We bought our stick shift TDI Jetta station wagon in 2003. It was a great car for most of those years. We’ve had to replace the clutch once. We bought leather seats and they have really held up quite well but as of 2024 the seals are starting to fail and it looks like we will need a new fuel injection pump. We have never had a garage that we could put it into, and that is why I think our seals Are failing. We Have parked it under fir trees and so it’s prone to having fir needles everywhere. Our gas mileage, I mean diesel mileage has been outstanding. But now I’m seriously considering letting it go. It would cost more than it’s worth to have it fixed. We have over 160,000 miles on it and I’m sure you could go many many more miles. One of the things that really drives me crazy is that the ceiling fabric is drooping and I don’t think that it can easily be fixed. We used to use Biodiesel, but it has become less and less available for us to buy. Also, we didn’t drive it fast enough to blow out the carbon that would build up. So that was another thing that we would have to have cleaned/or replaced. And don’t ask me what it was. I can’t even remember. It’s been so long ago. Also, there’s a weird plastic coating on the dash and the Door handle that I was feels sticky and I think that was like that from day one. It’s been a very fun car to drive and it handles very well on corners. The suspension is pretty stiff though. The front wheel drive did very well in the snow too. So if I were to write the interior of the car, it would be something like a 3.5, with the exception of the very nice leather seats. The seat heaters weren’t that great either. I would give the exterior of 4.5., Maybe even five if you don’t have a moonroof. Ours started leaking last year. I’d give the Jetta 5 stars for reliability, we’ve had a relatively easy time of it. It would have been even more reliable had we garaged it. We are ultimately responsible for any leakage!

Jettas are a VW masterpiece. I've owned an 86, 92, 96, 03(TDI) Jetta and have enjoyed each and every one. I've driven Jettas for about 30 years. After the 03, I bought a 07 Golf City, which was a disappointment. Sold it and bought a Volvo. Missed my VW, so after an exhaustive search, found a 03 Jetta GLS with 181k. I'm home :) Sadly, good older Jettas are extremely hard to find and the newer models do not hold a candle to the workmanship or quality of the older ones.

Absolutely the most fun car to drive. Great performance and spunky--you've got to love the turbo. Smooth ride and comfortable for four adults. Highly recommend!