Faults:
There so many things that have gone wrong.
Two days after owning the car the check engine light came on and I was told that the gas cap wasn't clicked after fill-up. Took it in for a computer reset. After three more visits and a new gas tank they found a cracked pressure relief hose.
The front struts went three months into owning the car. The front end seems to be having problems again.
Coil pack went at the same time. Then again 2 years later.
Both rear windows have gone off track and have had their motors replaced, the front passenger is now making the same pre-death grinding/clicking noises.
The ABS module went.
Both fog-lights filled with water 2 years into owning the car and burned out. You cannot seem to find replacement bulbs at parts dealers and VW wants $150 apiece.
Front passenger speaker had to be replaced after 1 month owning the car.
Car went into "sleep" mode driving down the NJ turnpike, this is where the car limps along in second gear. Had it towed into dealer where they found "nothing wrong" and re-set the computer. Two weeks later limp mode kicked in again and transmission started "clunking" going from reverse to drive sporadically. They reset the computer and again told me they didn't know what was wrong. Another two weeks later the transmission completely went. I think 40,000 miles is a little too soon for that to go. I will be holding my breath at 80K if I still have the car.
Security System failed at around 30,000 and had to be replaced.
The cruise control had to be replaced at 5,000 then again at 20,000.
Door trim moldings constantly fall off. When they were under warranty VW would only replace the failed moldings, once the driver side and once the passenger side. When the driver side fell off after warranty they insisted that I had to replace the whole set. I did so and one week after that set`s "1 year warranty" expired the drivers side has come off.
Random interior trim pieces have broken.
There is a windshield wiper issue. They squeal even when the windshield isn't overly dry and they wear out very quickly. My husband has had his blades on his Ford for over 2 years. I get a smeary streaky mess in a few months after replacing the blades and I've tried several brands. I've also tried different cleaning solutions. My belief is that there is too much tension on the wiper arms.
The door handles have faded.
General Comments:
The car overall is great looking, very fun to drive and has really good performance.
However, this car soon become a money pit because the extended bumper to bumper warranty is about to wear out.
Overall, I would not recommend Volkswagen due to the lack of quality. They used to stand for affordable, finely engineered and crafted vehicles. This is why I bought one and feel as though I was duped.
17th Jul 2005, 10:23
I agree especially with the door trim. Since our passenger side trim fell off, I make it a point to look for the same issue on every Jetta I see on the road. In 2 years, I have spotted at least 8 Jettas missing the same piece of trim.
VW says they are unaware of such a problem. I will never purchase a VW again.