2003 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8L turbo from North America
Summary:
This was a fun car to drive, yet a horrible mistake to purchase
Faults:
Transmission failure.
Turbo failure. Turbo bypass valve failure also.
MAF failure.
Failure of the cooling system. 2 water pumps, 2 sets of cooling fans.
Fan-control module & temp sensor.
Nearly all plastic parts under the hood failed. Cooling reservoir, radiator fittings, every vacuum hose. Really. EVERY vacuum line. That's a bunch of weekends under the hood right there.
Emissions system failure... almost every part failed one at a time.
Interior hardware failure. Arm rests, drink holders, headliner, etc.
These are well documented problems, and no surprise to VW or long-term Jetta 1.8 owners.
General Comments:
All parts failures were due to the poor quality of plastic parts in the engine bay and transmission. The problems have more to do with age than the vehicle's mileage. New plastic is strong, old plastic cracks and crumbles. I purchased this vehicle in good condition for my daughter in college. If you must have a VW, only buy new and sell while still under warranty. This vehicle had regular oil changes, good maintenance. It was also dealer-maintained prior to purchase.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 30th March, 2015
4th Apr 2015, 00:19
I used to have the same 1.8T Jetta and I feel your pain. Mine was absolutely awful as well, unreliable and awful on the pocketbook.
My transmission never failed, but the motor was burning oil, and was noisy and smoking when I got rid of it.
The power window motors would fail at least once a year.
Just the worst car I have ever owned, the worst investment I have ever made, etc...
I will never ever again own a VW or any German made car for that matter. They are completely overrated, overpriced and a poor long term investment. I've owned lots of other cars from Ford, GM, Hyundai and Honda, none of which had even 1/10th of the issues/problems my VW had.