2001 Volkswagen Jetta LS Wagon 2.0 from North America

Summary:

Well thought out, really nice car.

Faults:

Nothing so far.

General Comments:

I have read so many comment on how bad the 2001 Jetta is I just had to write my own review. We have experienced none of the problems that I have read about in other reviews. This may be due to the fact that the 2001 2.0L wagon was built in Germany, while all other 2001 models were built in Mexico.

This car is cute and performs well. May people comment that it is underpowered, but I think it is quite spunky and amazingly smooth for a non-turbo 4 cylinder.

It is fun to drive. It corners like a champ, shifts smoothly, and stops with confidence.

It is amazingly roomy for its size. We routinely pack our family of four and the dog into it for road trips.

The sound system is awesome. I mean awesome! It has both a CD changer in the back and a single CD player in the dash (something I wish our Audi A6 had), and really sound great (my 19 year old niece is, like, totally jealous!).

We have not had any of the trim problems that I have read in other reviews. The body is mint, the interior doesn't have a mark on it. Nothing is cracked, chipped, peeling, or loose.

What else can I say? We love it! Is it so nice just because it was built in Germany? Who knowns?

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd September, 2005

6th Sep 2005, 08:37

They are all put together with the same parts, regardless where they are assembled. You two just lucked into a couple units that were not problematic.

6th Sep 2005, 21:48

I find it hard to believe that we just "lucked into" good cars. Other owners are talking about windows falling into doors, trim falling off, armrests breaking, hinges failing, dashes cracking, etc. If all the cars are made from the same parts, these sort of things should happen to all the cars, correct? I'd be really interested in knowing if there are any Jetta Wagon owners that have experienced these problems. So far all the Jettas with problems seem to be sedans. Wagon owners? Care to comment?

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2001 Volkswagen Jetta VR6 2.8 from North America

Summary:

A money pit

Faults:

The starter went on 115,000 km.

The front shock mounts had to be replaced.

The steering valve is making noise.

Front and rear suspensions squeak all the time.

Passenger window broke.

Ignition module requires replacement.

Oxygen censor is not functioning properly and the car stalls when idling.

Transmission shifter will not sit on the "D" unless yanked back hard.

General Comments:

Now you might think that for a used cat with 100,000 km on it, things break down. That is true, but all these break downs are a bit extreme for a 4 year old car.

I was told that the ignition module is a common problem on the VR6 and so is the suspensions and so is the coolant flange.

I had to leave the car at the dealers many times for repair and rent a car to go to work, and has been many times in only 4 months!

I have gathered that it is a very unreliable car and I would get more bang for my buck had I stayed with my old 1993 Dodge Spirit (3.0 lit. engine). The Dodge had double the mileage and during the period of 4 years I only had to spend 1/2 of the repair cost. It was even better on gas than this Jetta.

So here it is, sucks gas, not reliable at all, requires constant maintenance, having several failures (considered normal for this model). Shocks make it uncomfortable in bumpy roads. If you can put all that aside (I sure can’t see how) it’s a nice car and especially on the highway.

I would never buy a another Jetta or any VW again.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th August, 2005

6th Sep 2005, 11:12

My Jetta gets very good gas mileage. Anywhere on average from about 26 mpg to 33 mpg, depending on how long I drive it where to.

7th Sep 2005, 12:50

My 2000 VR6 Jetta (auto trans) has been a great car since I bought it new at the end of '99. Sure it had things go wrong with it, and it's been in the shop a few times.. but it now has 145,000 miles and is still running strong. I have only had one serious issue with it that I was told will happen again. That was the ignition coil pack. It went bad 3 years ago and has not had a problem since. I would love to buy the new Jetta if it wasn't so ugly.

24th May 2010, 16:41

I bought a 2001 Jetta VR6 3 years ago. I bought it with 60,000 miles on it and it now has 84,000 miles.

Every year the "coil pack/ignition module" breaks.. seemingly right after the 1 year warranty is up. I called Volkswagen after the 3rd time and they say that although the 99-2003 VR6 coil packs were recalled, that my car's vin# was not included in the recall and basically to get bent. They want almost $200 just to look at the car + $150+ per hour to work on it.

I will never buy VW again. I can't wait to not have this headache anymore.