From: javad@hplabsz.hpl.hp.com (Agha Javad)
Subject: Re: Jetta experiences (Was:Re: info on jetta)
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 18:25:29 GMT
Distribution: rec.autos.vw
Organization: Hewlett Packard 

In article <96y128a@rpi.edu> squiec@rs6408.ecs.rpi.edu (Craig L. Squier) writes:
>In article <wf2hDdi00iV3Q7esgZ@andrew.cmu.edu> Jason Paul Togyer <jt3y+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>>
>>The car has 40K on the clock.  To date, the paint has peeled off the
>>hood, the left headlight has fallen out of it's bracket, the
>>seat-belt/starter interlock has gone bad (making it a little difficult
>>to start the car at times), the back door refuses  to open, the back
>>door panel (inside) fell off, the door lock pull-up broke, the starter
>>fell out (yes, fell out), the computer needed replaced, the CV joint
>>dust seals went bad...and I could go on, but you get the idea.  It has
>>come home at least 3 times on the back of the garageman's wrecker. 
>>Thank God for the AAA.
>>
>>This is not a car that has been driven hard.  Oil changes at 3K,
>>Tune-ups twice a year, garage kept, regularly washed, all maintenance
>>intervals kept.  I might mention that the dealer that the car was
>>purchased from has proven inept, and all service has been done by a
>>local garage.  I might also mention that the only thing VWoA has been
>>willing to pay for thus far has been the paint on the hood and the
>>computer; their regional field service rep has told us to go pound salt
>>otherwise.  The so-called "extended warranty" is a cruel joke good only
>>for starting fires.  The BBB refuses to do anything because the car has
>>over 36K.  Anyone for a class action suit?  8-(
>>
>>Pluses:  The car is roomy, handles like a slot-car, gets great mileage,
>>drives nicely (shifts well, plenty of power), and has a large trunk.  
>>
>>Bottom line:  Will I ever buy another VW?  Not on your sweet life.  I'll
>>walk first.  Sorry to all the VW fans, but this car has been a real
>>disappointment.  It certainly hasn't lived up to the memories of the '70
>>Bug that was traded in on the Plymouth.  That car had some interesting
>>quirks, but it wasn't a lemon.
>>
>>Gee, I hope I don't sound too bitter!  8-}
>>
>>--Jason Togyer
>>     Carnegie Institute of Technology
>>     Pittsburgh, Penn.
>  THIS IS NOT A FLAME:
>    Jason's experience's don't mean that ALL Vw's are junk, they're 
>  definitely not. EVERY model of car has it's bad ones. Jason seems to have 
>  gotten one of these "Monday " or "Friday" cars. His pluses seem  to be
>  the norm for VW's as well. I feel bad that he's been disenchanted by
>  VW's wonderful cars. VWG has complained themselves about the lack
>  of customer service by VWoA. My experiences show, however, that VW's
>  are an excellently engineered car for the money, and that the reliability
>  -type maintenance(things that keep you from driving your car) is 
>  excellent on these cars, regardless of how inept VWoA is. The thing that
>  hurts me most is not that VW is losing face, but that VW is losing
>  customers who probably would have bought a VW again if the customer
>  service types had been cooler. Sorry Jason, maybe after your GM or 
>  RIce-burner does the same thing you'll come back to VW again.
>  ONCE AGAIN, THESE ARE MY OPINIONS, NO FLAMES PLEASE>
>  Any reasonable comments are cool, however.... :)
> LATER                                                -Craig
>
>
>
I would just like to point out here (as I have in the past) that I have
a 90 1/2 GLI which I absolutley love, and at the time I bought it it was
VW's top of the line car except possibly the Corrado G60, and yes it is
made in Germany.  I have maintained it regularly, have all the records,
use only Chevron Supreme Unleaded with Autobahn gas treatment every 3rd
or 4th fill up, castrol 20W-50 every 2.5-3k, etc.  Yet, I am on my 3rd
distributor, 4th EGR valve, 2nd computer, 2nd set of knock sensors, 2nd
water pump, 2nd oxygen sensor (all under warranty), and my turn signal relay
died right at the end of my warranty, and I paid 70 bucks to fix it.  It
has had idling problems, including stalling between downshifts while going
35 mph on a San Francisco street uphill, for two periods of time up until
now, and now it has 46k miles on it.  (I'm just waiting for something to
blow right at 50k when my warranty expires!).  Incidentally, the warranty is
shorter than most of the competition as well.  So basically, I am COMPLETELY
dissatisfied with this car's reliability, and I am always anticipating another
headache.  My friends with Hondas never have such problems.  My roommate,e.g.,
has an 87 Prelude si with 106k, never any problem, not even clutch replaced,
and timing belt replacement interval for him was 90k, and his car runs better
than mine! Everytime I go my VW dealer for service (if anyone has good 
recommendations for a service place, I would be grateful) I see other people
in the same boat, e.g. 90 GTI's on their 3rd tranny, CV joints gone after 20k,
idling problems galore, you name it.  So I think it is fair to say (and
consumer reports will agree as well) that VW has come a long way (downhill)
in its reliability, and it just is not the trouble free car it used to be,
which really sucks.  My brother's 84 Scirocco lived in Boston for 7 years,
had 160k on it, his clutch changed at 150k (and he drived it hard!), didn't
have one bit of rust on it, and was perfect, only reason he sold it is he
left the country.  I was hoping for the same experience when I bought my GLI,
but I didn't have such luck.

But you know what?  I still wouldn't drive anything else! (Maybe a GTI 16V,
or a Corrado VR6).  Am I crazy, or what?

I'm curious about other people's experiences.

Javad


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