2004 Volkswagen Jetta Consumer Reviews
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
I miss this car sooo much. It was fun to drive, it was dependable, it was fast and it was sooo fun to drive. I had the car for 9 years and I regret selling it. It never gave me any issues and was only in the shop for regular maintenance. It was six speeds of highway bliss. It made me better looking. It made me funnier. It made me sexy.
VS
Critical Review
My parents purchased a 2002 Jetta GL for me as a first car due to its high safety rating. I would agree that it's a very safe car and I'm not ashamed to be seen driving it. It's heavy, which is nice for me as I do a lot of driving in wet weather and in six years I have yet to hydroplane or skid out. Plus it has plenty of airbags and a solid frame. The brakes are responsive, it accelerates reasonably quickly, and it handles surprisingly well for an entry-level subcompact. Even a decade old it's still a fun car to drive and I love driving a car that's nimble. But this is not a car to own out of warranty, especially not at the base model. The engine has given me nothing but grief, which is why I'm getting rid of it. I had to rebuild the transmission about three years ago and the engine is beginning to break down so I have to add oil pretty regularly. And now the oil warning light doesn't come on until my car is completely dry, which means that I have to check the oil weekly or I run the risk of driving on a dry engine and causing it to seize. The mechanic I take my car to has told me that it's common for the motors on Jettas to go after about 175K miles, at which point the engine needs to be rebuilt or replaced. Also, as it's an older car, it has a timing belt instead of a timing chain and if you lose the timing belt, you lose the engine. The timing belt needs to be replaced around 90-100K, so if you're looking at purchasing an older Jetta, be sure to ask whether the timing belt has been replaced. The fuel economy is nothing special, I find that I get about 15-17 mpg in city and I can bump it to about 20-22 if I'm doing mostly highway driving. Speaking of highway driving, here's another place the car's weight comes in handy. The car stays pretty steady even in heavy winds. Overall this car is good for a beginner driver or someone who's pretty handy with cars, but if you're looking to keep this car into the 100K mile range and you need a car that you aren't going to have to worry about, I would recommend looking elsewhere.
2004 Jetta Reviews
Showing 8 of 1,525 reviews.
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My car broke down 20 minutes after I bought it just paid 3k for it. Limped it's way to a mechanic shop costed 350 for a mass air flow sensor next month broke down again needed spark plug wires 450 went good for another month left me stranded the clutch burnt out 1000 dollars and now after 2 days out of the shop check engine light again I've owned plenty of cars 2014 Dodge charger ran the best n hardest with least maintenance from my experience I'd go American or Japanese I've owned Honda's 90s they run the best but German engineering is a big no for me their cheap made cars this one specifically stay away from jettas can't wait to sell this car after I fix this problem
We have the TDI, ran it on biodiesel for a few early years, now diesel. Gets over 40 miles to the gallon, runs great. Reliable.
I really recommend the car to a friend Good gas saver Lot a space for the family East to drive and handle
Fun to drive, great on fuel, reliable, nice seats
Unreliable air conditioner
This car was given to me after it was used for 17 years by two others, it has served them well with no need for unexpected repairs or breakdoen across 150k miles, the only Problem I have with it is that it's ac does not function, other than that, it gets excellent mileage and has never had a problem despite inconsistent servicing.
Small
Small
I purchased this model with 100,000 mile on it and it has served me 11 years… some fixes along the way but very sturdy!
Diesel perhaps one of the most fuel efficient cars
Automatic transmissions were known to have issues
I've owned 3 Jettas. All 5 speed diesels. You'll get 44-52 mpg hwy consistently! Farfenügen is the German word they use meaning "fun to drive." It's nimble and never let me down. This generation of diesel engines is perhaps the most reliable engine ever made by Volkswagen. Very few mechanical problems. Great in town and highway driver. I actually invested in engine upgrades to give it 165 horse power as compared to the 90 stock horse power. Awesome investment! Maintaining them has been very minimal. Simple things is all they ever needed in 7 years of owning one & driving 10s of thousands of miles.. A great first car or for a seasoned driver. Automatics did have some known issues however.
Good car
Old car
Reliable
Fuel mileage
Avoid the automatic
My first car and it was absolutely perfect. Great fuel mileage, cheap on insurance, safe, rides great, and reliable, not to mention its a very beautiful car that isn't your standard boring civic or camry. 220,000 miles and the engine is still strong. The only advice I can give is to buy the manual, you'll appreciate it in the long run.
