what are your thoughts on VW jetta's
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I met a guy from the UK at a party who had worked at a European race car design firm. He bad mouthed Japanese cars as not being great because of possessing sophisticated engineering but because of the way they were built, low cost and cheap. It seemed to escape him that reliability and low cost in design is sophisticated engineering.
I have heard that a door handle on a VW has several adjustment screws. Yet a Toyota has none and you can go into a junkyard and find any Toyota with 200k miles and the door handle will work.
I have heard that a door handle on a VW has several adjustment screws. Yet a Toyota has none and you can go into a junkyard and find any Toyota with 200k miles and the door handle will work.
Actually VW USED to be known for exactly that you quote.
It is a shame that they have simply decided to leave that market. Although they may be getting back to their roots with the new Up! and MKIII Beetle soon. I would love to see the old values return at VW.
Quality, durability, reliability, practicality, and value.
It is a shame that they have simply decided to leave that market. Although they may be getting back to their roots with the new Up! and MKIII Beetle soon. I would love to see the old values return at VW.
Quality, durability, reliability, practicality, and value.
My 05 Jetta TDI wagon has about 87,000 miles on it. One thing I have learned, there is s VW dealer near I-205 in Vancouver, WA, that shall remain nameless. Danger Will Robinson!! Stay completely away from their service department.
Other than their incompetence, and once I learned to stay far away from them, I have been very happy with my Jetta. Great mileage, completely reliable, lots of room, comfortable, good driving and so on.
I really think the dealer can affect your driving experience to the worse very easily and I regularly hear how bad some VW dealers are. I now go to an Olympia, WA VW dealer without problems. Even got them to fix a problem the Vancouver dealer's service department couldn't find.
Worst problem is the motor oil question. I have been using mail order Motul 505.01. I tried Motul 507 and I think, based on that experience I will stick with 507. Still seem to have to mail order it though. I buy a bunch each time. I change every 6,000 miles and the worst part is that skid plate. I think the skid plate only comes on the diesels.
I would get one again, maybe. I really don't have any plans to part with the one I have.
Other than their incompetence, and once I learned to stay far away from them, I have been very happy with my Jetta. Great mileage, completely reliable, lots of room, comfortable, good driving and so on.
I really think the dealer can affect your driving experience to the worse very easily and I regularly hear how bad some VW dealers are. I now go to an Olympia, WA VW dealer without problems. Even got them to fix a problem the Vancouver dealer's service department couldn't find.
Worst problem is the motor oil question. I have been using mail order Motul 505.01. I tried Motul 507 and I think, based on that experience I will stick with 507. Still seem to have to mail order it though. I buy a bunch each time. I change every 6,000 miles and the worst part is that skid plate. I think the skid plate only comes on the diesels.
I would get one again, maybe. I really don't have any plans to part with the one I have.
Originally Posted By: Boatowner
Worst problem is the motor oil question. I have been using mail order Motul 505.01. I tried Motul 507 and I think, based on that experience I will stick with 507. Still seem to have to mail order it though. I buy a bunch each time. I change every 6,000 miles and the worst part is that skid plate. I think the skid plate only comes on the diesels.
If you ever drive as far south as Everett WA, the Pep Boys at the Everett Mall carries (or should carry) Mobil 1 ESP Formula 5w30, which meets the VW 504.00/507.00 specs. Most folks are finding a $6.99/liter price tag on it, one reported paying $7.49. Maybe call ahead, confirm that they have it in stock, then buy four 6-packs. (Yes, these are packaged in liters, produced in Europe.)
6,000 miles is too often. At TDI Club there are lots of used-oil tests, and there is no evidence that the recommended 10k-mile OCI needs to be shortened. Certainly not with the Motul, and probably not with the M1 ESP Formula (it's new, no test results yet).
Edit: another Pep Boys in Puyallup.
Worst problem is the motor oil question. I have been using mail order Motul 505.01. I tried Motul 507 and I think, based on that experience I will stick with 507. Still seem to have to mail order it though. I buy a bunch each time. I change every 6,000 miles and the worst part is that skid plate. I think the skid plate only comes on the diesels.
If you ever drive as far south as Everett WA, the Pep Boys at the Everett Mall carries (or should carry) Mobil 1 ESP Formula 5w30, which meets the VW 504.00/507.00 specs. Most folks are finding a $6.99/liter price tag on it, one reported paying $7.49. Maybe call ahead, confirm that they have it in stock, then buy four 6-packs. (Yes, these are packaged in liters, produced in Europe.)
6,000 miles is too often. At TDI Club there are lots of used-oil tests, and there is no evidence that the recommended 10k-mile OCI needs to be shortened. Certainly not with the Motul, and probably not with the M1 ESP Formula (it's new, no test results yet).
Edit: another Pep Boys in Puyallup.
It is definitely common knowledge (among VW fans) that VWoA has simply NOT been willing or able shed incompetent dealers from their network. VW claims that they want to become a Major player in the USA...they are only going to be able to acomplish that feat IF they get honest and competent service outlets, and of course they need to have a wider range of models and trim level offerings as well.
Definitely agreed about how seriously a dealer experience can affect your satisfaction after buying a car. I constantly hear about how a small problem with a VW turns into a big one because the dealer is incompetent, and many are when it comes to servicing the product correctly. Although alot of the trouble is a result of carelessness on the part of the tech!
Definitely agreed about how seriously a dealer experience can affect your satisfaction after buying a car. I constantly hear about how a small problem with a VW turns into a big one because the dealer is incompetent, and many are when it comes to servicing the product correctly. Although alot of the trouble is a result of carelessness on the part of the tech!
Thank you for the advice on Mobil 1 ESP in Everett. It is probably worth it, although I would prefer to find out someone is Oregon carries it for a similar price. Not only am I far closer to Portland than Everett, they have a huge sales tax up there, almost 10 %. Still, that is probably cheaper than mail order, especially if I am in the area.
Liters work well for that car since it basically take 5 to fill it. I have not seen a 505.01 oil or 507 oil in quarts. I still call them quarts though.
Maybe, 10K is okay, but my office is so close to my house that I don't even remotely get the engine warmed up on most days. This gets into the kind of severe service that calls for more frequent oil changes. Not to mention that I am obsessive/compulsive about oil changes anyway and would far rather err on the side of frequency.
When I sold our 95 Voyager at 125K, the mechanic who did the oil changes over the next 50,000 miles said he had never seen the 3.3 engine in that good of shape after that many miles. We sold it because it was starting to fall apart around the engine and transmission. The guy who bought it spent a fair amount fixing things, like breaking door hinges and the famous pealing paint.
Liters work well for that car since it basically take 5 to fill it. I have not seen a 505.01 oil or 507 oil in quarts. I still call them quarts though.
Maybe, 10K is okay, but my office is so close to my house that I don't even remotely get the engine warmed up on most days. This gets into the kind of severe service that calls for more frequent oil changes. Not to mention that I am obsessive/compulsive about oil changes anyway and would far rather err on the side of frequency.
When I sold our 95 Voyager at 125K, the mechanic who did the oil changes over the next 50,000 miles said he had never seen the 3.3 engine in that good of shape after that many miles. We sold it because it was starting to fall apart around the engine and transmission. The guy who bought it spent a fair amount fixing things, like breaking door hinges and the famous pealing paint.
Boatowner: there are no Pep Boys in Oregon, as far as I know, and only two in Washington, Everett and Puyallup.
You might check at the www.boraparts.com website -- Aaron travels between Portland and SLC and I am not sure where his company ships from. You might be able to buy from him in Portland and pick up directly without bothering with shipping. Over at TDI Club his username is BleachedBora -- he is a good vendor to know about as he can get whatever you need. You should also be aware of a shop in Portland called the Fix'umHaus (not sure of spelling), they are a bit unconventional but they really know TDIs.
You might check at the www.boraparts.com website -- Aaron travels between Portland and SLC and I am not sure where his company ships from. You might be able to buy from him in Portland and pick up directly without bothering with shipping. Over at TDI Club his username is BleachedBora -- he is a good vendor to know about as he can get whatever you need. You should also be aware of a shop in Portland called the Fix'umHaus (not sure of spelling), they are a bit unconventional but they really know TDIs.
Yep, just talked to the Puyallup one. ESP is 6.99 per "quart" and he said they have lots and lots in stock. So, I guess that is where I go. I am just glad to find a "local" 507 source at less than $ 10/liter.
Originally Posted By: Boatowner
Yep, just talked to the Puyallup one. ESP is 6.99 per "quart" and he said they have lots and lots in stock. So, I guess that is where I go. I am just glad to find a "local" 507 source at less than $ 10/liter.
I think the M1 ESP Formula 5w30 is produced in Europe and comes in a liter container.
The M1 ESP Formula M 5w40 is produced in the US and comes in a quart container. (You might consider this one after the warranty period, it doesn't meet any VW specs but it seems like a slightly more viscous version of the 5w30 product.
Pep Boys should have both products on the shelf at the same $6.99 price.
Yep, just talked to the Puyallup one. ESP is 6.99 per "quart" and he said they have lots and lots in stock. So, I guess that is where I go. I am just glad to find a "local" 507 source at less than $ 10/liter.
I think the M1 ESP Formula 5w30 is produced in Europe and comes in a liter container.
The M1 ESP Formula M 5w40 is produced in the US and comes in a quart container. (You might consider this one after the warranty period, it doesn't meet any VW specs but it seems like a slightly more viscous version of the 5w30 product.
Pep Boys should have both products on the shelf at the same $6.99 price.
nice interior, piece of junk transmission, horrible reliability.
3/3 owners friends I know think the same.
3/3 owners friends I know think the same.
Originally Posted By: robertcope
Originally Posted By: addyguy
VW's are expensive for what you get, and can be very, very 'fussy' with maintenece and repairs.
Definetly NOT a simple 'people's car' anymore.....
I'm going to disagree with this. A new Rabbit can be had for $16K or so, and I really don't think you'll find a car in that price range that can compete.
I will admit a bit of bias, as I've been a VW geek forever. Currently on my third Jetta, never had any real maintenance issues... change the oil ever 10K miles along with the normal maintenance any car would need. The only issues I've had in 93K miles are: brake light switch, rain sensor, "dealer-screwed-up rear power locks", and crank position sensor. My previous Jettas had fewer issues than this, I guess; one of them did need a new steering rack when I bought it (used with about 130K on it).
We've had no issues with my wife's Rabbit, but it only has 26K on it.
The biggest reason I hesitate to recommend newe VWs to people is that the dealers in Austin are notoriously bad.
robert
Your "no problem at all" is considered horrible reliability in my standard. Steering rack should last longer than 130k, crank sensor, brake light switch, etc should all last longer than 93k.
These components are suppose to last 200k miles.
I'm still using the original of these at 225k in my Integra (if the aftermarket CSF all metal radiator didn't crack and warp the head first, so stay away from CSF radiator).
Originally Posted By: addyguy
VW's are expensive for what you get, and can be very, very 'fussy' with maintenece and repairs.
Definetly NOT a simple 'people's car' anymore.....
I'm going to disagree with this. A new Rabbit can be had for $16K or so, and I really don't think you'll find a car in that price range that can compete.
I will admit a bit of bias, as I've been a VW geek forever. Currently on my third Jetta, never had any real maintenance issues... change the oil ever 10K miles along with the normal maintenance any car would need. The only issues I've had in 93K miles are: brake light switch, rain sensor, "dealer-screwed-up rear power locks", and crank position sensor. My previous Jettas had fewer issues than this, I guess; one of them did need a new steering rack when I bought it (used with about 130K on it).
We've had no issues with my wife's Rabbit, but it only has 26K on it.
The biggest reason I hesitate to recommend newe VWs to people is that the dealers in Austin are notoriously bad.
robert
Your "no problem at all" is considered horrible reliability in my standard. Steering rack should last longer than 130k, crank sensor, brake light switch, etc should all last longer than 93k.
These components are suppose to last 200k miles.
I'm still using the original of these at 225k in my Integra (if the aftermarket CSF all metal radiator didn't crack and warp the head first, so stay away from CSF radiator).
Originally Posted By: hofcat
I met a guy from the UK at a party who had worked at a European race car design firm. He bad mouthed Japanese cars as not being great because of possessing sophisticated engineering but because of the way they were built, low cost and cheap. It seemed to escape him that reliability and low cost in design is sophisticated engineering.
I have heard that a door handle on a VW has several adjustment screws. Yet a Toyota has none and you can go into a junkyard and find any Toyota with 200k miles and the door handle will work.
This really is the cultural difference between European engineers and Asian/American engineers. I couldn't tell you how many times when we need something done that must be reliable and fault tolerant, but with compromise, being stalled by our European counterparts for not being "grammatically correct" or "follow design philosophy".
Until we tell them either fix it or we will escalate the P0 priority issue to their manager, director, and VP.
I met a guy from the UK at a party who had worked at a European race car design firm. He bad mouthed Japanese cars as not being great because of possessing sophisticated engineering but because of the way they were built, low cost and cheap. It seemed to escape him that reliability and low cost in design is sophisticated engineering.
I have heard that a door handle on a VW has several adjustment screws. Yet a Toyota has none and you can go into a junkyard and find any Toyota with 200k miles and the door handle will work.
This really is the cultural difference between European engineers and Asian/American engineers. I couldn't tell you how many times when we need something done that must be reliable and fault tolerant, but with compromise, being stalled by our European counterparts for not being "grammatically correct" or "follow design philosophy".
Until we tell them either fix it or we will escalate the P0 priority issue to their manager, director, and VP.
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
nice interior, piece of junk transmission, horrible reliability.
3/3 owners friends I know think the same.
At TDI Club, whenever a newbie asks about whether he ought to buy a 2003-or-earlier Jetta, Golf, or New Beetle, we advise against if it has the 4-speed 01M automatic transmission. They do not last and they are expensive to replace.
But the same models with the manual transmission are highly sought after.
The 5-speed Tiptronic used in 2004-2006 has not had the same problems. I think that is the same automatic transmission used in the 2010 gas-engine models. The new TDIs all get the 6-speed DSG (or the 6-speed MT).
nice interior, piece of junk transmission, horrible reliability.
3/3 owners friends I know think the same.
At TDI Club, whenever a newbie asks about whether he ought to buy a 2003-or-earlier Jetta, Golf, or New Beetle, we advise against if it has the 4-speed 01M automatic transmission. They do not last and they are expensive to replace.
But the same models with the manual transmission are highly sought after.
The 5-speed Tiptronic used in 2004-2006 has not had the same problems. I think that is the same automatic transmission used in the 2010 gas-engine models. The new TDIs all get the 6-speed DSG (or the 6-speed MT).
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