Faults:

Not too much has gone wrong with my Jetta, aside from regular maintenance items of course. Timing belt at 90,000 Km; recently had the passenger side door lock break off and fall out; I've had oil leaks repaired by the dealer a couple of times; oil pan, and the seal between the engine and transmission. A small patch of rust has now appeared, drivers side, rear wheel.

General Comments:

Good car. Drives and handles well in mostly city driving.

What I do want to comment on is that recently I installed a hitch to tow my new 8 foot tent trailer. I took the trailer over the mountains this month, June 2008, and got 19.2 mpg with a full load. The worst spots got me down to third gear (on a 5 speed) but kept the speed up to 80km/hr; that's 50mph for most of you. All in all, it was an impressive performance for a 14 yr old vehicle with a 4 cylinder engine.

Faults:

Head gasket blew at 140,000 miles.

Replaced clutch at 200k miles

Replaced brakes 3 times or more since owning.

Ignition switch replaced at 205,000 miles.

AC stopped working around 120,000.

Struts replaced at 170,000.

Replaced exhaust/catalytic converter 2-3 times.

Many sensors and belts replaced throughout past 8 years.

Water pump replaced around 200k miles.

Coolant has been steadily leaking for last 20k miles.

Check engine has been on for the last 3 years.

Drivers floor mat wore through at 180k miles ;D

I'm sure there have been many others things over the years.. you have to expect to spend anywhere from $300-$600 every year to keep it going, but it's worth it. At 213k miles, mine is still going strong and I expect to get another 30k miles out of it before its death. I recently bought a 97 Jetta GT to take its place when I'm ready to switch

General Comments:

Decent acceleration and great handling.

Beautiful inside and out. Still has a great interior, which is just starting to fall apart after 200k miles.

I've had no problems with exterior, other than rust from the damage others have inflicted.

Huge trunk and great options.

Most mechanics don't like this car, because they need special knowledge and tools to work on it, so maintenance can be expensive and tricky. Find a good specialized VW dealer and stick to em.

Faults:

Speedometer had to be replaced twice.

Speedometer still doesn't work.

Odometer does not register miles.

Gas gauge bounces up and down. It only reads act accurately when driving on the highway.

Passenger-side rear window regulator broke.

Passenger-side rear window motor jammed and broke.

Clear coat peeled and worn away.

Constant oil and coolant leaks.

Sunroof no longer works. It jams when opened or tilted.

Driver-side lock stopped working.

Security system stopped working.

Driver-side door wouldn't stay shut.

General Comments:

I loved this car when I first got it. It's an adorable car with a lot of zip, but it has too many problems for me (and my pocketbook) to keep up with. I wished it worked better.

Faults:

Things I have had to replaced.

Coolant crack pipe.

Drivers side lock.

Clutch.

Brakes including rotors and pads.

Tires.

General Comments:

This is the greatest VW I've ever owned.

The VR6 is outstanding.

I have put a lot of work into my car, but I love it and I would buy another one just like it if I could.

Don't get me wrong my cars not perfect no VW is, but you've gotta love them to be able to drive them.