Faults:

When I bought this car in 1999 it was in mint condition, hardly used vehicle. The owner sold it after realizing they won't use it as they had a bunch of pick ups for their business needs.

First thing to go were the door locks. Both of them broke off and were replaced for 100$ by the dealer.

Few months later the air conditioning failed, was fixed by a non dealer shop.

2 Months later it died again, was fixed by the dealer.

1 Month later air conditioning failed again.. "compressor is done for" was the evaluation. Repair estimate at 1200$; I never repaired it.

For the next year there were no problems other than general screeching/rattling noises coming from the doors and side panels.

In late 2001 early 2002 things started falling apart.

Engine started leaking oil which was traced to an "oil line" puncture (dealer's words). Easy fix, but costly.

The master brake cylinder broke down leaving me with no brakes in traffic.. No indicators lit up.

I now have a constant and incredibly annoying rattle from all doors and the instrument cluster 'clicks' no matter what terrain I am driving on.

A fuse burn out. Trunk light too.

The cabin light (overhead) broke off. Fixed with some plastic glue.

Power loss at different speeds was common. Sometimes it would go from 90mph@4200rpm to 800rpm idle then lurch and kick in back with a boost of a V8. Dealer performed some tune up on the engine and now it is gone.

Whenever the fuel is at or less 25% of full the power loss would be back. While not nearly as severe the engine would just hesitate and eventually realize you have the gas pressed.. Incredibly annoying. Forcing you to keep a full tank at all times is not pleasant.

This month (April) I had the rear brake cylinder blow and leak my break fluid out, leaving me with no brakes again. This time though it happened while stationary. Ended up replacing both rear cyllinders.

Two days later, I have a shredding/grinding and hissing noise coming from the front brakes whenever I brake. The noise continues shortly after I release the brakes and drive away. Guess I'll have to replace these too?

A regular engine wash (performed by dealer) flooded the ignition chamber. Weird. Bless paper towels...

The above short-circuited my battery. Dealer denied it was their fault. While at it I replaced the wiper blades. Total was 140$ for 20 minutes labour *sigh*

General Comments:

The V4 has a potent punch so you are not likely to feel underpowered.

The suspension is definitely sport tuned.

This is anything, but your long trip family car.

I absolutely hate the night dash lightning. Daytime dash is nice however.

Defenitely a fun car. Looks slick too.

Won't be called 'rice' or 'mom's car'. Jettas have a nice image.. still.

Seats can become uncomfortable during long hauls of long hours stuck in traffic.

1st gear is with a bad ratio and hard to shift in/out of at higher rpm.

Not a quiet engine.

Superior handling at all speeds, but with the tendency to spin wheels.

Great fuel economy if you keep it under 2000 rpm and accelerate slow.

Nicely distributed torque throughout the RPM range.

I have talked to other VW owners and so far I have had the same problems they have. Next to go are the shocks.

Bottom line is I am happy with a vehicle that is now 7 years old.

I would definitely buy another VW given the current dealer just goes away. Every time I pick it up something else brakes and it generally gets worse.

Faults:

The dash lights go out a lot and have to be replaced about every month. The power windows sometimes don't work (blown fuses)

General Comments:

This car has been through it all. I drove it almost 5000 miles in 4.5 days from New York to Alaska and my baby never had a problem with it. I ran it 135mph on more than one occasion and even at high speeds it handles like a dream. Buying my Jetta III was perhaps the best decision I ever made in the consumer world.