2001 Volkswagen Jetta VR6 2.8 from North America
Summary:
Car is OK, but expected better quality from VW
Faults:
2002 - Mass air flow sensor replaced (under warranty).
2003 - Window clips replaced (under warranty).
2003 - Brake light sensor replaced (under warranty).
2004 - Broken armrest.
2006 - Water pump replaced (under warranty).
2008 - Check engine light came on and loss of power - resulted in ONE bad spark plug wire... which I paid the dealer $200 to replace! Ouch.
2009 - Check engine light came on the next year with the same symptoms as the previous year. I took it to Pep Boys and had them replace all my wires and spark plugs. Replacing spark plug wires one by one would have been very costly! Check engine light gone and issue fixed.
2010/5 - Power steering fluid leak. Had a family mechanic check it out and he replaced the front axle (rebuilt).
2010/6/22 - Check engine light. The car has trouble starting at times. Currently at the dealer. Turns out I need to replace a multi-function sensor for the check engine light. Also having them look at the transmission not going into reverse at times. Transmission issue should be covered under drivetrain warranty (10 years/100k?) We'll see...
General Comments:
I like the looks of this car, but it's cheaper to fix the darn thing than to get a new car at this point.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 23rd June, 2010
3rd Jun 2010, 21:45
I'd be annoyed too. Keep in mind though that you bought a used car with 100,000 miles on it. It won't be perfect and the previous owner (s) may well have been hard on it, or skipped/prolonged maintenance. German cars when used can be a real money pit if not thoroughly researched. While the car itself may be well-thought out and built nicely, the parts are usually more complex and more expensive to fix than, say, a Chevy.
In my own opinion, that generation of VW Jetta's were overengineered and under-guaranteed. Things were more complex than needed be and the manufacturer and dealers wouldn't stand behind their work and ensure quality. An ex-girlfriend owns a '99, and while it was fully loaded, leather etc, the sheer number of quality-control issues (many minor, some major) was just appalling.