Faults:

Wow! After talking with Volkswagen customer service I thought I was the only one reporting problems. I'll start with the most current problem which is the clutch which appears "glazed" as described by the dealer. I've driven standard transmissions for over 10 years and this has never happened with Ford, GM, Chevy, or Toyota. Volkswagen customer service refuses to do anything about this, even though the service provider says it looks like a default in the clutch. Approximate cost to repair is $1200, which is not covered under even the extended warranty that cost $2000 when I purchased the car.

Next on the list is the same "dropping windows" that have happened a total of 3 times. Twice on the drivers side, once on the passenger side. Luckily this was covered under warranty, but still a major pain to cover with plastic and wait until Monday to take to the dealer.

Check engine light came on twice within 10,000 miles for replacement of a sensor in the engine. Both times this was covered by the warranty.

Leather wrapped steering when began to fade after 8000 miles. I was told by the dealer that this was normal, but not covered.

The rear drivers side taillight has recently went out. (Not covered by warranty.)

The starter sounds as like it is sticking when first started. The dealer actually heard this in the service shop, but said it was not a concern. "Sometimes it happens?!"

Both cupholders have broke in the car, as well as the handle to open the armrest. (Covered under warranty.)

The last one could have not been pretty. This happened pre 20,000 miles. One of the front sway bars was loose. The dealer could not find the problem when I took the car to them to test drive; however, when I drove for them, they quickly found the problem. Service tech said that this could have resulted in an accident.

Also, the wood grained shifter and door trim have both cracked. This was noticed at 21,000 miles.

General Comments:

The car does look sharp and is fun to drive, but it has been a lemon so far.

Beware & check the service history before buying. Also good luck with the customer service department.

Faults:

Like most other reviews of this model, I am unhappy with the "small things" that make a great car not too great.

My Jetta burns a lot of oil - I have to add about 2 quarts every 1000 miles.

The rear left and right metal window panes are rusting!! The small triangular pieces between the back window and the small rear window.

The front cup holder broke three times - one of the locking pins keeps falling out.

The rear cup holder recently broke - it slides in, but doesn't lock into place. So it's about a half inch out of place.

The interior dashboard lights for the climate control section don't work.

There is no light in the trunk!

General Comments:

Of course, I'm just stating all of the things that have gone wrong with this car. In all, there are more things right with this car than wrong; which is why I'm going to keep mine.

I haven't had any problems with windows falling out, or brake problems after 25,000 miles.

Faults:

Driver's side window fell into door.

Doors leak yellow goo (wax?).

Backfires in cold weather.

Turn signals get "stuck" and don't work in cold weather.

Problems with shifter: would constantly refuse to go into 1st. Took to dealer, fixed 1st gear, now reverse is much worse than 1st ever was, but at least I only use reverse a couple of times a day.

CD changer cuts out/skips.

Windshield "popped" and developed a huge crack starting in lower left corner one day while I was sitting at a red light.

General Comments:

I love driving this car. The exterior looks great (for now) and the interior is well designed, with far and away the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in (lumbar support, leather, heating package). Power and acceleration are terrific.

Unfortunately, the quality is not very good. I'm constantly wondering what is going to go wrong next. It is really a mystery to me why VW would spend so much effort in design and engineering and then go for crappy manufacturing that results in all kinds of quality problems. I sure hope they're reading this, because I would really like to own a better-built Jetta someday. Realistically though, I'm not sure I could ever bring myself to buy another one.