20th Nov 2006, 00:45

I am very disappointed with my 2001 Volkswagen Jetta. I purchased my car used, but never thought I would end up having so many problems and still have to pay SO MUCH for repairs. I have the same problem with the BRAKE SWITH SENSOR. The shifter doesn't move from Parking position to reverse, neutral, drive NEITHER. If you ever consider buying a Jetta think TWICE, Please.

To conclude my comment : I should've had listened to what my husband adviced me on purchasing a HONDA or a TOYOTA instead!!!

26th Feb 2007, 23:18

I have a 2002 Jetta -- bought it new in Aug 2002. Has about 71,000 miles on it. I am so shocked and so sad at how many problems it has given me. Let me say that I want to love this car. It's paid off and I really, really want to love it for a long, long time. When it's healthy, it's a beautiful ride. The interior is cute, fun and I love the color and the red glowing lights at night. It's a machine to drive in the snow with incredible handling and control. I want to drive it until it's declared DOA. I would hope to get another 50,000 miles out of it at least.

However, every 5,000 miles, the MIL comes on. There's a malfunction there, malfunction there. And it always costs $200-300 to repair. I can never just drive the car problem free. I've gone through four recalls and a few "technical bulletins." I've had numerous other problems (cracked cooling unit) that while not under recall seem to be very common problems.

I love my Jetta, but it's just costing too much too repair. My family never has these kinda problems with their Hondas.

I'm just so sad. Why Jetta, why?

26th May 2007, 16:38

I actually ran into this problem today. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of the recall so I called my dealership to verify this and my car is covered.

I have a 1999 VW Jetta Automatic (new model)

For those of you who haven't taken care of the recall yet and are stuck somewhere due to the car not coming out of park. One more thing you can try (that FINALLY worked for me)

- Start the engine.

- Hold your foot on the brake.

- As your foot is on the break, quickly give the car gas.

- While you're giving the car gas, move the shifter from park to reverse.

Like I said, this worked for me and has continued to work so I could atleast get my car back to my home for the weekend (it was parked downtown >_<)

P.s. I will never buy a VW again. Nothing but problems since I bought mine new.

7th Jun 2007, 09:31

I've had my 03 Jetta GLS for a year now and had no problems until this month. First, the front-end creaks whenever I hit any sort of bump at a low-speed. Second, the MIL light has come on, supposedly indicating a problem with the engine. Now, I've been doing a lot of research into both problems, but the MIL light the most. On this EPA website (www.epa.gov/otaq/cert/recall/420b04018.pdf), I found out that, although my GLS isn't included in this recall, I'm having the same problem they describe for the 03 GLI & Jetta wagon.

Essentially, it's a design or assembly issue on the part of VW. The EPA says: "...the cylinder ignition coils may become inoperable, causing the engine to misfire and illuminate the MIL..." VW issued a recall for replacement of the ignition coils ONLY with JETTA GLI & the JETTA wagon for the 2003 models. So, although my type of Jetta isn't included in this recall, I now have a better understanding on what's going on with my car's MIL coming on... just thought I'd share:) 6.7.07.

12th Jun 2007, 08:28

For those of you having issues with getting your 2001 Jetta out of park, there's a recall on the Brake Light Switch - your local dealer will replace it for free.

Also, another recall on the 2001 Jetta is the Electrical Unit to the ABS system. Again, take it to your local dealer for a free replacement. This issue is more serious as it can start a fire, so get it fixed.

21st Jun 2007, 20:51

I own a 2002 Jetta with 1.8T engine and I have to agree that this car is a pain. I have had so many problems with it since the very beginning. The ignition coil had to be replaced, the airbag was defective, something else in the shifter, and all this luckily was under warranty. I also have had a continuous problem with the coolant light flashing and the check engine light on, which the dealer said was only a computer malfunction. They never really fixed that. Now that the warranty has expired, I've had to have the brake light switch replaced and now the ASR light comes on at random, which causes my car to buck. But it only happens every now and then. I don't even know what this will cost me. If anyone has had this problem and knows what is wrong I would appreciate the advise. I really wish I hadn't gotten this car.

16th Aug 2007, 20:23

I have a 2001 Jetta with 78k miles on it. I bought it used with 32k miles on it. I haven't had many problems with other than the rear disc and 2 sensors. Not too bad in the 4 years I have had it (until I got the $1200 bill). I have 4 kids and don't even make $30k a year. I had to borrow the money from my Dad; thank God for him or the car would have sat for months. Now tonight on the way home, the EPC light came on. I have no brake lights; my car is a stick(shift) so I can still drive it. I know its covered by a recall because Autohaus VW in Lancaster PA sent me a card saying it had a recall. They always treat me good there. I schedule an appointment, drop it off on the way to work and pick it up after work. Never a hassle.

22nd Aug 2007, 12:54

I own a 2002 Jetta GLS. It would occasionally get stuck in park, and finally yesterday at the gas station, it wouldn't go. It took me 10 minutes to get it unstuck. What I had to do, was remove the fuse, which then disengaged the brake. Once it disengaged, I still wasn't able to start it, because I was in drive. So I had to put the car back in park, open the door, and pull the fuse for the brake lights. Let it run for a few minutes, and then the EPC light will reset itself. Don't drive it, because you'll have no tail lights and you risk either a ticket or an accident. This was a quick fix for me. I made it home and called Rusty Wallis VW and they informed me that I had 2 open recalls on my car. So I'm going to take it in early saturday morning to have the thing repaired. Other than it occasionally thinking slow when shifting, I hadn't had any other problems. This is do to the vacuum pumps poor suction. If you give it a lot of gas as it's getting ready to change gears, it's jump on you. I had to learn how to drive this thing. Good luck to all of you other VW owners.