16th Apr 2006, 07:18

Wow, after reading all of this I think I purchased one unique Jetta. I drive an 01 GLX VR6 purchased from a previous owner, and have owned it two years. Within that two years I've only had to take it into the shop twice, one was a recall notice I got in the mail and the other was my hazard light switch, which I later turned into a recall. As for the front bumper, it was knocked off its hinges slightly as many of you experienced. However, I hit the curb so hard that I'm surprised it didn't knock the whole thing off. As for the smell, I hate natural car interior smells so I normally use an air freshener, and therefore have not noticed much of a "crayon smell."

In all honesty, this is the best vehicle I've ever owned for the money. It seems solid, safe, and not to mention quite powerful. I've owned it slightly over 2 years now and have only dropped less than 50 bucks in repairs (excluding an $800 tire replacement on all 4 wheels, beware of those 17 inch wheels!)

Like I said, considering other comments on here, I must own a unique one...

2nd Jun 2006, 11:12

Well it seems that this is just a horrible experience for just about everyone.

I've had my 2001 Jetta 1.8T since it was new in October of 2000. I've since gone through window regulators (both sides), AC unit, pealing vinyl covering, broken glove box latch, broken arm rest latch, and (drum roll please) an engine that died at 124000 miles.

This morning, as I walked out to the parking lot to go get lunch, I noticed the driver's side half of my front bumper was hanging off the car.

This is my 3rd VW and it will certainly be my last. My first two VWs are still running to this day (an 81 Rabbit and a 96 Jetta... each with over 240K miles), but the quality of the brand has gone down the tubes.

I'm leaving the brand...I'll never by another VW again.

8th Jun 2006, 20:50

I've had my Jetta since I bought it new in 2001. I have never had any of those problems. Maybe it's because I bought one from a German factory, in Germany. Just about all of the Jettas sold in the US are made in Mexico, if that helps some of you understand why some things aren't up to a "decent standard."

Or maybe I just got really lucky. Which seems to be what several people will say. Whatever.

9th Jun 2006, 11:40

Did anyone try to contact the VW Customer Services? What's their response?

17th Jun 2006, 16:00

Hey, I'm slightly concerned about the reviews I've read. I have always heard good things and my first trip to a VW dealer was definitely a good one.

Is it just this 2001 VW that has problems, and has anyone heard about the Golf, because I have an interest in either the Jetta or Golf, and some info would be cool.

I do however realize generally happy people don't come on these sites and say how happy they are, it's usually the other extreme who seek out these sites, so I'm concerned as to how to continue in my car buying experience.

26th Jul 2006, 15:07

Ugh, I purchased a 2001 Jetta V6 a couple of months ago and I bitterly regret it. The interior reeks of crayon, and the worst part is that my cloths and whatever else is in the car takes on the smell. It’s hard to overemphasize how nauseating the odor is, and I’ve even received negative comments at work when I came in smelling like crayons. I’ve tried having the interior detailed and I’ve shampooed the interior myself, all to no avail. I will never, ever, ever, purchase a VW again. Ever.

10th Aug 2006, 15:21

I own a 2001 VW Jetta and I love it, though it's been a mixture of pleasant driving experience and absurd problems. I was unlucky enough to want a very popular interior/exterior color combination at the time and essentially had to buy a car that hadn't come off the boat from Mexico yet... I say unlucky because the Mexico plant was going through a staff strike at about the time my car rolled off the line. :) So that explains some of the problems. :)

A week after I bought it (new in 2000), the gas tank door latch broke. Took it to the dealer for replacement. Two days later it broke again. They replaced it again. It has worked fine since.

A month after I bought it, the in-trunk CD changer started skipping badly. Took it to the dealer. The next day it started skipping again. Took it back to the dealer. It now works fine (And I haven't gone back to that particular dealer.)

A year later the front windows began falling down into the doors. Twice on the driver's side and once on the passenger's side. Driving with crash-wrap was a pain, but the repair is covered under a "hidden warranty" (their words), also described in this forum as a Recall, for seven years after date of purchase. So it was free. Just a pain.

A year later, the skid plate fell off--that's the cheesy plastic piece under the front bumper proper.

Six months later, the O2 sensor went.

A few months later, the hazard light switch went. (Free repair, a recall.)

It consumes oil at about a quart per 1,000 miles.

These problems are similar to most other's comments in this forum. In spite of all of them I'm still pretty attached to my Jetta. I won't buy another one, but when it's not having stupid problems, it's a nice car. Great in snowy, slushy city conditions. Always starts, has snug steering and good brakes. The heat and AC work perfectly.

The point is that yes VW Jettas have some quirky problems that will make you want to beat yourself in the head with a tire iron. I've learned to shrug at mine's temper tantrums and appreciate its good points.

11th Aug 2006, 19:14

I wonder if the person above who bought the 2001 Jetta bought mine *sad face*. Hey, all the info was here online warning y'all...

I get all the "great parts of the Jetta" through my Mazda 3 4 door *huge smiles*. It drives like the Jetta, it feels like the Jetta and heck... it looks more like the classic Jetta than the new Jetta does!

STAY AWAY from the 2001 Jetta if you know what's smart. Even Consumer Reports rated used 2001 Jettas as a complete nightmare. We're talking 2 replaced/slipping transmissions on a brand new car nightmare, not just broken latches and such.

22nd Aug 2006, 14:02

We bought a 2000 Jetta for my daughter a year and a half ago and have had numerous problems. The most recent is a chip in the automatic transmission that needed to be replaced. But the most annoying is the relentless crayon smell. Our concern is whether this is a toxic odor that may cause bodily harm. Shouldn't there be a re-call for something this prevalent and problematic? We need to all contact the FTC, the BBB, and any other federal consumer watchdog groups. I'm ready to take action.