Used 2004 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews
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The car for fun or reliability
This is a great car for travel or for just a quick run to the store. It is fun to drive and a lot cheaper than most cars.
Couldn't be happier!
Owned a Beetle...too small for me, husband, and 6 month old son. Traded and got the Jetta... LOVE IT!! Just enough room, my son and family love it!
- GLS TDI Diesel SedanMSRP: $3,4951,052 mi away
- GLS SedanMSRP: $5,9951,078 mi away
- GLS SedanMSRP: $6,0001,346 mi away
Nice, but underpowered
I bought this Jetta as a second vehicle, it is a 5-speed which I like, but the 2.0 engine is severly underpowered for this 3,000 lb. car. It takes a lot to get this car moving. Also, the first time it rained, I had a puddle in the back seat, apparantly they had installed the molding on the window incorectly. I would buy another Jetta, but i would have to opt for the 1.8T engine, or the VR6.
First VW
A great experience I will surely buy VW again
Sporty, Stylish and Affordable
Before buying this 2004 Jetta, I had test-driven many (several hrs to days w/ each): Corolla, Optima, Altima, RAV4, Protege 5. Jetta beats them all for its superb handling & stability. The turbo is much more responsive than the 2.0L. Speed goes up steadily yet surprising fast even at low RPMs. Agile - how I'd describe the feel when making a harsh turn or stop. The auto. shift might feel slow to some. Built-in spoiler wins accolades from friends. Speaking of looks, you don't get any from Japanese cars unless you pay extra $ for a Lexus. But Jetta is a nice little car (in fact, roomier than many would think) with everything I could ask for.
My Jetta is Betta
This vehicle is awesome! I have the 1.8 Turbo and it definitly has a lot of Pep! The interior is vey comfortable and it lights up neon blue & red at night..pretty cool..:) The color is a new one this year (2004) Platinum Charcoal Gray..which is very classy looking. I would recommend this car to anyone..:)
Poor fuel milage
We purchased our VW and are very disappointed in the gas milage. The sales sticker on the vehicle stated that it would get 47 mpg highway and 41 city. We only get 34 mpg highway. We have had it to checked three times and they can't seem to find the problem. It seems there are other people that have similiar problems with this make of VW.
Gets the job done
This is my 10th VW. I bought it as a Certified used car from a dealer rather than a 2006 model since I wanted a factory tape deck. This is my third diesel and is, by far, the best. I spend quite a lot of time in the car and it is does everything well. The Monsoon sound system is great except for poor AM reception that the dealer has been unable to correct. Although I drive the car briskly and primarily non-city, the fuel consumption has been 48 - 49 MPG over the last 7,000 miles. The cruise control, despite less than optimal placement, is dead-on accurate. The car handles well, has excellent brakes and the ESP system works flawlessly. The trunk capacity is good, but the rear seat room is below average.
DISAPPOINTED IN VW
Where to begin... tail lights flicker on/off and then go completely out on numerous occasion. Plastic fins in water pump rot away, causing car to overheat while driving. Clicking noise coming from dash by hazard lights button. Extremely stiff suspension. Door ajar light on/doors trunk closed, interior light switch doesn't work properly. Trunk/gas release fell into door, sunroof switch doesnt work correctly. Piece of junk- had a 94 Golf and 98 Passat, loved them- hate this!
Great german car
The redesigned exterior though very subtle just adds a classic touch to the car and makes it different enough from previous years that you want to get the 2004 and not take advantage of the 2003 clearance sales. I have driven close to 600 miles with the first tank and was blown away by the smoothness of the engine (it's hard to tell it is a diesel!)and also impressed by the engine's torque... German styling,german drive,german look and feel at a very affordable price.If you want to have the best of both worlds and get a great car with an incredible fuel economy,there is no other choice like it!!!Go get one now!
Great Car
I went from an SUV to this and was pleasently surprised in usuable space. The ride is great! Engine moves this little guy in and around corners in a breeze.....WOW....
VW Diesel Rocks!
Great little car. I run it using Biodiesel, which makes good sense to me. Better for the environment. Only complaint is the seats aren't comfortable and the gaps between the seats are difficult to clean and reach those items that just disappear! Exterior paint scratches easily. Windows are tight when electronically moved up and down. Great performance and holding on curves. Love the mileage anyhwere from 45-55 mpg. All around, would highly recommend this turbodiesel engine. No bad odors and It flys!
Junk!
I bought my Jetta 3 years ago. I had it for about 5 months before it started having serious electrical issues. After letting off the accelerator the car will just shut off and all the service lights will start beeping. Also sometimes after turning off the car and opening the door all the cab lights flash as well as the clock on the dash. Sometimes the car won't start at all. I have been taking it to VW dealership service shops and other shops that specialize in foreign cars for two years and no one can tell me what is wrong with it.
Dam Near Perfect
Great car, second Jetta and it keeps getting better. Turbo lag sucks, but I could get over it with more turbo boost. I'm sure we'll get it in the future. Affortable sporty sedan, without the price of BMW 3 series.
As Good As It Gets
For starters, the dealership was clean, modern and full of beautiful cars to choose from. The Jetta was more in my price range, so I decided to go for it. My budget was keeping me in the upper end of the compact car range, so I stretched a little and went for the GLS 1.8T model, sport package with cold weather options.
transmission broken
1st needed to replace exhaust recycle unit 2 and the 5 speed manual transmission ripped itself apart at 90k miles cost over to $4000 repair
Great car to own/drive
The TDI wagon has been a great car - few problem, great mileage, comfortable, and it can carry all of the things you need. I installed a tow hitch on mine to drag a GTX 4TEC Sea Doo and it has no problems getting it out of the water. We do get some funny looks as the PWC is almost as big as the car. Our golden retriever has not offered any complaints about riding in it. It performs well for a diesel - no sluggishness from this car. You step on the gas and go!
Lemonade
Love to drive the car. But you got to be kidding me with all the repairs. Bought with 60ish thousand miles. Added a custom intake, and sway bar for some fun in the corners. New wheels and tires. Somewhere in 70k the transmission went out. I just passed 118k and the transmission went out again. Replaced leaking radiator, head gaskets, cam adjuster seals, tail lights going out randomly and often (sometimes every couple days). That's just off the top of the head. All i can say is buy the warranty. Mine's paid for itself 3 times at least.
Great, reliable, useful car!
I have had my Jetta Wagon TDI for 3.5 years now and basically would not trade it for anything out on the market. It was relatively inexpensive to purchase new in 2004, especially compared to other comprable cars on the market at the time, especially comparable WAGONS on the market (subarus and such). I drive it to work every day and have no complaints with 43 avg mpg. I carry my two 50 lb dogs in the cargo area regularly and they have more than enough room to be comfortable. The back seats are lacking in footroom but since it is just me, I have not been too concerned with that. Don't know how well carseats do in it yet either. My husband plans on using it as his commuting vehicle in future.
Marvelous Machine
This car is a dream!!!! It's a 1.8 Turbo with 5 speed Tiptronic tranny. The 1.8 Turbo feels like a V-6. The only options I got were leather seats and ESP (Electronic Stabilization Program)
OWN 1
LOOKS GOOD EXCLENT WARRENTY LOVE THE IN SIDE LIKE THE BLUE DASH LIGHTS NOT TO SURE ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION SOME TIMES SHIFTS VERY ROUGH
Excellent!
I think the TDI Jetta is the most inovative practical design in a long time! Really a wonderful car to own and drive.
Buy a Jetta!
I already owned a 98 Jetta and an 83 Rabbit, so I bought this car for my wife who always wanted one. She said it was love at first site. I cannot get her to shut up about how much she loves the car. She is always bragging about her fuel economy and how the car will run forever (which it will). She said she is going to drive it until the wheels fall off. We got our car with 25,000 miles on it and now have 40,000. We have not had any problems what so ever. I would suggest changing the oil your self to save some money. You can buy entire oil change kits (filter, oil, o- rings and drain plug) for $50 including shipped.
Do not buy
I used to drive a 1997 VW Jetta that I never had a single problem with besides the usual belts and things. Then I got my 04 Jetta, was so excited. THIS CAR IS HORRIBLE. When it works, it was a dream. Quick, good on gas mileage and great looking. Four dealerships and nobody could figure out what was wrong with my car. A new fuse block, crank something, or fuel pump, and I traded this beast and bought a Mazda. The worst thing is the lily trained service techs and VW's utter disregard for customer satisfaction.
New to VW and hooked
I just bought my jetta and so far there is nothing to complain about. the 1.8T engine is incredible. the build quality is great. I looked at hondas and toyotas while shopping for my new car and VW's interior design and solid feel sold me.You must take a good look at a jetta if you are in the market for a small sedan
Luv my Jetta!
All I can say is that this car is great! Yes, the price was a bit high, but it is a joy to ride. And the power of the turbo engine is amazing!
Great Car-LOVE IT!I l
My family of 3 has never been happier with any car ( and we have owned Hondas, Toyotas Fords,etc ). We can always rely on it to get us anywhere we want to go, and in a hurry too.
04 Jetta is a piece of junk
This car is a money pit and Volkswagen (both the dealership where the car was purchased or the headquarters) does not stand behind their cars. Ours has a cracked manifold which the mechanic said is due the car being a lemon. He said there is not reason for this to happen on a car with only 60K miles and that has had all maintenance performed since day one. This car has been treated very kindly since day one but still one costly problem after the next and all Volkswagen can say is "sorry". Don't buy this car! Buy a Honda or Toyota instead and save yourself the headaches!
Utilitarian Bullet
There is no better work car! BEST FEATURE: I can drive in 3rd gear at speeds as low as 15 mph allow many turns without shifting, permitting me to eat while driving in heavy traffic. The handbrake is conveniently positioned for handbrake turns unlike many manufacturers. Sit in the back and experience a hungry growl not heard in the front! The car cleans up in easily too when splattered with mud on the inside. How's it on the freeway? 70 mph is an idle. 90 mph is where is feels right. 110 mph is a little noisy. Pickup on icy terrain is so exceptional that you realize 4-wheel drive is unecessary in northern urban areas.
My Jetta
Overall I enjoy the car, in a market that seems to be geared towards SUV's. The car is fun too drive and performs great. The only thing about the car that I don't like is that it doesn't have a spoiler. But that's just me. It gets excellent gas mileage, and handles well around corners. And even though I just got the 4 it's got some fight in it out of the pocket.
Why Hybrids?
My Florida car. Great run-about economy with performance to boot.
Awesome TDI
I wanted this car because it was the only one the currently offered a diesel engine. With the cost of fuel going no where but up, it was the right move to make. Even though the horse power rating is only 90, with the torqe of deisel and the turbo to boot, I feel no difference when driving this car. A plus is that it is German made which means a nice tight car.
Almost 50 miles per Gallon WOW
Sporty and comfortable, this handy little car is not compromising on room. It handles like a Porsche, yet has the luxory of a caddy. The blue interior lights are pleasant to the eye, so easy to see in the dark. I took my TDI all the way from Santa Maria, CA to Medford, Oregon on ONE TANK OF FUEL, averaging 48 to 50 miles per gallon. You never have to smog the TDI, and the exaust is cleaner than a gasoline engine. AND SO QUIET for a deisel engine! It handles like a dream. There is no Glow Plug to wait on when you warm it up. TDI has come a long way
Jetta 1.8 T
Solidly built with attention to detail. This car is a lot of fun to drive, and you are seated in a first class cabin. The interior is of Audi quality and comfort. Safety features such as 6 airbags, and traction control are standard. If you are shopping for a small sedan, take this one for a test drive.
Should have completed more research!
Very disappointed in this purchase. Thought that it would be more reliable. Someone warned us that a Jetta was like a Christmas tree--- always a light on and we should have listened! From Day 1, we had problems. The brakes and roters never were quite right, the armrest broke, center piece of wheel came off never to be found again, transmission problems, trunk problems, remote on the keychain only worked when it wanted to, .....you name it! Definitely went with American made for our next purchase!
Jetta tires in snow
Got the Jetta TDI to "help the environment" because of its great fuel economy, and I drive SO much. I loved it the whole eleven days I got to drive it. The stock tires (all season tires) CANNOT handle any snow. There was a light snow and I was travelling on a road that hadn't seen much traffic when the back end whipped out on a slight curve. Ended up in a head-on collision. I give the car a fantastic rating for safety, and I recommend the car hightly, but for heaven's sake, get snow tires immediately!!!!!
Love My Jetta
This is my third Volkswagon Jetta and my first turbo. The Jetta is fun to drive with great performance and humph when you jump on the gas. I have been tracking MPG for the last 30k miles most of which is city miles commuting 55 miles round trip each day and I am averaging about 28 MPG. Some of the interior components are a little loose and rattle slightly sometimes. However, the leather interior is comfortable for the short trips or the long drives. Recommended the Jetta to my brother-in- law and he loves it as well. You will not find another car with the features, horsepower, and style without spending 10-15k more.
great on gas
what a fun car to drive. it certainly helps that it gets on a bad week 50 mpg.. cant beat that ..
It's awsome
this one of the best car i ever had
Excellent Car
I have always driven Honda cars, but to get the quality and injoyment from a vehicle, I have found it in the volkswagen Jetta. The quality and performance I get from it than the honda accord has been a comfort for me to know that I own something that most people would like to own themselves or has not have the pleasure of knowing anthing about volkswagon (cars) company.
jetta gls
surprisingly i have found this to be a very smartly designed car. without a bunch of high tech gizmos, this car delivers reliable and economical transportation. with the turbo and sport package, it delivers performance to equal cars costing twice as much.
Excellent Warranty
I bought my car on a Saturday, and it has been in the shop since the following Monday. The fuel gauge stopped working, and the dealership is trying to figure out why. For the brief period of time that I drove my new car, it was excellent. I'm anxiously awaiting her return.
I love it!
This car has numerous standard features (for fun and safety). Take one for a test drive . . . it will sell itself. I got a baseline Jetta (only "options were spoiler and automatic transmission); but compared with other manufacturers I was considering (Honda, especially) Jetta standard features are considered "optional" by most others.
I bought a second Jetta hoping it would be a better vehicle
I was under the assumption that these jettas were more reliable than a regular JDM car that had high KM. Problem with this thinking is, you don't think about the wear and tear on all the other parts OTHER than the Diesel engine. I've owned two TDI Jettas for approx 2 years each, both had P0401 Check Engine code for EGR Valve. This was incredibly annoying. I've also had the famous clicking dash from my turn signal, the car interior creaks and clicks, drove me absolutely insane. Incredible frusturating. 12 year perforation warranty is great, I received a new fender and trunk before I sold my jetta, These hold their value very well.. but I don't want to buy anymore of these TDIs
GREAT CAR
I bought my TDI wagon brand new and have been driving it for about a year now and am still wild about it. This is a great car, fun to drive, looks more expensive than it is and has tons of whistles & bells. I've not had one problem with it and get lots of comments about what a great looking car it is. It has so much power you would never imagine it was a diesel and since the price of gas just keeps going higher and highter I love the unbelievable mileage. Great ride & handling & plenty of room in the hatch to carry anything I need.
I love this car!!!
So I have only had it for 48 hours, but this car is a must have! The build quality is excellent. It is a car that is easy on the pocket, but not embarassing to own. Everyone I know who has a Jetta (or owned one in the past) feels this same way. The instrument panel is easy to se and see. The storage space is incredible. Nice power for a 4-cylinder.
vw jetta-better value for you money @vw
car is amazing...even with the 4 cylinder....i have no complaints...it's my 7th VW...had the VR6 and 1.8T...how often do you have to go 0-60 in less than 7 seconds...quality is superb
TDI- unbelievable
I have owned my 2003 Jetta TDI wagon for 7 months now and I have to say its the greatest thing I have ever purchased. I get 45-50 MPG average with a Lead Foot! FUEL prices are as low as $1.45 at local truck stops and with a 700 mile range in the tank its easy to shop around. The car is well built with very little interior noise and a great factory radio. Overall Looks great, uns good, nothing but smiles here.
i love my jetta
The car is great for zipping around town. For my first car while learning how to drive i think i picked a great one. Performance wise it comes with many great parts so you don't need to change any.
Diesel Jetta
My 2004 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI is a great vehicle. It is fun to drive, incredibly fuel efficiency, and oh yeah it has pick up. It also has a good sound system, rich interior and oh did I mention that it is fun to drive!