WHAT IS WITH JETTAS?

Karma.

Did you buy the car from a private owner or a dealer? Did you buy it from a VW dealer, or a used car lot? If you bought the car from anything other than a VW dealer than it isn't a certified used car and you've got no place to complain. If you bought it from a VW dealer, you should march back to the salesperson, the manager, and the head of service, and notify them that you'll be suing the dealership for the $1500 in service charges unless they either buy the car back or fix it for free. Problems like that don't come out of nowhere after only 3 months, and pre-existing problems must either be fixed. Used VWs when traded into a VW dealer by their 1st owner, are soupposed to undego a 100 + point inspection.

There probably is a reason, even if the car isn't running noticeable different.

So what does the diagnostics say? They should tell you what the check engine light is coming on for.

Whoa whoa...don't even go there. It has nothing to do with Mexico. Even German-made VWs today are having such issues. Germans do many things well but one area they seem to fall short in recently is electric and electronic components and it's not limited to VW...BMW and Mercedes are having a go of it these days too with electronic issues.

Back in the early to mid 1990s, the Puebla plant actually was scoring higher on VW's internal quality audits than the German plants too. It's not a Mexico thing. And for what it's worth, my Hecho-en-Mexico '91 GTI is running strong and with little problems.

I don't think you're in for a world of hurt with this car, but VWs are higher maintenance and more work than Hondas. However, Hondas rarely give you the same European drivers-car feel that VW, BMW, and Mercedes do. VWs are sort of a labor of love...if you love how the car drives and feels, you labor over them :-)

Anyway, I'd say don't make any conclusions yet, but do get a second opinion on the diagnosis. Did the computer hookup say what needed to be replaced? Post it and maybe some folks will have insight if we have more specific information.

That line should read: "...and pre-existing problems must either be fixed or made known to the new potential buyer". Sorry.

This is called an Integra GS-R, Type or Prelude.

Probably not. What is the cars history? Where did you buy it?

Possibly a neglected or abused used car?

Yupp, and with the exception of the Integra Type R's handling, a GTi 1.8T or VR6, or Jetta GLi would lay waste to any of them.

I am just one datapoint, but my 98 Jetta GLX with 62,000 miles hasn't been that bad. Something in the coolant system cracked, that was a couple hundred bucks. The power windows break on almost a regular basis. Otherwise so far so good.

You're dedicated.

Your rating as a borderline, dedicated troll: 4/10.

Same here! My 87 Civic had 250,000 miles on it, and was doing great! I had just had the clutch replaced, and was ready for another 250,000... but a huge Death-U-V rear ended me :-(

Naaaah. They are way too fat.

Really? A 2001 Prelude (the last year Honda built them for North America) would

*struggle* to break 7.5 to 60 MPH (that's slower than a 2003 Accord V6, BTW). The GS-R might be able to pull off a 7.3, and the Type R would be right in at 6.9-7.0. The 180Hp GTi 1.8T (such as mine) will pull off 0-60 in 6.5 and the 1/4 in 15.0 per C&D testing. The VR6 is marginally slower to 60 @ 6.8 seconds, thanks to increased curb weight, but it's faster mid-gear and up into 5th and 6th gears than a 1.8T thanks to it's richer torque output at higher RPMs. At 0-60 in 6.3 seconds, the RSX Type S is the only sub $30k Acura capable of beating my GTi to 60 MPH. And similarly equipped, dealers want anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500 *more* for them than my GTi. I can chip my car to 210Hp and 249 Ft. Lbs. for $400 and lay waste to all but the NSX.

Well, don't forget the S2000.

-- Mike Smith

The only good Honduh is a dead Honda.

"Pete Cressman" mumbled in message news:cmMJb.245913$ snipped-for-privacy@news04.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...

Spoken like a true troll.

Not really......I, nor anyone else in my family has ever had luck with Honda...hence the reason we all drive VWs now. My parents had an '89 Accord that had so many problems...3 years into ownership, the transmission went, as well as alot of subframe rotting.

I guess the years of top notch Consumer Reports reliablity ratings for Honda must be a mistake, as well as the sub-par ratings for VW. Don't try to compare the two... Honda is far superior to VW in reliability... you just sound ignorant.