Faults:

Hi Guys,

I owned a 2002 Jetta TDI and it was 100% a piece of crap had it into the dealer a dozen times for warranty. From the brakes locking up when applied the dash going blank the idle sensor not sensing properly. etc etc. The last and final straw was the engine making a real high pitch screaming noise. The dealership couldn't figure it out replaced the drive axles as well as the transmission and other numerous parts this was all at 80,000 Km. They had our car for 3 weeks while we drove a courtesy car.

Long storey short Volkswagen gave us a new 2004 Jetta TDI and kept our old car for an autopsy...

The new 2004 is fantastic and now has 98,000 KM on in with no problems.

General Comments:

The 2004 Jetta TDI is a great commuter car.

The only downfall we find is the small seating area.

Faults:

Automatic transmission was "clunking" on gear shifts. Dealer replaced the transmission at 57,000 miles with no hassles.

Brake switch failed causing the "EPC" light to come on (and my brake lights to remain lit even after car was turned off). Paid < $100 (USD) for the fix.

Annoying little habit of the CD player to not play homemade CD's. Failure is more likely if disc has a paper label. Still looking into this issue.

Faults:

WHERE do I begin? The back doors wouldn't open. The front door got jammed. The thermostat went out. The brake lights went out. The check engine light came on randomly for no reason. There were "knocking" sounds when turning the steering wheel. The transmission would "JUMP" into random gears, up or down, when accelerating. The trunk would "pop open" when closing the driver's door at times. a Headlight went out. The driver's heated seat got stuck on the "ON" position, even though the switch was "OFF". The latch on the console broke. The back rear door lock wouldn't pop up. After getting the back doors fixed because of not opening, they stopped opening again, randomly, which was a PAIN if you had rear seat occupants, and they couldn't get out, which happened several times. I could probably go on, but i'll stop now.

General Comments:

Junk, trash, comfortable, peppy engine, very unreliable. Gas mileage was not that good, maybe because it was Turbo. The Dealership was a pain to deal with. They could never seem to fix the problems with the back door, or the trunk "popper" lever which mysteriously activated when closing the driver's door. Their response was always shrugged shoulders and smirks. I became a regular there. As a matter of fact, the receptionist would welcome me back by name, and ask, "What's wrong this time? Coffee, Magazine?". I always left knowing I would be back in a month or two with either the same un-repaired problem, or something new. Again, Junk. Trash. Check Consumer Reports, or any online blog. You'll see that Volkswagens, in general, are some of the most UNRELIABLE AUTOMOBILES ON THE ROAD IN THE USA!!! RE THINK your purchase. Buy something else.