2000 Volkswagen Jetta GL 2.0 from North America
Summary:
Road trip? Sure why not, the Jetta's up for it!!!
Faults:
The funny thing is nothing has gone wrong that has been outside of regular upkeep and repair for a car with this mileage.
I bought the car with a bad clutch and replaced it along with the CV axles. CV axles weren't bad, but at 60 dollars a piece for new, why not while I am in there.
At 250k miles I replaced ball joints and control arm bushings, along with wheel bearings.
Then at 269k I replaced the timing belt and water pump, along with the tensioner.
General Comments:
Overall this has been an amazing car; love the looks. It has been the cheapest car I have ever owned, not just because I do all my own work. The parts are cheap and easy to locate, and the repairs are easily done in less than a few hours at home. I am convinced that if you own a 2.0 manual trans car, that you can pretty much take care of it yourself with little knowledge of cars.
I have put 70k miles on the car in one year, and will keep driving it till it won't go any more.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th November, 2014
26th Feb 2011, 03:55
Front bearings are pressed in. One mechanic that deals with imports informed me that they only get 50K mile out of bearings after they reinstall new ones. I pressed my own in, and had over 100K miles and they are still working. It all depends on how they are pressed in. They are easily damaged if not done properly.
Agree that the TDI is about the best thing VAG did, but the electronics are a reliability problem, and expensive.
If you have the original turbo, it's very likely that you need to replace it with either a new or refurbished unit. Even with VAG spec oil (synthetic), the bearings wear. And if you wait too long, you might end up with a really large repair bill, if the turbo grenades and damages internal engine bearings and other critical parts. Often the turbo oil line rusts and you might get a small leak. Try to find a turbo online, as from VAG they will charge you your 1st born for a turbo.