2008 Jetta S, So Far So Good
I write when things are bad so I decided to write when things are good.
Traded in my 2002 Jetta 1.8 because CPO warranty was up and no way could I afford to pay for repairs every few months. I was shopping lease rates, what I was offered on trade, and the cars in similar price range.
Financially VW won hands down. Perhaps VW is in need of sales. I walked out of dealer with a check for my trade equal to thousands more than offers at other manufacturers. (There was a VW loyalty program for previous owners too) The lease itself was literally sign and drive. VW makes the first payment, plus the lease payments came out about $40 month less per month than comparable cars. (Yeah, I chose lease in case things went bad.)
Product wise, I know car comparisons come down to personal taste and not much out there will start a faster Internet debate. Let’s just say I looked at typical class comparables: Civic, Mazda 3, Sentra, and even the Elantra. I stuck with VW for safety*, fit and finish and frankly – to me – it feels more substantial than some on the list. Others were ruled out because the finances were too off base. FYI Honda dealer was most aggressive and it was real close. Mazda was so off base that I felt like calling the dealer after to tell them how bad their sale rep was. Nissan was fine – but I have had many Nissan. (*Call me a hypocrite for previous post whereby I condemn VW for advertising safety without mentioning safety consideration of being left on the side of the road out of State.)
I went pretty basic 2008 Jetta S, manual trans. After my 1.8 GLS I guess I like the “”zen-nes”" of basic. Or perhaps coupled with fear that too many extras can truly mean too many things could go wrong. (In this modern era that outdated statement can only be resurrected in thanks to VW gen IV. I mean no Honda owner claps their hands when they push the window button and the glass opens. Only a VW owner smiles a sigh of relief when their input is answered with a sunroof actually sliding back, seats actually heating, or idiot lights going off after ignition).
The 2008 VW is solid, gone are the flexing and creaks of the previous generation. It has something like 8 airbags, a huge trunk, and a back seat for real adults. In retrospect with gas prices on their way to $5, I would have gone with the Civic. Had anyone been able to give me an answer on when the TDI’s will actually be here I may have waited for that too. It’s only been about 1,500 miles on my 2008 Jetta S but so far, so good. Again only a VW owner would bother posting praise for something that in 2008 should be a non-issue. (My car works past 1000 miles – yay!)
About my 2002: It was a CPO car and I had ownership from 40,000 to 70,000 miles. Built in Mexico the original sticker for the 1.8T GLS was over $24K – that’s a ton of money for a car that could not make it past 40,000 miles without stopping at VW or anywhere else on the side of the road. Cosmetically I can be a bit obsessive about a car’s appearance. At 70K my ‘02 VW looked great I could have sold it privately and made more money but no way was I going to dump it on some young person.
About my 2000 Jetta TDI, I was told it was one of the last from VW Germany. I commuted about 80 miles a day with it and never had a single problem. For life changing reasons I sold it with about 45,000 miles.
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Rueben Said,
May 28, 2008 @ 9:44 am
Big Mistake – Choosing a VW over a Honda, Mazda, and Nissan was a BIG mistake.
I had a Honda Accord EX V6 that was 5k miles over warranty and the transmission went out. Honda replaced it for FREE. Has there EVER been a story like that involving VW?
Had a Mazda MX-6 before my Accord. Never a problem for 75k miles.
My wife drives a Nissan Murano – Zero problems.
My Passat 3.6 – Out 45 days in less than two years.
Capitalism will weed VW out eventually; but for the consumer’s sake, I wish someone would help show VW the door.
YupOldBull Said,
May 31, 2008 @ 5:56 am
Really made a Big Mistake….. – I have had a few dozen vehicles over the years. (both company and personal)
You name it….MG,GM’s,Dodge,Volvo’s,Toyota’s,Saab,Honda’s,VW’s….etc.
A Toyota or Honda would have been a much better choice.
Our 2002 Camry (85k) has had zero issues.
Click on my profile (below YupOldBull) to see the problems with our 2000 Jetta.
“”We pick the Lemons…..you get the plums”"
Edited by YupOldBull on 05/31/08 at 5:57 PM
Edited by YupOldBull on 05/31/08 at 5:58 PM
Edited by YupOldBull on 05/31/08 at 5:59 PM
filmore Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 8:13 am
2008 – I just purchased the same car (Jetta S 5sp) I really like the car it’s fun to drive.
I agree with you on your post. Have you had any other problems with the car? This is my first VW in a long… long time. I was going to get the sport wagen, but the trunk was big enough for what I wanted to haul, and it was out of sight to boot. I’ve only got 275 miles on it and was wondering what to expect down the road. Did I make a bad call? Thanks….
Edited by filmore on 06/23/08 at 8:15 PM
filmore Said,
June 23, 2008 @ 8:16 am
2008 Jetta – I just purchased the same car (Jetta S 5sp) I really like the car it’s fun to drive.
I agree with you on your post. Have you had any other problems with the car? This is my first VW in a long… long time. I was going to get the sport wagen, but the trunk was big enough for what I wanted to haul, and it was out of sight to boot. I’ve only got 275 miles on it and was wondering what to expect down the road. Thanks….
peterd1965 Said,
July 1, 2008 @ 7:33 am
2008 Jetta S – 2,200 miles all OK – So far so good no problems at 2200 miles. I’ll check in again at 5K. My only complaint is that I find this car has pretty big blind spots compared to the old Jetta, then again it’s a bigger car. Gas mileage is as stated on the Monroney. … these days that’ll never be good enough.
filmore Said,
July 7, 2008 @ 8:29 am
2008 Jetta S – 2,200 miles all OK – I just hit 700 miles on mine no problems yet. Is your car a little noisy when you first start it up? I started mine up and got out to listen and it kind of made a whining noise for a minute and then it was quiet. I have heard this before… (somebody chime in please.) These cars seem to warm up pretty fast. My temp gauge reads 160 after about 3 minutes.
filmore Said,
July 7, 2008 @ 8:33 am
2008 Jetta S – 2,200 miles all OK – I just hit 700 miles on mine no problems yet. Is your car a little noisy when you first start it up? I started mine up and got out to listen and it kind of made a whining noise for a minute and then it was quiet. I have heard this before… (somebody chime in please.) These cars seem to warm up pretty fast. My temp gauge reads 160 after about 3 minutes.
filmore Said,
July 8, 2008 @ 8:53 am
double posts – I only posted once?????????????????
peterd1965 Said,
July 31, 2008 @ 11:16 am
Noise – Sorry for delay. Yes, my car is a bit rough sounding (5cyl) when it starts. Have read that in mags too. But it warms up pretty quickly and you can see the RPM’s drop after a couple minutes. Then it’s smooth. Still liking it just fine almost 4,000 Miles
peterd1965 Said,
August 26, 2008 @ 10:17 am
5000 Mile Service – All Good – 2008 Jetta S – just took it into for first service. All good. Liking this car just fine.
filmore Said,
October 8, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
Hey I’m back.. approaching the 4000 mile marker. Had to take the car back to VW to fix a broken wire on the trunk release on the door panel. Other than that no problems. I’m getting around 25 to 27 mpg around town. Have not taken this car for a long road trip yet, so I’m still looking to see what the real highway mpg is. 5000 mile service coming up soon. Did you take the car to the dealer to have it serviced? I’ve heard some outrageous (sp) stories about how much they want for an oil change…
peterd1965 Said,
October 26, 2008 @ 9:03 am
Hi filmore – sorry for the delay.
OK I am about 6600 miles and all has been great with my Jetta S, 5 speed. Averaging 24.7 mpg but that would be mostly around town. My highway drive is really more of a parking lot so it’s hard to judge. I did take one highway trip and got 29.6 mpg.
Went to my VW dealer for first service 5000 miles, $81.47 plus tax. Broke down like this $19.95 labor, $56.54 parts, $3.00 Env fee, $1.98 supplies.
Parts broke down like this, $33.29 for oil, $17.09 for filter, $0.94 Washer, $5.52 Rain Repel (what’s rain repel)
Price seems very fair to me. Granted prices for oil and filter are a bit of a shock if comparing to changing oil on an old American car years ago, however these prices are inline with parts bought at local auto parts store.
filmore Said,
February 5, 2009 @ 6:47 pm
8000 and still going
peterd1965 Said,
February 6, 2009 @ 7:37 pm
Good to hear filmore. I just had my 10,000 mile service today. Oil change and rotate tires, fluid check etc. Total with tax etc. was $167.55 I guess these are modern times and modern prices, either that or we’re paying for those that get service for free with 2009’s. But I do really like the car but would curious how this compare to other manufacturers. I did get free new wipers because I only had my car 10 months, OK but I think I can count the times on my fingers and toes that I’ve used my wipers.
Part of my service they gave me inspection for things that may need more looking at next time. ‘next time’ will be in about 6 months or 15,000. The sheet points out that my CV boots/joints may need attention as may my front end linkage, struts, exhaust, brake lines and my fuel tank cap…huh…what. Maybe this sheet means they just need to inspect these next time. Their is no way any of this stuff would need repair for a long long time. Rather confusing. Other than that rep suggested I should give a 10 when VW calls me, anything less than a 10 is bad for them he said. Um OK, hey VW what’s the point of this type of survey. On a different topic… Damn that CC is a nice looking car – WOW. Can I get it in diesel?
kenn2.0 Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 7:55 am
I know you’re only getting the Mk5 “Corolla” Jettas but in Canada we can still buy the Mk4 “City” Jetta and Golf. The best part is they come stripped down so you can avoid all the expensive to repair rubbish. We opted out of A/C – I live in Toronto where it gets really hot for about two weeks. No cruise control, no drop-into-the-doors power windows, trouble-free manual gearbox. The only problem was the power sunroof – motor replaced under warranty.
Other than the sunroof we’ve had no problems whatsoever. The 2.slow is a good workhorse motor; I keep the oil changed, I wash it every weekend, and drive sanely so I’m not riding the brakes because I’m riding someone’s bumper.
I’ve owned a 79 GTI, a 90 Jetta, 07 “City” Jetta and I’m fixing up my 92 Jetta with a 95 ABA 2.0 and VR6 5-lug wheels. All my VW’s have lasted more than 500,000 Km’s with very little repairs needed – but most have been German built / Canadian spec so maybe we get better cars here. Dunno.
peterd1965 Said,
May 14, 2009 @ 12:34 pm
13,000 Miles, 13 months of ownership, no problems. 2008 Jetta S doing fine. 25 mpg lifetime avg.
filmore Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 5:48 pm
Hey all, Car has had no problems yet, other than the trunk release switch which still does not work. 15,000 miles and taking it in this week for service. 10,000 mile service cost me $130 this time I’m hoping to be $70 for the oil change and whatever else they do. I’ve been reading a lot of complaints about the rear brakes going out at 14,000 any input on that?
peterd1965 Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 8:39 pm
New job has me driving less. Had 3rd service (15K service) the other day. Actually only have 14k miles, about 16 months ownership. Basically oil change, total was $84. Car has been trouble free, no issues at all.
filmore Said,
December 7, 2009 @ 8:15 pm
20,000 no problems other than the trunk release-fuel door switch fell into the door panel. Called the 1-800 number in the owners manual and had to have the car towed to the dealer.
(no cost to me) VW fixed it and had the car back the next day.
20,000 mile service was $198 after the 10% off coupon the dealer sent. Oil change, tire rotation, inspection, and new cabin filter. Brakes checked out fine and no other problems where found.
Next service at 30k. so they say…
peterd1965 Said,
January 17, 2010 @ 7:22 pm
Had my 20,000 miles service the other day (actual miles is 17,800. Missed the December coupon. Wow, $342. Service itself was $198, but parts were $111, supplies $10, tax & env fee. Looks like same service Filmore had.
Car has been great, no problems, average about 25 MPG, lots of town and short trips. 32.4 MPG was my highest highway.
peterd1965 Said,
August 12, 2010 @ 6:43 pm
22,000 miles noticed rattle from passenger side near glove box or dashboard. Got worse and worse as the summer temperature rose. Summer may have been a coincidence. Googled the symptoms and all results pointed to Recirculation Flap Motor 1K0 907 511 C. Brought it to dealer they came to same conclusion and replaced under warranty.
Ironically many years ago I had an ‘89 Audi 200 with a vent issue. Google “Recirculation Flap Motor ” why do results generate VW,Audi, Saab, BMW?
filmore Said,
August 19, 2010 @ 3:17 pm
48000 miles and no major problems. took it in to day for 40K service. Replace plugs, filters (cabin and air) inspection, tire rotation, and fluid top off. $430 Dealer said everything else was fine. Brakes are a little soft though, that will be next. I drive the the car 200 to 300 miles a day and it seems to be hanging in there. Mileage seems to be getting better around 34 on the freeway. And for some reason if your not going 75 your in the way.