2001 Volkswagen Jetta Buyer's Guide

Owner Reviews
3.0
2 Reviews
Overall
3.0
Value
2.0
Performance
4.0
Style
3.5
Comfort
3.0
Fuel Economy
3.0
Reliability
2.0

2001 Volkswagen Jetta Owner Ratings & Reviews

Write a Review
3.0
Overall
2 Reviews

2001 Volkswagen Jetta - A Good Car for a college student

Brooke
Fort Collins, Colorado
Overall
4.0
Value
3.0
Performance
4.0
Style
4.0
Comfort
3.0
Fuel Economy
3.0
Reliability
3.0
I own a 2001 Jetta and it has been a great car. I have owned this car since 2005 (so 10 years), in that time, I have driven the car to multiple states across the country and it has gotten me through my college years and young adulthood. It has had some medium level repairs done such as having the brakes redone, a serpentine belt replaced, countless oil changes, and some work done to the engine. Despite some normal repairs and already high mileage at the time of purchase, the car keeps going and going. The thing is going to run forever, if I can afford the repairs! That is one thing that bothers me about the car: it costs so much to repair (even for simple things). However, it is such a fun, zippy little car that it will be hard to part with when the day comes.
Story
I love zipping through my old neighborhood in Michigan where I could really rev the engine with the manual transmission while playing loud music and opening the sunroof!
Pros
I love that the car is small and fuel efficient, I love that it has a sunroof and great stereo system. It rides well and has beautiful leather interior. I love that it is reliable and has lasted long without any major malfunctions.
Cons
However, there are several negatives about this car; it leaks or goes through oil so quickly, it has very expensive parts being a VW so it takes more effort and money to repair even simple things, and it's getting to be too small as our family grows. It is also a manual transmission which is great but is now a down fall because I would like to have a car with an automatic transmission for convenience's sake.

2001 Volkswagen Jetta - Temperamental

Jordan
Battle Mountain, Nevada
Overall
2.0
Value
1.0
Performance
4.0
Style
3.0
Comfort
3.0
Fuel Economy
3.0
Reliability
1.0
The Volkswagen Jetta was a car I'd always admired, and when I had the chance to purchase one, I jumped on the opportunity. The vehicle was a bit modified, so perhaps my experience is tainted by low quality modifications, although the problems that I had can't all be attributed to that. I will say that while the car was running correctly it was fantastic. It handled well, the acceleration was acceptable, the ride was smooth. Unfortunately that wasn't very often.
Story
On a trip to a town around eighty miles from my home, my oil pan was cracked by an errant chunk of ice and snow laying in the road. My then-girlfriend decided at that moment that I was not decent person considering my poor decision making skills in regards to vehicular purchasing history. She left me a month after that.
Pros
I enjoyed the winter weather package. Heated seats and mirrors were always appreciated during the colder months, and those features are some of the only options that never malfunctioned. The sound of the VR6 was also fantastic, though in my case it was enhanced through an aftermarket exhaust. The seats were also well bolstered and comfortable enough to make driving the vehicle tolerable. The Jetta handled very well, though this may have been attributed to the aftermarket suspension my personal car is fitted with. The car was rather quiet, the noise level -- outside the pleasing exhaust not... (more)
Cons
There are electrical gremlins. The windows and door locks constantly fluctuated between functioning correctly and not working at all. The dreaded EPC light on the dash was always on, no matter how many times the codes were cleared and the problems corrected. The oil pan seemed to be made of clay rather than aluminum, cracking and acquiring punctures with nearly no provocation. The quality of the electrical system, from the large cables connecting the battery to the starter to the fine gauge wires connecting the speakers to the head unit were some of the worst designed items I've ever come ... (more)

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