2014 Volkswagen Jetta Highline TDI from North America

Summary:

Terrible build quality

Faults:

I would never buy another one of VW's products in any of its lines (even in sibling companies owned by them) after this vehicle. What a piece of junk.

Something is always going wrong with it -

1) The back up camera works when it feels like it (dealer replicated issue) - the dealer said they think they may have fixed it, but I'll have to wait and see.

2) The car almost stalled out in an intersection, nearly causing a collision where I would have been deemed at fault (I was turning left). This issue was not replicated and has been experienced by many other TDI owners of this generation, DSG and manual.

3) The doors have recently started unlocking-locking-unlocking-locking over and over while I drive for no apparent reason. Clicking the button manually has no effect on this and the car continues to do it. A ridiculous issue, and I hope one that the dealer can replicate. I can't find many other owners that have had this one, but it's annoying.

4) The button for the air recirculation next to the A/C has stopped functioning, even though I have barely ever pressed it in the life of the vehicle.

In short - this car is junk. I bought the Highline and it is fraught with poor quality cabin issues as well as electrical problems.

General Comments:

WHEN the vehicle runs properly it's awesome. The car returns better than advertised fuel economy, and actually has really good pick up. Two things that you never get together in other brands, and what attracted me to VW in the first instance. The vehicle in my opinion also looks really good, inside and out.

Having said that - I don't have that many kilometers and the electronic issues this car is suffering (most replicated by the dealer) are absurd! Even when the dealer replicates an issue, they can't always seem to find a fix either, which is very frustrating. Oh, and according to a service tech - VW does what they can to turn down warranty repairs. Luckily my car is not modified in any way or I would have been declined I was told. Good stuff to know if you're considering the brand.

This is a really nice car when it operates well. But for a $30+k vehicle it has WAY too many issues and is not reliable (see above).

I would never again purchase another.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 23rd May, 2015

14th Sep 2020, 08:52

The one constant with car companies is, if it was bad for the past 20 years, it will be bad for the next 20 years. You can be sure of that, no matter what new models they make. Also be aware of brand fans, people who come here saying 150,000 miles and no problem. These are usually young people who don't have a mortgage so have money to spend and don't mind about repairs. And I'm not even mentioning those who have a neighbour, a brother and three friends, all of them with cars with hundreds of miles and never a single problem. You get the picture.

11th Feb 2021, 21:55

And you can predict the future, apparently.

28th Jan 2023, 21:22

Absolutely you can predict the future from the past. A very large company doesn't change. At least, one should not assume such a situation. Company culture is a very long standing thing.

29th Jan 2023, 18:48

The TDI have troubled high pressure fuel pumps and injectors leading to costly repairs. It seems the low sulfur diesel cannot lubricate adequately these pumps, leading to failure.

30th Jan 2023, 03:42

I disagree. Look at Ford for example. In the 80’s and 90’s, their quality was abysmal. They realized around 2005 or so they needed to step it up on the quality side, or they’d go out of business. They’ve done exactly that. Nissan on the other hand went the other direction if you compare pre/post 2000.

2014 Volkswagen Jetta SE 1.8 TSI from North America

Summary:

An economical entry level sports sedan. Stealthy performance

Faults:

Nothing!

General Comments:

I was a little unsure about this car until I drove it. Some of the reviews I've read of this latest version of the Jetta were unflattering, while others were excellent. Some reviewers have been apoplectic that the dash on this model is hard plastic. Seriously? That's a problem? I guess people spend a lot of time touching their dashes and this offends them. Deeply.

What matters more is that VW put their excellent suspension back on the 2014s, mated it to a great new engine and continue to provide manual transmissions. Fun in the corners and in a straight line.

I have to say that the new 1.8T (not to be confused with the older, problematic, 1.8T) is incredible. It really moves, especially paired with the manual. This is like a stealth sports sedan. I am getting an average MPG of 32, and on one 3 hour drive managed 40 MPG according to the on-board computer. It's comfortable, and the passenger area is larger and more comfortable inside than my old Volvo V70! (Can't compare the trunk to my '99 V70 though, not many cars can beat what that wagon could haul).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th May, 2015

10th Feb 2016, 17:29

I'm not sure what you mean by "older problematic 1.8T". I have a 2004 Jetta with almost 160000 miles on it and have had no issues whatsoever.

10th Feb 2016, 19:45

The older 1.8T and 2.0T engines have been known to have oil consumption problems, and the 1.8T has had some engine sludge problems. Of course, not ALL engines will be afflicted by them as evidenced by your car, but there are enough of them out there with problems enough to be discussed in many forums.

5th Mar 2017, 17:56

Indeed that old 1.8 turbo wasn't that problematic, but it was very sensitive with anything but synthetic oil.