Faults:

The windshield wipers come on all by themselves and run for a few cycles, then shut off. Sometimes it will only happen once an hour, sometimes it's once every ten minutes. Not sure where to start on this one. The switch seems fine otherwise. Any suggestions, please e-mail me at "Jimfire@gmail.com"

Thanks.

Faults:

Starter went with no warning, $500 to replace.

Burns oil like it's free.

Check Engine light pops on way too often.

Broken glove box hinge.

Slight, periodic, grind when I put it in first.

Coolant leak.

Broken cup holder.

General Comments:

I bought this Jetta with high mileage so my expectations were not terribly high. But I wanted a VW because they are usually more reliable than any domestic car I've ever owned. This one had a good carfax and warranty so I took it. All in all, considering it's age and odometer reading, it hasn't been that much of headache. But in reading other reviews it seems the chronic problems with this car, while minor, have nothing to do with age. I bought it with a broken glove box latch and later discovered it wasn't just this car, it was defective. It also had a broken cup holder and I insisted the dealer replace it before I bought it, which they did. But the design of the cup holder is horrible, cheaply made and blocks the stereo. Also, it burns oil like it's going out of style. But perhaps the most frustrating thing is the check engine light which I can count on popping up at least twice a week. I brought it back to the dealer right away and they simply said "VW check engine lights go on for anything, it's really nothing you can fix." So I've been living with it since.

Based on all the other issues I see with other owners this car frankly makes me nervous. Now when I drive it I wonder if the windows are going to fall out or if the sunroof will get stuck. I don't want to trash it because I love the Jetta styling, handling, pick-up, and overall character of the car. But to me, it just looks like the 2000 Jetta was very bad year, no one should have as many problems as this car gives out. I also don't care for how cheaply it was constructed with flimsy plastic interior parts. And finally, this is one very expensive car to repair. VW does not make their cars user friendly at all, as if it is purposely designed to render even the smallest repair a job for the dealership.

Overall, good reliability, comfortable, good handling, great sound system. But has too many defects built into it that make this car a very cautious purchase.

Faults:

* The windows fell into the doors. This became a recall item.

* The brake light switch became faulty, causing the car to remain stuck in Park. This was also a recall item. This happened to me SEVERAL TIMES, even after taking the car to the dealer to fix it under recall!

* The interior started falling apart after only 5 years of ownership. The passenger side airbag came loose, the glove compartment hinges broke, the center console's hinges broke, and the hood's hinge broke.

* The Check Engine light came on several times during the life of the car. The O2 sensors and mass airflow sensors needed to be replaced.

* The front bumper was built too low. Parking the car behind a cement barrier put wear and tear on the bottom of the bumper, and it eventually fell off.

* The fuel economy started to suffer after about 100,000 miles. I can only get about 10-15 miles per gallon now.

* The speedometer quit working! The mechanic where I took the car couldn't figure out what was wrong with it.

* The cupholders were simply plastic extensions built into the front of the dash. They broke within a year of ownership.

General Comments:

When I first bought this car in California, I absolutely fell in love with it. It was very fun to drive and handled the mountain roads very gracefully.

Once I took this car to Texas, however, the heat and humidity did a number on this car. Those who live in Texas notice that there aren't very many Volkswagens on the road, and there is definitely a reason for that. The car started to break down, one problem at a time. First, it was the brakes. After replacing the pads and rotors, the water pump was about to go out. Okay, I replaced that part as well, but now the windows started to fall into the doors, creating a security and rainfall humidity risk. Once that was fixed, the check engine light came on, with the O2 sensors and mass airflow sensors both in need of replacement.

I have had so many recall notices on this car during its life that it's not funny. Volkswagen did not pay particular attention to the quality of this vehicle. I'm glad I got a new car yesterday and that my Jetta is paid off; I can't wait to get rid of this piece of junk. I'll never get a Volkswagen ever again.