'01 VW Jetta value question

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jeepman3071

jeepman3071

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My sister has an '01 VW Jetta, 2.0L auto with 112k miles. The body is in great shape, and it has new tires. The interior is in good shape and it has a new radio. The engine runs ok but the transmission misses shifts occasionally. I brought it to a friend who owns a shop and he said it needs a new transmission. He told me I would be better off finding her a new car since she uses it to drive to school an hour away. It still drives, but the transmission could go tomorrow or 3 months from now. She paid $5000 for it 6 months ago without taking me or my dad with her to look at it. I know its not worth near that much. My buddy quoted me $4000 for the transmission, and she doesn't have that kind of money.

I don't really have the time to part it out, and she needs a vehicle, what could I sell this for? I'd obviously make the buyer aware of its issues. Maybe someone could swap a good transmission into it as a project. I figure if we get something out of it we can get a decent running older car instead of waiting until this one totally dies.

Any advice is appreciated. She has already been lectured by my dad about "impulse buying".
 
If it has the automatic 4-speed transmission, it's the dreaded 01M... one of the biggest failpiles of autotragic VW has ever put out. I'd give a shot changing the transmission fluid/filter & differential fluid but don't get your hopes up.

FWIW, the factory method for getting the level correct can be misleading and leave it 500ml low on fluid - you have to pull a standpipe plug out of the pan once the fluid's up to a specific temp range. Keep it out until fluid START to glug. If you wait until it STOPS glugging then it's half a liter low.

There's a ton of great information on this guy's website: kansascitytdi.com - he's well respected as the 01M guru on TDIClub.
 
It just misses shifts,not slipping ,making noise or refusing to shift? have you lost any gears completely? What're the conditions under which this happens? Hey, it could be just a faulty solenoid,varnish in the valve body, a trashed valve body,etc.It's nearly impossible to diagnose via internet,but QuOK has the right idea, start simple.
 
Sorry I should have given more info. It does have the 4 speed auto. They changed the fluid and filter hoping it would help. My buddy who owns the shop said his mom has an '03 Jetta with similar shifting issues and new fluid helped a bit. The fluid didn't do much, and it still has issues. The transmission has two problems. When shifting from 2nd to 3rd it will slip and the whole car will lurch. Its much worse on hills. It also has a tendency to just fall out of gear. The car will be driving at a steady speed and the car will suddenly feel like its in neutral. It must be shifted back into park to move again. The torque converter has also been diagnosed as an issue by two other shops. It will be $1800 for just the torque converter.

I've swapped axles on trucks, installed a lift kit on my Jeep, and rebuilt old engines. The VW looks very challenging to work on though, and my buddy mentioned the fact that with this transmission, I could put the money into it and just have it break down the road. The motor also burns some oil, but still runs fine. I just don't have the time and my sister needs something reliable.
 
Trying to sell a 10-year old econo sedan, with expensive transmission issues, will be easy - if you sell super cheap.

I won't expect you'll get more than $800-$1200 for it, if that. Like others have said, I'd look for a used transmission, and see how it goes.

If you don't like the 'uncertainty' that goes with a used transmission, maybe 'shop around' what a rebuild will cost. Maybe worth it if you can find a shop that will do it for less than $5k.
 
Just for point of reference, we traded in our '01 Jetta 2.0 auto last year with 68K in good condition (no trans issues) for $3K. We may have been able to sell it for $500 more on Craigslist, but didn't want to bother.

The fact of the matter is that most people won't touch an old car with transmission issues with a 10-foot pole, especially a foreign car. They just don't want the hassle as it spells major uncertainty, not just for your sister but anyone else that comes along looking for a daily driver. You may be able to sell it to a mechanic who will have a fairly good understanding of what's involved in getting this car fixed, and based on it he'll tell you what he'll give you for it. I'm guessing that addyguy's estimate above is about right.
 
If you sell it as is as described, some "curb stoner" will flip it "as is, not described" for a profit.

At a minimum, fill the buyers name in on the title (so he'll be forced to title it in his name and you won't hear about it two people later) and make a photocopy of your bill of sale for your records.

If you trade it, a dealership with mechanics on staff will have to deal with any headaches.
 
I was thinking around $1000 also. My buddy's shop was the cheapest I could find for a rebuild ($4500), and seeing how the other shops she took it to wanted more than my buddy's shop to replace just the torque converter I imagine they'd charge more for the transmission too. The price of the torque converter and transmission alone will be worth more than the value of the car. I'm starting to think trading it in would be the best way. I really don't want someone else to get screwed like she did and end up in the same situation. I also don't want to throw in a used transmission. With the known quality issues I would hate to go through all that work to have the same problem.
 
Write it off by selling it for 1-2k. Jettas of that era are pieces of stuff and everyone knows this problem.

Let your wife learn her lesson and just remember to check for reliability first before buying next time.
 
I drove my sisters car today down the road to the store and back. Its definitely toast, within driving a few miles the trans gets pretty hot. It slips so bad the tires screech when it catches. My mom is going to trade it in for her and find a different vehicle.
 
Originally Posted By: silverrat
What is trade in value for that, probably $300?


Probably. Its one of those things I try to help with but can't do much about. I work lots of hours and combined with classes I'm not home much. I don't have the time to fix it, and its more of my dad's decision anyway. I pay for all my stuff, and my sister just turned 18 and is still kind of under my parents' wing. Its just frustrating because I told them to let me look over a car before she bought it and they didn't. Now its my fault I can't fix it, hahaha.
 
Is it worth getting a low mileage transmission from the wrecker and putting it in and selling the car immediately? I guess the car is still only worth ~$3k with no issues.
 
I'd spend $300 on a new valve body, change the fluid (with properly spec'd fluid) and throw in a full 10oz bottle of Lubegard red.

Not knowing the history it's hard to tell what kind of true shape the transmission is in. However, it's still low mileage so I'd expect the expensive components to still be useable such as the clutches and solenoids. A common problem with these things is that the aluminum valve body develops wear causing the pistons to stick and bind. There are seven shift solenoids in this darned thing and it really isn't a very good transmission but a huge bandaid may make it last another 50,000 miles.

It's a shame she was taken advantage of in this transaction. I see it all of the time.
 
yeah its a sucky situation. My friend who looked at the car said there are pieces of the transmission clutches in the fluid. My sister doesn't have much money and he said it would be smarter to look for a different vehicle since this one is going to be a money pit.
 
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