Used 2003 Volkswagen Jetta GLI VR6 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 6M) Consumer Reviews
Used Jetta for sale
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.
My Favorite Car
Augie, Staten Island, NY, 09/18/2021
Volkswagen Jetta GLI VR6 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Okay, so this was my favorite car of any that I've owned. I'm only giving it a 4 star rating because... it still has issues. I bought the 2003 VW Jetta with the VR6 back in 2010. This car was zippy. I swore I was going to get a ton of speeding tickets but somehow never did. You could cruise around town at 30 mph in 6th gear then get on the highway and press the pedal down and it would easily zip up to 100 mph with no fuss. My brother (an auto technician) tells me this was due to the unusual engineering of the VR6 which had a much broader power band. I could easily go 100 mph in 4th gear, not even close to red lining, and still have two more gears to go. I bought it was 106k miles on it and got rid of it at about the 227k mark. At the time I was driving around 30-35k miles a year. Okay now the bad stuff. This car is expensive to fix. If it breaks, it'll cost you. Some of the breaks were my fault, some were not. My model also came with low profile tires. And St. Louis doesn't fix their potholes. I went through about 8 tires in two years from hitting potholes. That got expensive quick. I should have just bought new standard profile tires and saved a lot of money. I had to have the catalytic converter replaced, and it took 4 tries and 2 different repair shops to get it installed correctly so I could pass the emissions check. That got real expensive quick. My biggest complaint about the car itself was the gas mileage, which being a German Jetta I was expecting 35+, but only got between 25-28, which I later found out was pretty standard for that engine. That was disappointing, but not too different from previous cars I'd owned so I dealt with it. I would have kept the car longer, but around the 210k mile mark I started having an issue where the car would shut off randomly. Drive along the car would simply turn off and die. Normally this would happen in the summer in hot weather doing stop and go driving in town, but it did occasionally happen on the highway as well. Never occurred in the winter that I recall. It would sometimes start right away, but usually took about 5 minutes to start again. Occasionally longer, with the longest time being about 45 minutes. Took it to the shop multiple times and they could never duplicate the problem and couldn't diagnose what was wrong with it. So after about a year of this issue happening, I finally caved and got rid of it. Would I buy another one? Maybe. My needs today are different from back then, so it would really depend on my mood and how good of a deal it was.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
LOVE IT!!!
J Dunbar, 03/13/2006
Volkswagen Jetta GLI VR6 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
When I still had this car stock, it was awesome, the sport suspension, the power. Even though only 200 ponies, it was still very snappy. I have since put a chip, exhaust, intake and some higher performance sport suspension and love the car even more. It is def a sleeper and no one has any idea what the little sedan is capable of. HIGHLY recomend it. And since it is a 24v VR6, and VW only made them for about 2 years.. should hold pretty decent value for enthusiasts.
Pretty Good Car
lipstik, 03/26/2003
Volkswagen Jetta GLI VR6 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have had my car for @ 4 mos. & although the car looks good and is fun to drive i have already had to take it to the dealership twice for repairs. Both complaints have been due to car not wanting to start & then when it decides to start black smoke comes out of the tailpipes & it sounds like it is putting. Sometimes, at a stop, the car just dies. The dealership said they couldn't find a prob? Makes me very suspicious. Since the last visit to the dealership, the car has been ok.
Piece of CRAP - Lemon Law SAVE ME!!
dscar, 05/14/2003
Volkswagen Jetta GLI VR6 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I just pray the Better Business Bureau will help me out of this one. Car has had numerous problems since purchased 2 months ago. Bad sensor in the steering column, heated seats not working, dash incorrectly installed, Monsoon system malfunctioning, gears grinding, brakes whistling, Car revving itself. It is in the shop for the NINTH time (16th day). The service center is horrible and VW corporate needs to care about their product. Have already filed complaint w/ BBB. I just want this car out of my life forever. Buyer Beware.
GLI--Love the RIDE--hate the service
sweenemo, 05/11/2003
Volkswagen Jetta GLI VR6 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The 200 hp Vr6 is a great way to start your morning. Car pulls very hard--the 6spd manual is very percise. The monsoon radio (1300 option w/ sunroof) is what i have a problem with --the radio is not as loud/clear on the driver side. Car has 1700 miles on it and has been in the shop 4times. VW service can not fix the problem--and forget about squeezing a rental car out of them.