brand new, the biggest problem being a replacement of transmission, rotors, broken rear view mirror,a security system problem, and sticking drink holder mechanism. These were all fixed by a very good dealership, but all of this happened before the car had 5,000 miles on it. It doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling on the reliability of what might happen next. The other thing I'm not too happy with is the gas mileage. I think VW could do better.
i love this car
I have had this car for almost a year and i love it. Its a great fun car and i would buy another one in a heart beat......If anyone is looking to buy one get it. I was worried about performance out of a 2.0 but it has great torque I love it!!!!!!
Hate It!
I wanted a Jetta for about 10 years and finally purchased one in 2003. I did this despite all the bad reviews and advice of others. I'm sorry to say that the car has been nothing but problems. Not only did I have to take it in numerous times to get it repaired under warranty, since the warranty's expired, I have sunk thousands into this car. I owned a used car that was 14 years old and only had to get a major repair done once. You name the part, it's been repaired in the Jetta: catalytic converter, cv joint, air conditioning, windows, radio, seat, armrest, swaybush, etc. I will never buy a VW again. They will try and say "this year's model is better" but it's not. Don't do it.
Dont buy unless you love your mechanic!
I bought this car certified pre-owned. I have had two prior VWs. I knew parts were pricey, but since I've owned this car, it's been in for a variety of non-maintenance work! The catalytic converter was recalled and VW refused to fix it unless I paid $200 for a diagnostic test. The window brackets failed and the window fell into my door ($300) plus labor. The supposed great Monsoon stereo/CD player fails to work at times. The blinker stalk clicks at random. There is a constant squeaking when I drive over bumps that no mechanic can find the source of. My seat heat also just burned through the leather seats! And this is off the top of my head... just think long and hard before you buy!
don't buy this car
After purchasing this car and having NOTHING but major problems with it, I started doing research on Volkswagen and found these are probably the most unreliable cars on the market. Almost every review i've seen has nothing but negative things to say about them, yet Edmunds and CR recommends them?? WHAT'S GOING ON?!?!?!?! Not only are they made in Mexico, but the have one of the worst warranties on the market and follow up service is a JOKE. Good luck getting VW of America to listen also, they really don't care. PLEASE do your research and use your brain!!! these cars are all lemons and that's a fact. Dont' take the chance like I did, you WILL be sorry
It's a Good Car
When I first bought this car I loved... Love the vr6 with the 6-speed Manuel, its a really comfortable car... But I wish I wouldn't have bought it... Its a great car but I'm not a car person... I had a 2000 pathfinder that I traded in and I really miss the utility... I have had the jetta for almost 2 years and I miss having a ton of room on the inside... Thats my only complaint... It's a great car to just roll down the Windows open the sunroof and crank up the radio and just drive... Perfect weekend car...
Disappointing
I bought this car without doing my research. I wish I had, it had problems from the moment I bought it. First the brake light switch, then water pump, now crazy electrical issues no one can figure out. It's very unreliable, and I've taken it to 4 different mechanics and handed the key handed back to me saying they have no idea what's wrong with it. I'm in college, so I had to downgrade to an older Toyota. It makes me sad, I loved my Jetta, but I would absolutely not recommend it to anyone. In fact, I vehemently advise all people I know considering a V-Dub, and anyone reading this, LOOK ELSEWHERE! I've heard a overwhelming number of similar stories, and wish I had done better research.
Don't buy a Jetta
I've had the car for 2 years and have 70,000 mile, 3000 mile oil changes with synthetic etc., the car has been maintained meticulously and it's continues to be in and out of the shop for days at a time. The fit and finish is terrible, wind noise (migrating weather striping), window falling down in the doors, tail lights blowing, sunroof breaking, and now the transmission appears to be on it's way out. Keep away!
Speedy loves it!!
I love the VW. Had a 2000 Beetle but wanted more room so I got the Jetta. The 1.8T is the best. The gas pedal just says "go ahead". It has been great.
WOW...WHAT A GREAT CAR!
The New Jetta is awesome. The gas mileage alone is worth the price...on our very first tank of gas, we are getting 48 mpg!!! It's so unbelievable. We would recommend this car to anyone who is in the market. It's very comfortable and so much fun to drive. We love our new car!! If interested in this car, and you are in the utah area, contact us and we will refer you to the dealership where we bought our car. They were awesome to work with and there wasn't a whole lot of BS! JUST GET THE VOLKSWAGON! It is guaranteed to turn a lot of heads!
WHAT A CAR
I just test drove the Jetta GLI and all i can say is wow. The model i test drove had everything, leather sunroof and cold weather package. The engine performace even surpassed my big v8 i currently drive. The 6 speed is a blast and i WILL be purchasing my car SOON.
Jetta is Junk
I have owned this car less then 2 months. The car has less then 1800 miles on it. It has already been in for service 3 times, all with the same problem. Failed IG coils. The car just broke down for the 4th time and the dealer gave me an attitude. I have spent more money on rental cars then lease payments. I am pursueing relief under the Lemon Law. Due yourself a favor and steer clear of the Jetta!!!
I LOVE MY JETTA GLS 1.8T!!!
this car is sooo cool, i love it!! my parents bought a new 2003 jetta for my birthday. yup, brand spankin new!! i used to drive a honda; but unfortunately, it died out on me. practically everyone i know including my whole family all drive japanese made cars. but let me tell you, i 'do' notice a difference...the quality is sooo much better!!! .. i'm especially excited about the heated seats!!!..turbo! ..automatic daytime lights!..how the interior lights up blue!!..spacey trunk!!, i can go on and on ..aaaaah, i love my car!!! ^____________^ YAY!!!! only got 300 miles on it, and had it for just about a week now.. he he :)
Worst Decision I've ever made!
I heard so many great reviews about the Jetta. So, I decided to get it, without a test drive (WHY!?). I'm so dissatified with the car. It's very noisy, loud engine, doesn't accelerate quickly, no leg room, cup holders are a nusiance, defroster does nothing, etc....
Great car
Just plain awesome, the diesel gets 37- 47mpg, and is very powerful uphill.
1st class little car
Great car. 59500 trouble free miles. Would like more MPG however anything this fast won't deliver that.
Nice, Very Nice
Hi have a 2003 Blue Lagoon 1.8T, its a fabulous car. I would recommend spending extra for the sports package-- 17" wheels and firmer suspension. Con: My only concern is long dealership service waits, and the Jetta has no back seat room at all, however if you ever sit back there it is very comfortable.
look out svt
near perfect, very little turbo lag
really great!!
near perfect, except tail lights, they look ok
Fit to Finish
I have had the car for quite some time now 2 years and the car continues to give me that same feeling I had the first day I brought it home. German quality shines through wish interior fit and finish. The engine is stout with its great power. I have not encountered problems that others have posted, but I have always taken care of my cars. The window has not "fallen in", but the did perform the recall on the window free of charge. This is my forth VW in the last 35 years and I will continue to be a VW man!
What a beaut!!!!
Yes, the windows do "rattle" a little when you hit a bump...yes, the cupholders are in a bad place...but if you are looking for the perfect car, it is not going to come at a $25000 price tag. The car handles wonderfully, the seats are comfortable (not to mention heated), it looks better than any other small sedan and has low maintenence and the highest resale value in its class. You are not going to find a better car for the price. Oh, and to the person who said the doors are heavy...THAT IS A GOOD THING...it means it is a quality, solidly built vehicle. I highly recommend this car to anyone considering it.
Great commuter car!
Love this car so far. Only problem was sunroof switch that had to be replaced. I expect to keep this car for a lot of miles.
Lots Of Fun To Drive
I don't know what others are talking about! This car is great. I just bought it and really love it. It is very fast and comfy. The leather is awesome, and I really like the heated seats. Sure it is a bit pricey, but well worth it.
ROCKET SPORT SEDAN
IF YOU ARE LOKING FOR A FAST,SPORTS SEDAN YOU SHOULD LOOK HERE.FEATURES TO RIVAL MORE EXPENSIVE VEHICLES.COMPARABLE TO A BMW 3 SERIS,AND LEXUS IS300 AT $10,000.00 LESS.LEATHER INTERIOR,200 HP,6 SPD TRANS,SUNROOF & TRACTION CONTROL OR ABOUT $25,000.BEST QUALITY IN ITS CLASS.
Fun but not very reliable
This is a very fun car to drive, however, I wouldn't buy another one. First, I've had way too many problems with my power windows. Second, the interior materials peel. There is a slight covering on the interior surface that peels off. Third, I"ve had all kinds of problems with the clutch in my vehicle. What makes it worse is the dealership hasseling me over the work. Between the car experience and the dealership I will never buy another Volkswagen.
volkswagens suck
this car has left me on the side of road twice in the last six months. both times the fix cost on average $1800. Highway robbery!!
Good at first but then......
I loved this car for the first 60,000, then it was just problem after problem. I kept good care of the car but was having continuous issues with the water pump and other minor things. The major problem was the fact that a lot of parts in the engine were made of plastic so instead of replacing just a simple section of a part the whole thing had to be replaced. I averaged about $600 every time the car went in. About 2 years ago I spent over $2,400 at one time!! Recently the car had some more problems that included the fuel pump. I took the car in and the mechanic told me it was not worth fixing. The car had 119,000 miles on it. It did it's job. The sunroof was possessed.
Amazed at Jetta TDI power & speed
Had it for a week now. Was worried about the speed/power thing for a small engine. (I had a 4 cyl Ranger that couldnt keep up speed at top of Sunshine Skyway bridge). This TDI accelerates in 5th gear from 80 mph nearing the top of the bridge with no sign of slowing down! The dealer had Hondas so I checked them out- the 51 mpg one. I thought the plastic felt as cheap as my Subaru 76 DL which I loved at the time. The Honda sure wasnt worth a "MARKET ADJUSTMENT" the dealer put on all the Hondas. (What kind of nut would pay a market adjustment?) Anyhow, the Jetta TDI is built solid, runs like a roadster and is comfortable. I love it. Dave
Beauty is Skin Deep
This is a love/hate review. I love the looks, the 17" wheels, the ride and performance. I don't like the lack of seat space when you fold down the back seat and use the car as a wagon. I am 5'7" and had to move my seat forward to make room for the folded back seat. If you need a wagon as a wagon, I would suggest you try something else. Another issue showed up immediately. The driver seat keeps heating when you think it's turned off. I turned on the front seat to heat myself up after buying the car. Once I was warm, I couldn't get the seat to turn off. So much for one day with the car.