2008 Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 from North America

Summary:

The Jetta is reliable, solid, and safe

Faults:

I have not had one issue with this car in almost 3 years of ownership.

General Comments:

This car has been more reliable than any Japanese car I've had in the past, which even I am surprised by. I have had no issues whatsoever.

The performance of the 2.5L 5 cylinder is more than adequate especially in 'sport' mode. It handled very well in snow last winter with front wheel drive and standard traction / stability control. Gas mileage has been similar to that of my past 4 cylinder cars.

It has held up well to daily commuting on rough city streets, and still had no rattles or squeaks.

The amount of features in this car and solid build quality almost makes buying a luxury nameplate a complete waste of money, unless it's for name alone.

I plan on buying this car when my lease is up - I have full confidence it will continue to be a solid ride.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th October, 2010

6th Oct 2010, 16:15

It's just a baby and a VAG. Give it time.

20th Oct 2010, 18:40

I'm not too worried - a lot of a car's longevity has to do with upkeep and care, which I am good at. My room mate has an MKIV and does NOT baby it, and it has been trouble free to 80k as well. Maybe we've both been lucky.

2008 Volkswagen Jetta SEL 2.5 Liter 5 cylinder from North America

Summary:

German engineering at its best!

Faults:

So far, only a few minor things have gone wrong with the car.

When I purchased the car, the airbag light was on. The car had been in an accident about a year before I got it, and the dealership that did the repairs did not replace the airbag connectors. After taking it in, it has since been replaced at no cost to me.

One of the rear speakers blew, but that is being replaced under warranty tomorrow.

The dimmer switch for the dashlights also went out, which is being replaced tomorrow as well.

Other than that, someone stole one of the chrome trim pieces off the grill. Not a big deal, but annoying nonetheless!

General Comments:

I love this car! After driving a 2005 Chevy Malibu Maxx LT for almost two years, the Jetta is a nice replacement! The fact that I was able to find a pre-owned model with such low miles was an even better bonus! The car drives smooth, and turns heads as it goes down the road.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd July, 2010

7th Jul 2010, 07:16

Let's see you have less than 10K on your car, and a mile long list of things that went wrong. And you rave about the German Engineering at it's best? Well, at least I agree that it reflects German Engineering.

7th Oct 2010, 16:29

Original poster here: I wouldn't call three things a mile long list. One had nothing to do with VW itself, but the idiots at the dealership. The other two were very minor issues. I'm now at almost 14k miles, and have not had any other problems!

7th Oct 2010, 21:06

I have a 2008 VW Jetta SEL as well. Mine has 32k miles on it and I haven't had a single problem. It's a great car, although I miss the "crayon" interior smell of the older VeeDubs, as odd as it may sound.

In reply to 7th Oct 2010, 16:29

8th Oct 2010, 10:08

Yeah - well we'll see how it goes once you start getting some real miles on it. All I know is that of the perhaps 5 or 6 people I know who've owned VW products, probably 4 of them had an unusually large number of problems with their cars - including my Mother in law. Hers seems to be in the shop about every 2 or 3 months for some small but annoying problem. Last time it was the wiper motor that had stopped working. Prior to that, the window regulator on the passenger side stopped working. It's also been in the shop for a faulty clutch, a clogged PCV valve, various random electrical gremlins, leaks in the coolant system, a leaking drain pan, water leaks in one of the doors, and so on.

These cars have a great initial fit and finish. But more than likely within 50k, your car is probably going to have a slew of weird mechanical/electrical problems. Come back on here and let us know how it goes, because I bet I'll be right.

In reply to 8th Oct 2010, 10:08

26th Feb 2012, 07:08

I have a 2008 Jetta as well, and I am at 59,700 miles. I needed to change an actuator in the door. Otherwise, no problems at all, and I love it.