2002 Volkswagen Jetta consumer reviews

Driving excellent, Good performance on mountain road, curve route, Highway, and local condition. A good first car.

This is our second VW (wife insisted) and I am very mechanically inclined (race mechanic). VWs are simply not reliable over the long haul in any regard, neither of our two would go more than 17k miles without needing some type of repair. Cooling system leaks and electrical issues that leave you stranded are common. Parts are hard o find and expensive, the service department prices are on par with that of Mercedes. One must remember VWs are simply Germany's budget car, nothing remotely fancy or special about them at all. I would buy a Toyota (or Honda) in the same price range, much more reliable

This car has been in my family for nearly 7 years now; my dad drove it for 6 years and I have been driving it for the last year and a half now. Its a great little car, with the 2.0L 4-cyl engine. This particular model has a sunroof, which has caused some minor problems with water leaking into the floor boards, particularly on the drivers side in the front; this is a known problem to VW. Other things aside from regular servicing, such as oil changes, in the last 7 years we have replaced 1 water pump, 2 sets of tires (make sure to get your alignment checked when you get new tires; this goes for any car!) and a few running bulbs. It is also on the original clutch and transmission, but at 160k miles, it is starting to really show its age. I like the interior, the exterior is sleek and its fun to drive. I manage about 360 miles on a tank of gas as well, which is nice for a college student that doesnt make a ton of money. CONVERSELY, since you must take your car to VW to be serviced (more than just the basics), it can get expensive, so many sure you have the penny and a half that might or might not cost you. I have only run into 1 known issue that I know of, and would say if you like a well built car, you cant go wrong with this.

Its such a reliable car great on gas and decently quick the body of the car is very stylish and sleek i like the car aand would reccomend it to anyone

First car I have actually owned. First standard transmission as well. It is quite good on gas, up to 30mpg to and from school, and yet it is still a bit sporty. Nothing is really wrong with this car, except that tall people will want to get something else. I have a friend that is 6'3" and he has trouble fitting inside. One other bad thing is that, if you don't live in a major city, then you might have to drive a ways to find a repairman to fix the VW, in my case it is a 45 min drive if something goes wrong. But it is really nice, mine has heated seats and mirrors, as well as a sunroof.

I was able to buy a low mileage,one owner 02 Jetta GLS wagon with a 2.0l motor from a small independent dealer for a very reasonable price. The car came with only 43k, all the bells and whistles and was in excellent condition except for some small shopping cart dings and a washer reservoir with a mysterious leak. It displays none of the notorious VW electrical issues yet and I've rung her out with several long,hard trips and love the response,handling,economy and ergonomics. I keep my cars till it becomes a point of diminished returns and I hope I got good one. We'll see.

Reliability problems?! I have 304,000 miles and counting on my beloved little TDi and it won't die. 5-speed. 40+mpg ALWAWS. I've driven this car for commuting, coast to coast, and more long trips than I can count. I can't think of a more comfortable car to take a long trip in. Maintenance to date: one clutch, a set of brake pads, 4 timing belts, several sets of tires, a few fuel filters, and a gallon of Rotella synthetic every 10,000 miles. The (ignored) check engine light has been on for the last 100k or so. Ignore it and your life will be much less expensive. The center armrest broke on the way home from the dealership, block it up with a pelican 1050 case and it'll comfortably hold up your arm for years on end. Other than that the car just goes, and goes, and goes, and goes..... I love this car.

Purchased a Jetta TDI a few months ago, and I am very pleased with the 42 miles per gallon with an automatic. The German styling and performance is amazing!! I would recommend this edition of the Jetta to anyone!

A great car if you can do your own repairs. I put a trans in this one. I bought it broken. Parts and repairs are expensive and reliable " mechanics" are hard to find. I can program my own key chips on my laptop the dealer wants starting at 160 bucks for key and programming. A good relationship with the VW parts department doesn't hurt. They like food and ball bustin', it takes time. Comfortable for the long haul, will do 90 all day, perfect road manners. About 25mpg average, and if I drive sanely, um, yeah.. I get 28mpg average. ANY car you buy it would be nice to see and have the service records, Especially oil changes, timing belts and trans services. Remember, Steer clear buck-at-eer of a V-dub with no service records. Good Luck and God Bless

Everybody told me not to buy this car based on its history, being stubborn I chose not to listen and ended dishing out 700$+ every 1,000 miles for electrical problems etc. I took great care of the car, it just didn't want to work properly. Twice WHILE DRIVING THE CAR SHUT OFF in the middle of the road(in the city) very dangerous situation both times. Almost created a life threatening accident on a left turn one of the times the electrical system went up. Don't be stubborn like I was, buying this car is a bad decision.