Faults:

Check engine light came up 3 times. Mass air flow sensor replaced twice. Had difficulty starting after gas fill-up, until sensor was replaced. No problem since.

Had to replace faulty cup holder. Have noticed door flap no longer closes properly.

Right-side hinge has broken on glove box.

General Comments:

Extremely smooth V6 engine

One of the best looking compact sedans on the market.

I recommend the leather option and Monsoon Sound package.

I opted for the fully loaded VR6 over the higher priced BMW 3 series because it's quite similar, but a lot cheaper.

Faults:

Oxygen sensor replaced 3 times before recall was announced.

Makes a rumbling noise when turning. VW has never been able to determine what the problem is.

Glove box hinge broke.

Latch on arm rest broke (fixed myself).

Burns oil like crazy.

Temperature gauge broke.

Needed new brakes at 24000 miles.

Screws fell out of driver's door and the locking assembly fell out of place.

Driver's window fell out (in December in NJ). This also happened to my friend's car. They fix it, but use the same faulty part so it is only a matter of time when until the windows fall out again.

General Comments:

I love the way the car handles and looks, but it is put together with scotch tape and rubber bands.

VW service is horrible. They do not call when the car is ready and do not return calls at all. Actually, that's not entirely true. They once called me to tell me the car was ready to be picked up (3 days after I had already gone and picked it up!)

It is not just my car. I know several other people who have had serious problems with VW. I will never buy another VW again.

Faults:

Cup holder in the front jammed closed.

The ‘ashtray’ in the back would never click and stay closed.

Driver side window fell down. It completely fell down into the inside of the door.

Check engine light came on in 11/01. The diagnosis was a faulty MAF Sensor/Airflower. This part was replaced under my warranty. The check engine light continued to turn on and off again. I finally received a recall letter for the replacement of the malfunctioning oxygen sensor-which can cause the check engine to come on. That part has been replaced and I hope that will finally resolve that issue.

Metal spring is lying on the floor under the driver seat.

One of the glove box hinges is broke in half.

Small (long and narrow) piece of plastic fell from the sunroof.

General Comments:

I am dissatisfaction with the warranty. For example, the Gold warranty covers the “power seat motors.” If there is no motor then the seat is not covered? It seems ridiculous to offer extra warranty that does not cover the non-motorized parts. Furthermore, the warranty covers the “power sun roof motor,” yet is does not cover a small piece of plastic. Am I to assume that if I had manual windows and my window fell down inside my door (as mine did) the Gold warranty would not have covered the cost to fix that, because the warranty only covers “power window motors?” The window motor was working fine- it was whatever holds the window up that was broke- would that not be covered? (I believe my service rep fixed the window himself for me at no cost.)

I have heard, before and after my purchase, that Volkswagen cars have reliable engines, but can have so many little problems that are so expensive to fix that is makes buying a Volkswagen a very bad decision. I now have to agree with those critics. I was quoted $500 to fix the tension spring in my seat, $225 to fix the broken leverage in the glove box, and $50 to replace the plastic part from the sunroof.

When asked if I recommend Volkswagen Jetta, I will have to look at the broken parts in my less than 3-year-old car and advise whomever—that I do not recommend it. Even purchasing the Platinum warranty would not make having a car of this low quality worth it.