please advise your experience with 2002 & 2003 Jetta

So, when I check a 2002-2003 Jetta GL from 3rd party seller, I should check:
1. window-clip problem - please tell me where to find more detail on what to
look at?
2. outside door handles
3. MAF/coils/window regulators - please tell me where to find more detail on
what to
look at for this problem.
4. any thing else?
Thank you.


"sd" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Rob Guenther" > wrote:
>
> > Thats what I like about VW - they are pro-active on issues that are
wrong
> > with the cars... Not like some domestic car companies that only fix the
> > problem if its life threatening.
>
> I'm not too sure about that. The window-clip problem existed since the
> A4s came out in mid-99. Why should my car, built four years later,
> still have the same crappy plastic parts they were now replacing left
> and right? FTM, A2 owners (* raises hand *) battled the
> "use-'em-or-lose-'em" outside door handles for years -- well after a
> Toyota or Honda or even Ford would have replaced them as a
> customer-unfriendly liability. And let's not forget the 1.8 engine
> ignition pack debacle, in which VW could not get enough replacement
> parts from its supplier to "proactively" replace them before cars
> stranded their drivers.
>
> I'll grant that I would have been ticked off to hear "we'll fix your
> windows when they break" (though that _is_ what ignition-pack
> customers heard). But I don't believe that VW has done anything heroic
> in responding to these failures. If anything, something inside the
> company enables these situations. And it really gives VW a black eye.
>
> sd

In article >,
"ay" > wrote:

> So, when I check a 2002-2003 Jetta GL from 3rd party seller, I should check:
> 1. window-clip problem - please tell me where to find more detail on what to
> look at?
> 2. outside door handles
> 3. MAF/coils/window regulators - please tell me where to find more detail on
> what to
> look at for this problem.
> 4. any thing else?
> Thank you.

I don't have much information on how to check #1 yourself. It will
involve removing the door panel from inside the door; I don't know how
eager most sellers will be to have you do that. In addition, VW has
applied a seven-year warranty to the affected cars that addresses that
problem. I'd leave that alone.

#2 applied to the model two generations previous to this one and is
not an issue with the cars you're considering.

For more information on #3, I suggest you fire up your favorite Web
search engine and type in VW MAF or VW coil or something like that.
I'm sure there will be oceans of information -- too much to capsulize
in this ng.

If you are considering a diesel Jetta at all, I'd make sure to spend
some time at http://www.tdiclub.com . It's everything you could ever
want to know about TDI VWs -- and more. Otherwise, you could check out
http://www.vwvortex.com . Please remember when reading on these sites
that there's barely a car out there that _requires_ some of the
attention lavished on them by devotees, and that bad news travels much
faster than good news, so you'll likely read more from unhappy people
than the ones who quietly enjoy their VWs every day.

sd

A few more points:
The car is great for crashes. Compare its weight to a similar
competitor, it's heavier by about 15-20%. Great for crashes, the
three airbags per person in the front really protect a person. The
Chevy Blazer did not do as well as the VW Jetta. Neither driver was
hurt however.

Check with your insurance company, you may find liability somewhat
cheaper for a Jetta than other comparable cars.

If you're not a do-it-yourselfer, maintenance could be expensive.

If there aren't good maintenance records for the car, don't buy it.

CR was biased years ago towards VW's, I think because they were small
cars - fuel economy, etc (environmentalists) long after VW's were
obviously a problem. Now it's the other way.

VW handled the coil packs., window regulators, etc poorly and has an
attitude of the consumer be da...d. They will not admit a mistake or
problem.

Great car, will buy another when the time comes.

Good luck.

As for the air bags, my daughter's Volvo hit a post in the parking lot
caused all air bags deploy. To replace the airbags, seat belts (internal
triggered also deploy) and electronic sensors are too expensive meaning the
car is totaled.

"Dermott" > wrote in message
om...
> A few more points:
> The car is great for crashes. Compare its weight to a similar
> competitor, it's heavier by about 15-20%. Great for crashes, the
> three airbags per person in the front really protect a person. The
> Chevy Blazer did not do as well as the VW Jetta. Neither driver was
> hurt however.
>
> Check with your insurance company, you may find liability somewhat
> cheaper for a Jetta than other comparable cars.
>
> If you're not a do-it-yourselfer, maintenance could be expensive.
>
> If there aren't good maintenance records for the car, don't buy it.
>
> CR was biased years ago towards VW's, I think because they were small
> cars - fuel economy, etc (environmentalists) long after VW's were
> obviously a problem. Now it's the other way.
>
> VW handled the coil packs., window regulators, etc poorly and has an
> attitude of the consumer be da...d. They will not admit a mistake or
> problem.
>
> Great car, will buy another when the time comes.
>
> Good luck.

Some Volvo's had an issue with low speed collisions where the bags should
not have deployed, your daughter might have been in such a vehicle (was it
an 850/S70 by any chance).

I know someone who was bumped in their brand new S70 (in 1998) and the
airbags all went... the car had 2000kms on it, so it wasn't a write off, it
was an embarrasing safety issue for Volvo back then - king of safety and
all.
"amty" > wrote in message
...
> As for the air bags, my daughter's Volvo hit a post in the parking lot
> caused all air bags deploy. To replace the airbags, seat belts (internal
> triggered also deploy) and electronic sensors are too expensive meaning
> the
> car is totaled.
>
> "Dermott" > wrote in message
> om...
>> A few more points:
>> The car is great for crashes. Compare its weight to a similar
>> competitor, it's heavier by about 15-20%. Great for crashes, the
>> three airbags per person in the front really protect a person. The
>> Chevy Blazer did not do as well as the VW Jetta. Neither driver was
>> hurt however.
>>
>> Check with your insurance company, you may find liability somewhat
>> cheaper for a Jetta than other comparable cars.
>>
>> If you're not a do-it-yourselfer, maintenance could be expensive.
>>
>> If there aren't good maintenance records for the car, don't buy it.
>>
>> CR was biased years ago towards VW's, I think because they were small
>> cars - fuel economy, etc (environmentalists) long after VW's were
>> obviously a problem. Now it's the other way.
>>
>> VW handled the coil packs., window regulators, etc poorly and has an
>> attitude of the consumer be da...d. They will not admit a mistake or
>> problem.
>>
>> Great car, will buy another when the time comes.
>>
>> Good luck.
>
>

Its 1994 Volvo 940.

My point is with all those airbags in the Jetta, too bad VW and others did
not have enough smart to let only the occupied air bags deploy.

"Rob Guenther" > wrote in message
.. .
> Some Volvo's had an issue with low speed collisions where the bags should
> not have deployed, your daughter might have been in such a vehicle (was it
> an 850/S70 by any chance).
>
> I know someone who was bumped in their brand new S70 (in 1998) and the
> airbags all went... the car had 2000kms on it, so it wasn't a write off,
it
> was an embarrasing safety issue for Volvo back then - king of safety and
> all.
> "amty" > wrote in message
> ...
> > As for the air bags, my daughter's Volvo hit a post in the parking lot
> > caused all air bags deploy. To replace the airbags, seat belts (internal
> > triggered also deploy) and electronic sensors are too expensive meaning
> > the
> > car is totaled.
> >
> > "

I believe that is how airbags work nowadays... I know many cars now have
weight sensors in the seats.
"amty" > wrote in message
...
> Its 1994 Volvo 940.
>
> My point is with all those airbags in the Jetta, too bad VW and others did
> not have enough smart to let only the occupied air bags deploy.
>
> "Rob Guenther" > wrote in message
> .. .
>> Some Volvo's had an issue with low speed collisions where the bags should
>> not have deployed, your daughter might have been in such a vehicle (was
>> it
>> an 850/S70 by any chance).
>>
>> I know someone who was bumped in their brand new S70 (in 1998) and the
>> airbags all went... the car had 2000kms on it, so it wasn't a write off,
> it
>> was an embarrasing safety issue for Volvo back then - king of safety and
>> all.
>> "amty" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > As for the air bags, my daughter's Volvo hit a post in the parking lot
>> > caused all air bags deploy. To replace the airbags, seat belts
>> > (internal
>> > triggered also deploy) and electronic sensors are too expensive meaning
>> > the
>> > car is totaled.
>> >
>> > "
>
>

Well, just bought the 2004 Jetta GL for $14K. Siliver color - that seems to
be hard to find, but black interior.

Should I get the extened warranty?

Anything I should do to check and care for the car?

Thank you'all very much.

More details on the car such as engine and transmission. How many
miles a year do you drive? Where do you live? Can you do any minor
repairs yourself? Have you gone to www.google.com and searched in this
group for this question? Have you discovered www.vwvortex.com ?

"amg" > wrote:

>Well, just bought the 2004 Jetta GL for $14K. Siliver color - that seems to
>be hard to find, but black interior.
>
>Should I get the extened warranty?
>
>Anything I should do to check and care for the car?
>
>Thank you'all very much.
>


Jim B.

yes, I post questions in vwvortex.com already.