Steady Eddy
Oil tank busted; the car sits too low to the ground.
Front fender pulled off repeatedly from parking over average height parking bumpers.
A/C has needed repairing at least 4 times.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 15th June, 2013
Lemon lemon lemon..
I have had ongoing problems with this vehicle since I bought it, but most recently (in the last 2 months) problem areas are increasing, and repair costs are astronomical.
3 months after purchase (private sale):
The alternator stopped working - $500 repair + tow.
Right side window regulator broke, window slipped into frame.
Within 6 months of ownership:
Driver's side and left side window regulators blew, windows both slipped into frame - still haven't repaired.
8 months after purchase:
Rear spoiler snapped off.
Trunk would not open from key entry; would have to enter the car and press the button in the console.
1 year of ownership:
A) The car was suffering inconsistent shuddering. Rattling noise coming from the front of the car. The car would also stop mid 2nd gear, and then be fine.
- Distributor replaced, water pump, front end ball joints replaced. $700 repair + tow.
B) 3 weeks later, the car completely broke down. 20 seconds before stopping, it would shudder and jerk around.
- Towed it to a VW dealership. They did a diagnosis run, replaced the ignition coil, spark plugs and various other small electrical items. $1100 + tow.
C) 1 day later, the car broke down again. Symptoms of previous breakdowns this time gave me 10kms notice before coming to a complete stop.
- Had it towed to the dealership again. They ran a diagnosis again, found the distributor to be faulty (which was under warranty). $286 just for diagnosis + tow.
D) Replaced the distributor at the previous mechanic. 2 hours after picking up the car, it broke down again and would not start at all. Low humming noise coming from the engine when trying to start, fuel was being pumped to the engine. Figured it must be electrical.
Car is now sitting stagnant outside my house. Will end up selling it for parts probably. Never ever again will I buy a Jetta, I have had WAY too much hassle with this vehicle.
VW Jetta Wolfsburg Edition 1999.
Great car off the get go, but has since failed to deliver on reliability and affordability. Would drive great, and I loved the look inside and out.
Just too many hassles, repairs and costs have gone into it; just hasn't been worth it at all.
If I had known all this stuff before, I would have spent an extra $1000 to get that VW Golf I wanted.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 16th June, 2011
You do realize you bought it with high mileage and from a private seller right? I really do not think it is fair for you to blame the company, when you have no idea how well the car was taken care of by the previous owners. Did you even take the time to have a mechanic look at it before buying?
He wasn't blaming VW at all.
And another thing: if a car doesn't run right, I don't keep driving until it stops. Because then I would have to pay for a tow.
And another thing: if a shop has shown to be incompetent and expensive, I don't go back to them for more of the same.
A car this old, no matter the make, should be owned by a do it yourself kind of guy who enjoys hunting down a problem.
Yes I did have the vehicle inspected before I bought it and everything was in check. Also, each time the vehicle has broken down (except for the first time), the car just simply broke down without notice, hence the tows. If there is an obvious issue with the car I normally take it in straight away.
It doesn't matter whether you purchase this car from a private seller or dealer... it's still a lemon. I am going through the same thing right now, and I purchased mine from a dealer with less miles. I have been stuck with expensive repairs also. I am now trying to get rid of mine too! Good luck to both of us.
17th Jun 2011, 04:24
Sorry to tell you, but yours is not a lemon. Not unless VW is in the business of making lemonade. The regulator issue has existed for the past 20 years, and 90% of VW dealers are bound to be like what you experienced. In my years of dealing with VW and Audi, I found just one dealership that repaired the cars well and knew what they were doing. Unfortunately, they went out of business. Probably cost too much to do the repairs correctly. The rest were as you mentioned, hunt and peck. Better off finding a independent mechanic that deals with VAG products, and knows what they are doing.