25th Nov 2007, 12:23

I bought my 2001 Jetta (standard) used with 42,000 miles in 04. Since then I haven't had any major problems with it. The only time I took it to the dealership was to turn off the "Check Engine" light. Other than that, the car runs fine. No problems with overheating. I just lost the cap to my coolant recovery tank, so I'll have to replace that before driving it. Too bad the parts departments are closed on the weekends.

8th Feb 2008, 10:23

I bought 2001 Jetta VR6 and having temperature gage issue. It is not working properly. I changed the sensor and thermostat, but still not working properly.

26th Apr 2008, 17:57

I have an 02 Jetta 1.8T. The radiator fans on this car won't stop and drain the battery. This has started happening during the last few days when the temperature outside was hot (~70-75F) and I had turned on the AC. I showed it to a VW dealer and he said it could be a loose connection (it seems he just disconnected and connected the fan and it started working fine). He did replace the battery, saying that it was weak!

Today, the same problem has happened again -- I can see the battery of my car getting drained because the radiator fan won't stop. The fuses beside the driver's seat won't make it stop either. Is this problem related to faulty thermostat? Or relay switch?

3rd May 2008, 17:17

VW Jetta 2001 2.0 auto, 93,000kms

Car overheats and temp and engine light come on.

Water pump went, coolant leak, temp sensor and O2 sensor need replacing, might as well to the timing belt while they're at it since it was only $71 cheaper if I didn't.

Total damage, $1700

Good thing there's MasterCard?

4th May 2008, 11:04

I have a 2001 VW Jetta VR6, and when I got the car there was a crack in my radiator, so I took it to my shop and they replaced it. When I got it back my water-pump started to leak, so I got that replaced too.

Yesterday I was driving on I-25 going to Windsor and my car overheated. When I got out and looked at it, my fans were not spinning. I also think that my thermostat is frozen shut, and looking at these comments, I see that a lot of Jetta's are having this problem, so if your Jetta is overheating, I suggest to look at the fuses for your fans, and if it's not that, then it is the fans themselves.

16th May 2008, 10:16

I just bought 2002 Jetta GLS 1.8t. I am also having the problem with quick overheating. I replaced Coolant Temp Switch, not the problem. OK at idle, but the minute you drive it, the temp zooms to 260 and coolant temp light comes on. Sounds like fans were working fine, I am going to look at water pump and replace timing belt at the same time. I'll re-post once all completed.

29th May 2008, 13:03

Had overheating problem with 2005 Jetta GLI. Cooling fan would not come on. Had to replace fan relay and other part. Still not cooling down after fan worked. Had to replace water pump also due to cracked impellers. Cost over $1200 for repair bill.

25th Jun 2008, 14:08

I have a 2001 2.0 Jetta and replaced the thermo and the temp sensor switch. Fans work fine but gets hot with a/c on or driving. I am pretty sure the water pump is fried. I am going to remove the thermo just to eliminate all possibilities...!

10th Jul 2008, 15:33

I have a 2001 1.8T VW Jetta that I love. Car has 180K on it, but has always ran great.. Been battling an overheating problem for over three weeks now. Drive the car under 3000 rpm and its fine. Drive aggressively, AT ALL, and it overheats. Replaced water pump, thermostat, fan control module, the overflow bottle, fixed a coolant flange leak and still not fixed. Radiator is next. Where will I end up? Hopefully not a cracked head. Keeping my fingers crossed that something simple and inexpensive is getting overlooked.

2nd Aug 2008, 03:45

I hate my 2001 VW Jetta 1.8 Turbo. Every year, I face costly repairs. Last year was one year I spent about $1300 for repairs. My car started to overheat, so the shop replaced my broken, cheap plastic, water pump, fans, timing belt, spark plugs, the radiator because it had a leak in it, thermostat, and new hoses. Well, ater less than a year later, 8 months to be exact, my car is overheating again. I took it to VW and they replaced a flange, put in a new temp sensor, and did a coolant flush. This was done yesterday folks! So, I was told my car was ready, but I guess they didn't notice the temp rising because I doubt they took it for a test drive for 10 minutes. When I picked up my car, as I started driving, I noticed that the temp continued to rise, and eventually, I had to stop and give it a break break before it maxes out. Also, after these repairs, my check engine light decided to come on when it wasn't on when I brought the car in. I am so very frustrated with this vehicle because it has so many issues with overheating and its unending. I bought this car at 33,000 miles and about 3 years later, it is now at 72,000 miles. Will this car ever give me a break? My guess: No. The repairs are always so costly too because they are hard to access and a lot of things you can't fix yourself, so the mechanical fees take up more fees than the parts. I would never buy a VW again!

2nd Aug 2008, 22:21

I'm having the same issue. My 2001 Jetta,78,000 miles, started overheating a couple days ago. Took it to a trustworthy mechanic. He gave me the best advice. Get rid of it and buy a new car. He said there are ways to fix it but it is costly and won't guarantee a long term fix. I bought a Honda today. I'm Done with VW!

6th Aug 2008, 00:15

I love my Jetta TDI. Note to everyone; buy the diesel! My niece has a 2001 1.8T. The radiator has a leak in it. She hit a tire on the highway and almost rolled her car. Other than that, the car has been good. My problem... I can't get the radiator out. I know, I'm lame. I'm not gonna let a shop charge a $100 an hour to do it.

Plus, we're from Canada, live in Alberta and that's probably why our VW's are way better!

6th Aug 2008, 21:45

Follow up to 7-10 post on 1.8T. Situation has climaxed: Water in my oil. Blown head gasket, cracked head or both. I don't know if I should invest or walk away. I have been a VW fanatic for over 15 years now, but after this.. and all the posts.. I'm so afraid of buying another problem like this, I'm almost ready to walk away from VW.