1999 Volkswagen Jetta GLS VR6 from North America
Summary:
A lot of fun to drive, but very delicate
Faults:
Tire belts seemed to separate.
Two window lifts failed and the windows fell into the doors.
The alternator failed at 10,000 miles.
Both water pumps leaked (secondary electric water pump, main mechanical water pump).
The AC radio never worked properly.
The coolant T on the back of the motor leaked.
The Glove compartment door hinge broke.
The coffee cup holder broke.
The spark pac failed.
The serpentine belt idler arm bearing failed.
The seat springs kept falling out due to the plastic tabs that they were attached to breaking.
The purge valve from the gas tank's evaporative cell failed and every time I filled the tank, the car's first start was difficult.
General Comments:
This car ran for 144 thousand miles. It was sporty, peppy and looked good, but it was very delicate. It was kept in a garage and waxed twice a year.
As the front seat springs fell out, the seats became very uncomfortable.
The fold down rear seats gave me an immense amount of trunk space. It sometimes served as my pick up truck.
Dealer maintenance strategy involved reading OBDII codes and fixing those problems. Other engine problems were extremely difficult to fix.
I did not like filling my compact car with high test gasoline, which was required.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 13th January, 2009
13th Nov 2008, 17:11
I sprayed some Ignition Dry'N Go on the distributor cap, all the connections, and where the spark plugs are located (engine must be cool), no more problems. The engine does not like humidity... especially after a car wash, the engine would miss a few beats...