3rd Aug 2008, 20:40

I have the same problems with the transmission and now the so called "famous" check engine light. If filing a lawsuit contact me at marlene_m2010@yahoo.com.

23rd Aug 2008, 12:04

I finally found the exact 02 Jetta 1.8t I've been looking for. I picked it up from the dealer and drove it home, it was the smoothest ride ever. One week later the car would not shift past 3rd gear. Well it's in the shop now getting the tranny rebuilt for $2,800 bucks. I hope I won't have to replace that again. Not everybody has money like that to throw into their car.

3rd Sep 2008, 11:29

I am in awe in what I have just read, I have a 02' Jetta 1.8T and I have absolutely no problems with it. I am running into 110k miles and I bought it at 33k, I have had it for 2.5 years now and I have driven all over the US and now Germany in it too. When I say this I know I get the "OMG" look because of how many miles I have put onto it, but I dog my car out from time to time, just like most people do, and I have NEVER had a problem with it, to the point I drove on about I qrt of oil for like 2 to 3 months and nothing, so maybe you guys just need to learn how to take care of your cars, or just make sure the ride you get is a legit GOOD car and not what a dealer says is good...

Maybe I am just a little brash about it, but an 02' and new should not have a trans problem unless you don't care for your car... just a thought.

4th Sep 2008, 11:12

Learn to drive stick, they save fuel and usually get better performance. Automatics are a waste of time and money.

6th Sep 2008, 18:49

I've had my 02 Jetta 1.8t for about 3-4 months... it has 105k miles and runs smooth... no so called transmissin problems... about to put some aftermarket parts in her... its funny because shes stock, but "pulls" mustangs, civics, preludes... shes a beast... its funny because I wanted to get a Supra, but now I'm just going to fix her up...

7th Sep 2008, 21:11

I bought my 02 Jetta 1.8t two weeks ago, and reading all the other comments, I'm scared of what could happen after this horrible two weeks. I have the same problem with the check engine light (started two days after I bought it) and also the shaking problems, I took it to the shop but they told me it was OK, and the light went off, like for a week, but now it's blinking again, I think I'll have to sell it before I have bigger trouble, it's a shame 'cause it started to like me.

16th Sep 2008, 19:25

I have an 02 Jetta 1.8T also. I am in sales and put a lot of highway miles on the car. I now have 123k on it and the money I have put into it is basic wear and tear. Fan motor, alternator, starter, battery, brakes, rotors, coil, tune up, vacum hoses... I once took it to the dealer... never again. I came out of there with a $5000 estimate when I only went in for an oil change. This really upsets me that they treat people like we are so stupid. Do they not want repeat customers? I will never buy another VW just based on this and the cost of repairs. I found a mechanic to work on what ever I need done. He said the parts are cheaper on a BMW because he can only get the parts right from the dealer and they are very expensive. I now have a transmission problem and basically have to use the triptronic as I can shift it (with some slippage). I am going to drive it like that until it won't work anymore. I am very disappointed because I really like the car but I after reading all the problems, it doesn't surprise me and I hope people listen to this and send a message to VW.

17th Sep 2008, 14:09

2002 1.8T with Automatic Tiptronic transmission. 139,000 km.

I'll try to be as honest as I can in my evaluation of this car which I bought new and always had serviced and maintained at the VW dealer.

- Ignition coil problem while under and after warranty.

- Taillights burns out every 15K km.

- Window clips broke.

- Stereo replaced twice.. When it stopped working after warranty was up I found a workaround on this site... reset fuse and it magically starts working again.

- Engine sludge problem at 130K (check engine). VW recommended a rebuild eventhough they did all the maintenance on the car. I stopped taking my car there for oil changes and started doing them myself every month. Followed steps on another site to relieve the problem however it still exists.

- This Week - Transmission gear shifting problem. Problem with 2 Solenoid and valves. $1100 repair. Sorry no work around for this unless you're willing to do it yourself.

For the price I paid for this car new I really expected it to be more reliable. I would hate for someone else to go thru this as well so I strongly suggest you do your home work on these cars. I would not recommend them to anyone...

20th Sep 2008, 04:00

I also bought a 2002 Jetta 1.8t Tiptronic transmission, and only 2 months later my transmission went out or so I thought. Before I bought the car I felt that the car stalled just a little going from 1st to 2nd, and I asked upfront if it was a transmission problem and they told me "no", that what I felt was the turbo from the engine kicking in, so I believed them and about the car as is, no I am putting up a law suit for the price of my transmission for misrepresentation of a car, and even tho I signed an as is form, that no longer matters because they lied to me!

But the good news is I was talking with someone online that just sold their Jetta, and he had taken his car in a VW shop and one of the guys there told him that 80 percent of the time with a Tiptronic transmission, it's just the transmission computer and they only cost like 200-300 to fix it, so I hope that's all it is!

27th Oct 2008, 14:53

Hello. I was just reading over what everyone has said about their VW. I have a VW Jetta 02 1.8 turbo. I got the car a year ago and about 3 months after I got the car, the stereo stopped working and the trunk lock broke on it, so it will not latch now.

About 4 months ago I was driving and all the sudden the transmission started to jerk real hard every time it shifted. Then the engine light came on and also the ABS light too. When I would pull over and shut it off, it would run normal again. This would happen about once every 2 weeks.

Yesterday I was driving and all the sudden the engine started to shake and the engine light is blinking. Help!. I would like that lawsuit idea. If anyone can help one_lost_backpacker@yahoo.com. Thank you. No more VWs.