Faults:

Speedo cable went bad.

Exhaust hangers went bad.

All cheap fixes. Nothing much so far.

General Comments:

Fun car to drive! The mk2 VW's are the best built and most fun out of all VW's made.

The Jetta GLI 16v is the best equipped model. Power windows, locks and a bigger engine. The quality's not that bad for 80's. It's 2011 and the car has held up very well. Don't be fooled.

Performance wise the car is a dream. It's not the fastest thing on the road in a straight line. It really shines on the back roads! It's light and easy to drive fast with no hint of being out of control. The brakes work well, with 4 wheel disk brakes all around. Most cars will not be able to keep up with you on back roads. It will put a smile on your face from ear to ear.

Modifying is very popular with VW's, and the mk2 is no exception. Suspension, brakes, engine and styling. A very fun hobby car.

They're getting old and harder to find nowadays. The price seems to be going up with them too. They're easy to work on yourself, and parts are cheap if you shop online or go to the wrecking yards. It's a VW and will break down; just prepare for it.

Faults:

A lot is wrong with this car, but the previous owner was fixing it up when I bought it. I paid $700 US dollars for this car, and I have already put $1500 US dollars into it to get it fixed. Why? Well, let me just give you a short list of what's wrong and then I'll continue.

Mileage in excess of odometers mechanical limits.

Cracked axle.

Bearings cracked.

CV boots rotted.

All radiator hoses rotted.

Radiator blew up at garage.

All rubber rotted on outside.

Door handles don't work.

No radio or speakers.

That little piece of carpet behind the back seat was gone.

No shifter boot.

But the man who sold it to me still was able to drive 15 miles to my home in Arizona on a night when it was 108 degrees Fahrenheit with an emergency tire on it, and he made it in one piece. That is how I know this car will be reliable when I get it out of the shop.

General Comments:

I know that when this car is working properly again, that it will last me a long time. I am going on disability and I won't be able to afford another car.

It's very rough looking, but I think it will be an angel in disguise.

Faults:

$6.00 coolant hose flange.

$8.00 thermostat.

General Comments:

I absolutely love it, but I do have a thing for Volkswagens. I bought the car despite it having a confirmed 300k on the odometer. The owner seemed very meticulous with it, and when I drove the car, it drove like it was nearly new. Everyone else that has driven the car says the same thing. Since I've had it, I've driven it to 8 different states on numerous trips.

Even at 100mph (no joke, I made it 300 miles in about 3 1/4 hours) with the trunk and back seat full, it got 30mpg.

Performance is decent from the 1.8, could be faster, but it does alright for me. It stops on a dime, the A/C is ice cold, and I'll be very shocked if I don't see 400k roll over the odometer.

It's by far my favorite of the watercooled VWs I have owned.

I only paid $1100 for it, and I've had to put less than $20 into repairs on a 300k car.