Are modern Jettas as reliable as the A2's?

My '88 Jetta GL has served me very well the last 13 years but it's getting a bit creaky. For the first time in several years, my finances finally allow me to do something about it.

I'm looking at a '93 Jetta as well as similar Civics and Corollas. Frankly, though, the Jetta is the dark horse. While I have little doubt that it will be more fun to drive, my impression is that newer VW's are not as robust a the A2's. And, perhaps, they are not suitable for the pattern of low mileage, benign neglect that describes my use of the '88.

Am I correct in my assessment?

Reply to
Eric Edwards
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Reply to
none2u

"Eric Edwards" wrote

As long as you have a good body and it is not deteriated you can run it as long as you like.

Why not consider putting a new powertrain or engine in it. I put an Audi 2.0 Liter in an 88 Golf and has run electricmotorish since. There are other motor options. By the way the Audi runs great on Digifant II - perfect.

A2s are amazing as nothing can kill them except body deteriation. Sadly I see a lot in the auto yards that never should have been there.

Another option though not perhaps used often: If you are not mechanically inclined, consider having one the rebuilt-motor outlets put a rebuilt block in it instead of buying another car.

If it is not your motor age and mileage just get a good mechanic to tweak it back up.

Harry

Reply to
Harry

Ack! I mean 2003.

Reply to
Eric Edwards

I would hardly call a '93 "modern"; it's 13 years old! And only 5 years more "modern" than an '88 anyway. Anyway, A3 Jettas are pretty solid.

-- Mike Smith

Reply to
Mike Smith

In that case, please ignore my previous post. :-/

-- Mike Smith

Reply to
Mike Smith

Assuming that Golf and Jetta reliability is more or less equal, my 2003 GTI and previous 1997 Golf are/were both much more reliable than my 87 Jetta GLI.

Reply to
Glen McLean

and previous 1997 Golf

KISS. Most of the stuff that's been a pain on mine is the stuff that came in the GLS package. Power windows, cruise, sunroof, etc, etc...

I don't know where the GTI is assembled, but IIRC it's not the same place as the normal Golf's. From what I hear the Puebla , Mexico plant has had it's share of problems. Don't know about the rest, but I suspect they're better?

O' course, things change, but from last I looked at Consumer Reports, they haven't apparently changed much.

Mark '95 Jetta GLS

Reply to
Mark Randol

IIRC both Golfs and GTIs (for the US market), as well as Passats, are made in Germany. A4 Jettas were made in Puebla; I assume that A5s are as well.

-- Mike Smith

Reply to
Mike Smith

Hi. I've got a 2002 Golf. Made in Brazil. It's been great. Nothing to report. And I'm an ex-Porsche club, Audi Turbo Quattro driving, Ducati riding motorhead. Nothing flash, but good looking, faultless, comfortable to drive. I'm a drummer, and people are constantly commenting "you got all that here in that?" Type 4. Highly recommended. A lot of evolution in these cars. They've been making them longer then the [real] Beetle. Bill D.

Reply to
Wm Donley

IIRC, some of 'em are made in the Czech Republic too. (or somewhere in Eastern Europe) I think it was the Golfs, but I don't remember for sure.

Mark '95 Jetta GLS

Reply to
Mark Randol

Benign neglect of a MK4 Jetta is more expensive than that of a 1988. VW has not improved its notoriously bad electricals much since your '88 was made, which is scary considering how much junk is stuffed into a

2003 Jetta. Stick with the '88, its cheaper to maintain, or in your case, ignore. Seriously, get a rebuild on the old 8 valver and drive her til the uni-body rots out.....
Reply to
Willie78

The body's not so great. It's not rusted, just sufficiently dented that the repair would greatly exceed the value of the vehicle.

Actually, the engine and drive train are probably in the best condition of anything in the car. Since the computer was replaced a couple of years ago, power has seemed week, but I gotta believe that is fixable. It has less than 130K miles on it.

Make it nice again would require:

1) Major body work 2) Suspension work 3) Probably a new computer and misc other engine zone repairs. 4) A new paint job 5) A new back seat misc minor interior refurbishing.

I'm guessing about $4000. I like the car, but I'm not in love with it.

I think a much newer vehicle like a 2003 Jetta is a better idea. But I've grown accustomed to owning a vehicle that didn't need to be pampered and it's not clear that '03 Jetta qualifies. Today I see I can get a GLS with a turbo for $1000 less than the non-turbo version I drove last week. Tempting, but a turbo seems like just a sort of finicky machinery I would be better off avoiding.

Reply to
Eric Edwards

My GTI 1.8T (2003) was built in Brazil. I've perused the VW groups and various web sites, and I get the impression that German-made ones are NOT any better made. Various comments concerning the workers getting the English disease of always going on strike, or tea breaks, or similar. Friday and Monday cars suspect. Don't actually know.

-- Glen

(Remove the invalid NIT from the end of my address)

Reply to
Glen McLean

and previous 1997 Golf

Well, mine, Brazilian-made, has all the power options, mostly because that was all that was available at the time: Power windows never a problem, and I played with them a lot when car was new, just to be sure. Power roof, same as above, and it is always open in the warmer weather, so gets opened and closed a lot. Cruise - never ever used it - drive the back roads, have a 5-speed manual - alternate uses for a cruise-control lever anyone? MAF sensors, coil packs, all the other things mentioned a lot - never a problem. Had to have driver's-side window tightened in its retainers once. Had a couple of pieces of trim replaced, tightened. Did have washer fluid to rear hatch pull apart, putting fluid into spare-wheel well. Took mechanic several hours to find the spot as that line goes through a rather circuitous route. Fixed under warranty, no repeats. Radio/Stereo, and hatch-mounted CD changer - no problems. The interior squeaks rather when the car is cold, the leather and plastic bits. Once the inside is warm, it sounds a lot better. I'm at 60,000 kliks, runs great, but I still want a MkV.

Reply to
Glen McLean

web sites, and I get

Didn't mean to imply that they were.

-- Mike Smith

Reply to
Mike Smith

If you get a well cared for base model A3 - like a Jetta GL 5 speed without power windows - you should have a pretty reliable vehicle... I've been tempted to upgrade to a newer vehicle - current DD is a 96 Jetta GL - but this Jetta GL just won't die... burns no oil at all even after 160k... The only problems (with two exceptions - more later) I've had with it have been wear items - shocks, spark plug wires, brakes, radiator, handles etc... The two items that were not wear items have been the ignition coil pack (a known and common problem), and a cold solder joint in the instrument cluster that causes my speedo not to work at times... other than that this thing has been totally reliable and doesn't give me much excuse to replace it since its been paid for long ago...

H> My '88 Jetta GL has served me very well the last 13 years but it's

Reply to
Peter Tong

I'd say the early Mk3 Jettas/Golfs are about as reliable as the Mk2s...they're more or less an evolution of the Mk2 in overall feel and construction (they are indeed a different platform, yes, but overall they're not much more complicated than a Mk2). Late Mk3s (1996 and later) should also be generally reliable but from 1996 they were required (like all cars in the US) to have OBDII which is where things start getting complicated...just a lot more sensors and things on the engine. Probably the only let-down on the Mk3s overall was cheap interior and exterior plastics that tended to snap or break easier.

Mk4s are nice, have much better interiors and plastics and trim for the most part, but the rest of the car just seemed to get more complicated by leaps and bounds over the Mk3 and that's where the problems seemed to start coming in.

Reply to
Matt B.
160,000 miles is nothing if you live in a warm climate. I don't know how the VWs do in cold climates since I moved away from the cold half a lifetime agao. I only owned 3 VWs when I lived up in the cold. The aircoolded cars just got new jugs and a valve job every 100,000 miles or so.

I have had a few 250,000 plus miles water cooed Vws. My A4 diesel Jetta has only 132,000 miles but it is not 4 years old. I guess it may have 160,000 miles by the time it is paid off. and probably at least double those miles or triple before I get rid of it. I still have my Toyota truck I bought in 1987. It has only 275,000 miles on it.

Forgot the reliablility questi>If you get a well cared for base model A3 - like a Jetta GL 5 speed without

Reply to
Jim Behning

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