Faults:

The engine failed at 41,500 miles, because of high oil consumption and/or bad oil pump.

Front brakes look like they have never been used.

Heater does not work, smells like something was burning, very bad smell.

General Comments:

This car has been nothing but a horrible experience for me. I have had reliability issues with this car from the time I bought it. I have had the turbo fail, stereo fail, power window button fall in, and finally the engine has failed. Not to mention the bad ignition coils and mass airflow sensor.

I could live with most of these problems. However, a damaged engine is the worst possible of all scenarios.

My car has been at the dealer since Feb 6th, and it is now March 12 2004. In addition to this, the dealer refuses to cover any repairs under warranty and has yet to diagnose the real problem. After a month of waiting for answers, I called VW and had them call the dealer, and the dealer told the manufacturer there may have been a bad oil pump. Could be possible, but how come they never told me that? Well, to make a long story short, it's been over a month, and my car is still sitting at the dealership minus an engine.

If anybody else has experienced any similar issues, please report them to the following website.

http://www.autosafety.org/

When filling out a complaint form, be sure to mark the box that asks if you would be interested in class-action lawsuit.

Faults:

Air Flow/Mass Sensor needed replacing; I had to visit the dealer 3-4 times in the first 4 months of owning the car to get it straightened out.

Windows fell into doors; had to visit dealer twice separately to fix driver's side and then passenger's side.

Phantom engine problems - when I would start the car in cold weather, it would not respond to the gas pedal for a few minutes. This went away with a bottle of engine treatment and warmer weather.

Yellow goo flowing from both front doors.

Blinker blew out.

Middle adjustable arm rest broken, won't support my arm anymore.

Plastic piece fell out of sunroof, not sure what it is or is for!

Electrical issues - the thermal control center only lights up (with the headlights on) when I smack the dials.

Air conditioner quit working.

General Comments:

I am impressed with some things about this car, the power from the turbo and the comfort of driving it are both very good.

Overall, the mechanical, aesthetic, and performance problems with the car outweighed the good and have left me very disappointed.

I plan on trading this in for a new car within a week or two!

Faults:

Where do I start?

As soon as I drove the car off the lot, the check engine light came on (58,000 miles).

I feel as though my car decelerates frequently, as if someone is pressing down the gas pedal.

My oil consumption was/is ridiculously high!

My oil pan had a monstrous leak in it at 63,000 miles. This cost me 430 dollars.

THEN my check engine light came on again.

AND NOW, my front brake pads light came on. I brought it to the dealer, and it turns out my front left spindle needs to be replaced. (80,000 miles). This is going to cost me 700 dollars.

General Comments:

Honestly, I love this car. I love the way it looks. I love how it is easy to maneuver. I love the size.

However, it is such a disappointment for me, that I have had so many problems with this car, after only having it for 6 months. So far my car has been in the dealer for the past 3 weeks, because my left front spindle is on backorder from Germany, and they have no idea when it is is coming in. I am very annoyed with this. I don't know if I will ever buy a Jetta again. It is highly unreliable and I feel as though the next problem is just around the corner. I plan on selling it as soon as I get it fixed. It is very unfortunate because I loved this car...