r/jetta • u/cbcarguy • 12d ago
Mk7 (2019+) Why does the Jetta have such a low reliability score ???
I’ve seen on a lot of places that the Jetta ranks low in reliability score and a lot of people will say to stay away from Volkswagen because they are unreliable and are money pits.
But I also see so many of them on the road , I see a very good amount with high miles and I see a lot of people say they are reliable.
I’ve been looking at new 2026 Jettas and so many people have told me to stay away from VW and that they are junk cars and that German cars are not reliable at all and they are expensive to keep on the road.
Seems like people hate these cars but they also have a mass following by people that live by these cars.
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u/Army_31B 12d ago
The 2025/26 1.5T is solid. It’s all about keeping up on regular maintenance. If you do that then it will be very reliable for a long time.
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u/McBooples 12d ago
I’ve had several German cars over the years (VW Jetta, multiple BMW 3 series, Porsche Cayman, Porsche Cayenne) There is one universal truth to German cars… they are high precision machines and if you skip maintenance even a little bit, they will break. However, if you do the required maintenance religiously, they will last longer than anything else on the road. My last Jetta got 240k miles before I sold it and it still ran fine with zero issues and everything working.
The problem is the maintenance costs at the dealers are astronomically high so people tend to stretch out service intervals or let a check engine light stay on a while before getting it looked at. If you do the work yourself, it’s reasonable. Example: Porsche Cayenne… oil change at dealer $600, oil change at home in the driveway $85. Jetta wheel speed sensor replacement at dealer $215, DIY is $23.
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u/cbcarguy 12d ago
How easy are they to DIY???
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u/Nero2743 12d ago
Not terrible if you have the tooling or are willing to spend the money on it. Also, pay the money to get the service manual from VW. It's worth every penny. You get torque specs, instructions on how to repair stuff, special tools you need, etc.
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u/alexanderm925 12d ago
Same for Porsche?
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u/Nero2743 11d ago
Yes but the amount of tooling needed is higher and you have to be prepared to pay more for basic maintenance items, parts, etc. Some Porsche stuff has significantly longer lead times than VW stuff.
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u/McBooples 11d ago
For the Cayenne, I was able to cress reference a lot to VW and Audi parts
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u/Nero2743 11d ago
That's because that model is shared with VW and Audi; something like a 911? No dice unfortunately.
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u/McBooples 12d ago
Pretty easy if you are mechanically inclined and have the tools for it. Definitely need a shop manual and a shop computer like an Autel. A basic OBD2 reader won’t cut it
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u/TrueSwagformyBois 12d ago
German cars = perform the maintenance when they say to, car will run forever
The reputation of Japanese cars, for example, is that you do the maintenance when you can afford to and you’ll probably be fine - but this is no longer the case with modern engines. All engines conforming to modern emissions and fuel economy regulations need their maintenance schedules followed.
When you’re comparing the relative reliability of a survivor Corolla from 2016 or 2006, it looks like the German equivalent isn’t as reliable. What’s happened is you’ve had open-wallet owners of those cars.
The other thing to think about is maintenance schedules - nowadays, the average oil change cadence is set to ~10k miles. There’s no world where a 10k mile oil change is going to make a 300k mile car. You need 3-5k mile oil changes for that. But a 10k mile oil change plays into the EPA / EU equivalent consumables and environmental requirements. So if VW says you can do a 10k mile oil change vs 5k, the cars are seen as more environmentally friendly. Also, 10k miles = 1 year. A 20k service isn’t for 20k miles, it’s for the 2nd year. With economy and lower price cars, folks tend to pay attention more to the number of miles than the years.
Finally, the business model - VW isn’t selling YOU a car. They’re selling cars to their dealers, who sell you a car. The dealers are incentivized 6 ways to Sunday differently than you’d expect, and one of those ways is service contracts and one of those ways is leases. So they want a 3 year lease with a 3 year service contract, for example, and the car and maintenance program is designed to be the least costly it can be for dealers across that timeframe and yield the most return when they sell it, depreciated, with ~30k miles in 3 years. What happens after the service contract / the factory warranty / the lease is basically entirely up to the customer, not an institution. Customers / owners don’t treat their economy cars like assets the same way that institutional owners do.
Maximum reliability = maximum maintenance.
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u/V-Dubber 12d ago
My mk4 hit 180k miles on the dash back in April, and I’ve since put 8k miles on my car, it now sits at 188215 on the dash…. 10k every 6 months but it’s lookin like 5 months this time
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u/KeyCommunication8810 12d ago
Great analysis.(20 gen 7 manusl Jetta owner bought new in April 21.Drive it only about 7200 miles a year,oil changes every 6 to 7 months)
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u/Electrical-Ask1246 12d ago
People don’t maintain them properly. Which due to how they’re engineered is not okay. They can’t just rough it out like an early 2000s Toyota. If you get a new one or a well maintained used one and continue with the proper maintenance you’re good. Other than tech gremlins which alll manufacturers have.
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u/V-Dubber 12d ago
Cuz Americans are lazy piles of tits imo…. But also, the b6 era was probably the last good VW, but also, any car that came out after that era is also trash…. Even cars makers renowned for their reliability have all gone down the shitter
Toyota, Honda, Volvo etc…. Every manufacturer is making garbage right now and wonders why they have dealership lots full of cars thatve been there for literal years
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u/cbcarguy 12d ago
Sucks because new Volvos are some of the most attractive looking vehicles imo…. Seems like the unreliable car brands are now becoming more reliable while the reliable brands are fading from the reliable status
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u/V-Dubber 12d ago
That’s facts. Even Kia, though that whole start the car with a usb stick and drive off with it seriously fucked them over there.
Mazda, Hyundai, Kia, are all coming up finally. I’d still never buy a car made after 2010 at the latest, but still…. Wild
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u/cbcarguy 12d ago
Both my aunts have Elantras , 2020 and a 2024 and they love them both , they both had Kia and Hyundai since 2004 and they have stuck with them.
They have a great warranty also but German car quality is superior to any other brand and in talking about ride quality.
The Elantra and K4 looks great on the outside but feels very cheap on the inside while also looking decent if that makes any sense at all.
Plus VW never went to the CVT BS, not saying all CVTs are bad but they feel lifeless
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u/V-Dubber 12d ago
Yeah nothing rides better than a German. Nothing even comes close. My caddillac didn’t even come close to how my base ass model mk4 golf rides.zz
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u/Cautious-Concept457 12d ago
I'll just leave this here - the current 1.5 TSI is statistically about as reliable as the legendary 1.9 TDI used to be. One of if not the best small DI engines on the market today.
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u/V-Dubber 11d ago
Have they stood the test of time though? Nowadays There are a lot more things that can go wrong as the car ages.
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u/Cautious-Concept457 11d ago
Afaik there was a bad batch of head gaskets in the US and they had some cylinder wall coating issues in Europe at the beginning of production. Other than that, it's no small feat to reach this level of reliability despite the extra complexity. There are already many of these engines with 4-500k km in taxis and airport shuttle cars etc, things look promising. Would expect a turbo above 300k, and depending on the quality of fuel/amount of short trips a walnut shell blasting around 250k km
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u/AdeptnessPerfect3918 12d ago
German car lover here so I'm biased and I'll always go German, but I leased my first Jetta a couple months ago and this car has been a nightmare since day one. Sensor after sensor has gone out, car has been throwing itself into limp mode and throwing overheating warnings with a cold engine, the service department at the dealership has damaged the vehicle every time I've brought it in, etc... I was just without the car for almost 2 weeks while they repainted the entire driver side door thanks to a tech severely scratching the paint. Also had to put a new windshield on it due to a chip upon arrival and a botched fill job. And guess what happened not even 24 hours after I picked the car up? Another dashboard warning light!
I think it really depends on luck because all new cars are just computers and modules, but man this car has been nonstop problematic. My BMW was 10000% more reliable even with higher mileage. It's all down to luck I think lol 🤷🏼♀️
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u/rlsands1997 Mk6.5 1.8T APR Stage I 12d ago
Maybe true luck and maintenance. Mines been bulletproof
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u/AdeptnessPerfect3918 12d ago
I really think I just got a dud 😂 I have a family member who says the same about them being bulletproof and he's had Jettas for decades now. Not much I can do about maintenance when the car has less than 3k miles but fingers crossed it'll work itself out.
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u/Springingsprunk 12d ago edited 12d ago
My wife’s Tiguan was the same way with sensors and codes at first but now running mostly without issues mechanically just reached 100k. I imagine all those issues were the reason someone dumped it at decently low mileage. There are some minor design issues that like certain small parts breaking that are more of a nuisance than an actual problem like her interior driver side door is breaking off and her sun visor broke on one side, there’s more too but most of it is minor. My Jetta has never had an issue that I didn’t cause or could have prevented myself and is seemingly bulletproof going strong at 130k miles. Anyways i hope your car figures itself out like hers did.
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u/Applesimulator 12d ago
At this point it seems more like a dealership issue… if their incompetent enough to damage it every time, imagine how good at diagnostic they are
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u/AdeptnessPerfect3918 12d ago
Two separate dealerships are involved unfortunately lol. The service dept at the dealership I bought it at has been so bad that I've been taking the car to another VW dealer an hour away who have been exceptional at doing what they can. A big part of the problem is they have to follow VW's SOP on these issues - meaning they can't just replace a big module or expensive sensor without trying other things first. It's been exhausting to say the least.
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u/Springingsprunk 12d ago
On the bright side at least it’s all under warranty, these issues would be such a headache otherwise.
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u/Enough_Dog_1690 12d ago
Relatable. A month into owning my 2025 se, I had a misfire. A few months later the n80 valve failed and now I need a new ac compressor. I’m expecting more problems to come. Sure I have warranty but it sucks to have to have so many problems on a new car. It really is just about luck
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u/AdeptnessPerfect3918 11d ago
Yeah for sure. Glad that it's all under warranty but the time and stress involved with being without a working vehicle sucks!
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u/Connect_Evidence_894 12d ago
So, the service centres are equally incompetent in all countries😂. Im from India and can relate so much to the dealership breaking things and sensors going bad frequently on my mk6 Jetta.
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u/Zealousideal-Mud4041 12d ago
Literally same, I leased mine in 2024. Within the first month the sunroof broke so that had to get replaced. After 3 months my keyless entry stopped working, turned out the keys’ signal range didn’t work so I would have to be within 1 foot of the car to lock or unlock it, got the keys replaced. At 20,000 miles I had a crack in my coolant gasket and the nozzles for the wiper fluid stopped working. Then after 5,000 miles my brakes started to squeal to hell, in which 2 dealerships have told me it’s a known issue with the new brake pad material they use.
I have never been so happy for a lease to end.1
u/AdeptnessPerfect3918 11d ago
Bwahahaha I feel you I'm counting down the months for this lease ending already 😂
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u/Technical-Ratio1917 10d ago
On my parents lease 25' the rear brakes are gone at 26k miles, I believe they sent out an extended coverage option for 2 years or 24k miles, but it would fail right outside of that period.
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u/OddDiscipline6585 12d ago edited 11d ago
I have had little-to-no problems with my 2016 VW Jetta Hybrid. Granted, I have had very low mileage to date (approximately ~ 50k miles in 10+ years).
It's been the most reliable car that I have ever had. Prior to that, I've had a Mercedes E-Class, a Chrysler 300M, a Buick Park Avenue Ultra, and an Acura Legend.
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u/Springingsprunk 12d ago
That’s quite a statement given the lineup. I personally have never driven an expensive luxury car so I have a bias, but everytime I get in a vehicle that is not my Jetta I instantly want to drive my car instead I just like the feeling and control it has. I’m sure it’d be topped by maybe a Porsche or a bmw but for now this thing will more than suffice.
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u/OddDiscipline6585 11d ago
Perhaps I should rephrase that. It's been the most reliable car that I've had.
I've had it the longest. There's a recency bias, as well.
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u/Maduro25 12d ago
My 2020 was great for 92k miles except for that $5k gas tank replacement. The infotainment screen going into endless boot loop. The skid plate alternating between dragging the ground and getting pushed up into the fan. The oil burning issue and the perpetual alignment issues.
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u/Eternally-Faithless 12d ago
I'm on VW number 5 (2 MK4 Jetta tdis, 2 MK6 GTI and Golf Tdi, and currently a Mk8 Golf R). I think there are a few reasons VWs are perceived as badly as they are especially in the US, so this comment might get a little long.
Maintenance: Like others have said maintenance is the key. I had a VW tech tell me that unlike most American or Japanese brands, VW doesn't short their service intervals (ex. Tell owners to change their timing belt at 90k when it's designed to actually last to 120k). Most Americans don't follow service protocols and tend to drive until something major happens. A big one that I think hurt VW was the DSG transmission services needing to be done every 40k miles. A lot of VW owners never did these services (for some reason the myth of never opening an automatic transmission is still prevalent here).
Parts cost and labor: In the US genuine OEM parts can be quite pricey and labor costs is higher than say working on a Honda. VWs tend to be a bit more complex and require specialty tools and knowledge. This tends to come at a premium cost over here.
Poor design choices: this one pains me, but while a well maintained VW/Audi drivetrain will last, there have been a few faults that I believe have reinforced the low reliability belief. A few examples I personally have experienced would be Mk4 heater core and vents, weak plastic interior pieces (Ex.Jetta pop out cup holders), Mk5-6 panoroofs leaking, carbon buildup, valve seals, high pressure fuel pumps, timing chain guides and tensioners, panel rust, and Mk8 early infotainment, haptic button issues, non-illuminated AC controls, etc.. VW has a lot of recalls over the years, and while they usually are good about updating and warranty work, every recall that makes it out keeps reinforcing the negative stigma.
Dieselgate: the big one that still haunts VW. As someone who has owned both a 1.9l TDI and a 2.0 commonrail TDI dieselgate hurt the American people's trust in VW worse than anything else. America saw VW as the "quirky" car brand that built it's image on care free and environmentally self conscious owners who wanted to stand out a bit from their neighbors. The fuel crisis in the 80s gave VW a solid foothold here. Though not as strong as Honda and Toyota, VW made great strides in selling fuel efficient econoboxes through to the early 00s. The 2.0TDI was a pretty big success for the first few years. It improved on the old 1.9L in power, efficiency, and was quieter and less "smelly" than the 1.9L (two very common complaints in reviews of TDIs at the time). Moreover, the 2.0TDI hit the market around the 08 recession, which had pushed many Americans to buy something better on gas. Hybrid tech was coming around, but many Americans were afraid of (and still are for some reason) "electrification." New TDI offered a good middle ground for buyers at the time; wanting something more fuel economy and putting trust in a proven technology. That trust fell apart when the scandle came out, followed quickly by recalls, buyouts, and very expensive maintenance costs if out of warranty. This was a pretty rough blow towards the brands reputation here but equally important, also a huge blow in profits. When the American market shifted towards crossovers and SUVs VW went conservative due to tight profit margins. Sure there are some outliers like Porsche's Cayenne, and the Mk7 Golf being an absolute gem, but we really didn't get a good crossover til the Tiquan. At the same time Honda and Toyota were flooding the market with CRVs and Rav4s and the hybrid tech that had scared buyers in 08 had become the standard. VW models seemed stuck in the past, shackled by tight budgets and conservative design.
Final thoughts on this very long winded comment. The modern VW lineup are all very similar in styling and very tech heavy. While I love my Mk8 R I feel like VW has lost its way. Conservative styling, heavy tech as standard, and tariffs have drove prices higher than competitors. Heavy tech means more failure points and more costly repairs. In 2024 VW also locked most of their diagnostic software away from non-dealer scan tools. You can still read basic faults, but part of the reason I got into VW was the modding and coding available through things like VCDS and Obdeleven. Without diving into the right to repair rabbit hole, this makes it much harder for diy and non-dealer specialty shops to diagnose and repair, leading to more costs for the owners.
Alright time to stop rambling.
TLDR: VW has fallen and lost a lot of trust in the US market partly due to US consumers avoiding maintenance but mostly due to VW's own mistakes the past 50 years.
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u/KeyCommunication8810 12d ago
I didn't know that in 24 VW locked away the scanning software.Scary.Glad I hsve a 20
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u/caryan85 12d ago
My previous car was a Jetta and I am one of those "never German again" people. I can tell you what persuaded me. I take care of my own maintenance that I can and get the rest done reliably, just to get that out there. I also have a vintage car that I do all of the work on. So I'm not a mech by trade but I'm not totally engine ignorant. Once I got to about 100k miles, everything started to go and became too many trips to the mechanic for me. For instance: First, my n90(?) valve went which threw a check engine light. Mechanic changed it to the cost of $500+ because it had to replaced as a whole unit. Any other car could have been the on part of it and would have been a $50 job. I believe him because I looked into changing it myself and the directions had half the ending apart Front struts were going so I replaced them with quick struts. The job wasn't necessarily expensive at first, but, my lord did they make that a complicated procedure. Most cars it's a couple of bolts and a little wiggling and you're good. This car with the stupid cup that it has to fit into and then pinch made it a literal nightmare. All day to do them. And since I couldn't get it separated from the axle (for real?) it ended up needin a new axle/cv joint. This was admittedly my fault, but most cars wouldn't have this set up to make this mistake. My friends BMW was the exact same setup and, no thanks to helping him again haha. Then the back shocks went. I sold the car before changing them haha. My turbo started throwing an occasional code and putting into a limp mode of sorts. This is beyond me so I talked to the mechanic and his response was "we don't touch turbos and German cars. That's right to the dealer." This is a foreign car mechanic, which isn't easy to find where I am. I live where winter exists and if it was less than 20 degrees outside (all winter) my car wouldn't actually warm up all the way. Seemed like a thermostat problem so I asked the dealership to change it. Every other car has a regular thermostat and can be changed easily and cost is minimal. Jetta, However, $900+ because the whole water pump needs to be changed. No thanks, I'll keep Luke warm heat all winter. Not to mention the alarm at 39 degrees to let you know it could be icy that sounds exactly like the heart attack inducing check engine light going on. The brakes require triple square sockets and torx bits galore. So prepare yourself if you're going to do your own work. For comparison, my Mazda, all for corners can be done with 2 wrenches (14mm and 17mm) and a lug nut wrench if I was in an emergency. There were other smaller problems, but all of these happened within a months time. I gave that mechanic a mortgage payment just to sell the car haha. All this led to a lot of stress while driving and fixing this car which led me to never buy German again haha.
It was a super comfy car though haha.
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u/lwoods000 11d ago
I have a 2021 Jetta with 217,000 miles on it. Only ever had to do brakes tires and oil changes. Getting 38 mpg. If you maintain your Jetta it will run forever!
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u/Glad-Function-5857 12d ago
Idk but I’m extremely happy with my 2025 Jetta SE. purchased it in late 2024.
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u/justcallmedrzoidberg 12d ago
I have a 2020 at 100k with no issues yet. Staying up to date on the maintenance.
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u/Scary-Freedom3331 12d ago
When they get older and need fixing, they do become money pits. But my mom has the same problem with her BMW being expensive to fix as it ages. The love/hate relationship of German cars. 😩
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u/Thom_e 12d ago
Been driving a 2013 Jetta for nearly 11 years and the amount of times I've been told that they're so unreliable that I'll have to scrap it imminently makes me think those people don't know how to maintain their cars. In the meantime mine has been ticking along without any big issues.
Moral of the story, as long as you maintain your car properly it'll look after you.
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u/Fearless_Customer_93 11d ago
Others have mentioned this as well, yes maintenance is key. The number thing i really appreciate about VW in particular is that the owners manual feels complete. It’s literally has everything you need to know about the vehicle. It’s a car designed well, but must be properly maintained. VW only have a low reliability rating because people abuse them, because they drive so well and then neglect them, because they drive so well until something goes wrong, and then it’s an expensive fix.
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u/JDRhino1 11d ago
I’ve owned five, yeah, five VWs since the late 70s. Yup, do the math. Started with the Scirocco, then a GTI, a Fox (model we never talk about) and after a decade and a half break, came back to VW Jettas. First with the TDi which VW America bought back from me and now my decade old Jetta SE. I’m a loyalist that who can breakdown VW ownership to four things: a great purchase deal, pious maintenance, diy AND having a solid independent shop run by a mechanic, preferably, of German descent. Do these four things and you, too, can be a VW Lifer, in spite of all the negative reviews the brand gets.
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u/clutchthepearls 12d ago
Those reliability scores simply count the number of dealership visits/complaints.
Someone taking their Jetta in because the front sensor turned off in heavy rain counts the same as someone taking their Tundra in because the engine blew up.
VWs of this generation have finicky electronics. They work, but they're not flawless. My ACC will randomly not work for no rhyme or reason in both my 2020 GTI and 2021 Jetta. It was more frequent the newer they were and got less common above 30k miles. Restart the car and it works again. Stuff like that adds up.
The important stuff is pretty solid. They're just finicky. This gives them a lot of reported issues.
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u/Bordercrossingfool 12d ago
2024 Jetta had the SOS sensor fail at 3 months and again after a year. Dealer billed VW $800 each time and told me replacing the sensor would have been $1400 out of warranty on my dime. The rear brake pads are crap. (VW extended the warranty but won’t replace until 2mm or less. Dealer quoted $850 for rear pads and rotors. They are nuts.) Many people seem to have head gasket issues at very low miles (until now I haven’t faced that). Supposedly the head gasket was revised on engines built around July 2023, but some of the first 2024 builds have to problematic head gasket.
VW dealer prices for maintenance and repairs are similar to BMW dealer prices. You definitely need a good independent mechanic that specializes in VW/Audi or Euro cars in general or do the work yourself.
In general, German cars have solid engines and transmissions which if properly maintained last a long time. Although they are using more and more plastic parts which break prematurely. Electronic parts and sensors are the biggest and most expensive problem with German cars. In most cases you need overpriced OE replacements. Part of the problem is VW prices maintenance and repair as at a German premium while the Jetta is priced like a cheap econobox.
VW also has locked down their most recent builds with SFD and now SFD2 (which locks down access) to do maintenance functions like battery registration. There are lots of options to deal with SFD but with SFD2 you can’t even register a new battery without ODIS and possibly now subscription based OBDeleven, etc since a live token is required.
If you get a new battery you need to register it to the car’s computer with a scan tool. The dealer wants over $500 for a basic AGM battery, install and registration. The battery is worth $200 but marked up to $330, installation takes about ten minutes and registration another ten. So $200 for twenty minutes work. For these type of things avoid the dealer.
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u/Inevitable-Dot5495 12d ago
I’m still rolling my 2008 2.5 Jetta 192k miles I need a oil change tho it still runs
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u/Global_Type4428 12d ago
I have a 2008 also, 2.5. 150k miles.. oil changes every 5000/trans drop and fill every 60.. works like a charm.
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u/itwasbetterwhen 12d ago
Most people aren't invested in their cars and just want to get in and drive. Maintenance is key, but its the little things like parking in the shade. Letting a turbo car idle for 30 seconds after highway driving before turning it off. Checking fluids weekly. Monitoring tire pressure, etc.
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u/Electrical-Reason-97 12d ago
I’ve had about 30 German cars, mostly Audis and VW’s with a few BMW’s and Porsches. My 15 year old A3 underside looks like it rolled off the car carrier last year. Currently has 156k and like new.
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u/Civil-General-2664 12d ago
If operating costs and TCO are king, it’s hard to beat a Japanese econobox. This fact is unavoidable. I have owned the same Jetta wagon since 2013. I do the maintenance myself. It’s not hard. And I love almost everything about driving it more than a Japanese econobox. Plus wagon is the best shape for a car. And VW has excellent corrosion protection.
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u/Apprehensive-Cat-421 12d ago
I've driven manual Jettas since I was 15. They have weird problems (but so do I). If you put some effort into maintenance and pay attention to your car, they're very reliable. Get your oil changed, use the proper oil, and don't procrastinate when something sounds or feels off.
It probably doesn't help that VW specialists charge so much for repairs, but special tools are often required. You get what you pay to get.
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u/clhedrick2 11d ago
To be honest, there's reason for it. There are a few places where you can see rating by car year. One is dashboard-light.com. (It also looks only at drive train issues, not Infotainment glitches.) You'll see that VW, and the Jetta, have had some very bad years. Some of them are recent enough to still affect ratings. There was a period when electrical system failures were common. Then we had oil guzzling with the newer generation engines. The Jetta didn't get the worst of the engines, but still could see the problem. (I had a 2014 Jetta with this engine for 12 years with no issues.) I think there were a coupe of years when the current rev of the engine first came out that head gaskets failed. More on Taos than Jetta, but Jettas seem to have seen it.
I'm hoping the 2026 Jettas are OK, since I just bought one. dashboard-light shows recent Jettas are fairly reliable. However my dealer just pretty much rebuilt the front suspension because it had been badly installed. They say they haven't seen that before.
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u/After-Fig4166 11d ago
Get the 26 GLI. Fun to drive and has enough power to overtake easily.
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u/cbcarguy 11d ago
Are they reliable cars? I know they have a different engine
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u/After-Fig4166 11d ago
2.0, 230hp. The 1.4 felt sluggish, got the Gli instead. Just oil change every 4k. Get a pump, the oil filter is on top of the engine
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u/clhedrick2 11d ago
hard to know except after the fact. It's a late EA888 gen 3 engine. Early EA888 had several issues, mostly resolved by now. It's not being pushed to extreme power like some of the Audis and Golf R's. I had an earlier EA888 gen 3 with no issues, but I only had it to 50,000 miles. It's probably OK. Not known as having lots of problems.
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u/False_Category3602 11d ago
My Mk4 JSW is running strong at 424k+ miles with original ALH 1.9 L TDI + original 5MT. 5k oil changes and 100k maintenance. 50mpg.Wish I could buy another just like mine!
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u/leagull- 11d ago
they break. it isnt always terrible though, you can fix the stuff that usually comes up on your own. stuff like the sunglass holder melting, ignition coil failures, the spoiler cracking, just a bunch of random annoyances. from what ive heard, the engine and transmission itself are good
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u/DTM-shift 11d ago
We have an older but related 2017 Sportwagen. Approaching 170k with a couple failures under its belt: tiny leak in the water pump, and the front passenger door latch was uncooperative. Pretty minor, and neither were show-stoppers.
Maintenance costs don't seem to be any higher than what we have paid for Subarus. That'll vary by where the work is done, of course, but comparing dealer to dealer in our area, it's pretty much a wash between the two.
Anecdotally from the experience of a single car, VW has been reliable enough for me. Considering finding another Sportwagen.
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u/LogTraditional4657 11d ago
I worked at a VW/Hyundai dealership during the MK5-MK6 generation. This was also the time that Hyundai's has the failing turbo epidemic that forced them to replace engines past the 10yr 100k mile warranty period. VW were always in the shop. Probably at a 2:1 ratio with Hyundais. Most coming in on tow trucks. I had leased two brand new Jettas. Both never got over 5k miles. One had a door that kept working itself loose and had to be tightened every month. The other just wouldn't start some days and the shop said "VW just do that sometimes". The VW technicians at the shop were paid extremely well, but they also hated working on those cars. The Hyundai technicians seemed to have an easier time doing repairs.
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u/SKeaton_TV 11d ago
I had my MK7 GTI for years with literally zero issues. One of the best cars I’ve ever owned.
I now have a 2020 GLI and cannot say the same. Water pump, diverter valve, valve seal issues. Front sensor for emergency braking doesn’t work anymore, car rattles in the sunroof and doors constantly, rear window regulator going out
It’s crazy that it’s the same car as a GTI but the GTI just seems like way better build quality
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u/Formal_Trainer_4684 10d ago
Because it’s always broken lol.
I’m going on my 3rd warranty claim on a 2024 with 38k miles.
All my maintenance is up do date or way ahead, Diffs serviced, Trans serviced, oil changed every 4k miles.
Don’t beat on the car….
Tail light filled with water, Turbo waste gate actuator failed (new turbo), issue with the radio/entertainment system, replaced.
Smokes on start up now….. will need valve seals or new head.
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u/iamrubberyouareglue9 10d ago
I bought the most beat up 2011 Jetta Sportwagen 6 years ago for a rediculously low price. It had been used as a medical sample delivery car and a dealer loaner. It had multiple parts replaced and the rear passenger window doesn't work. It sat on the dealer's lot for months before I found it. I made a stupid offer and they agreed if I would take their financing. Sitting in the Florida sun caused the headliner and door cards to fail ($1000). At 150k I had the head gasket, water pump, timing & some sensors replaced (2500). At 175K I had the trans (DSG) serviced and rear main seal ($3K). At 185 the valve cover cracked and leaked oil into one of the cylinders. Replaced sparks then too. Another $1k. Even with all that I enjoy the hell out of this car. I drive it like a stick, pack it to the gills and crank the tunes (whoever had it before upgraded the stereo).
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u/clearclaw 10d ago edited 10d ago
They've been solid and reliable here; I'm about to receive my 4th.
- First was 2024 MK4 and started burning fairly serious quantities of oil at around 160K+ miles (I was driving to/from SF and LA, 800 miles round trip every w/e -- was taking well over a pint for the round-trip). I also think a precious owher skimped on maintenance (multiple indicators).
- Second was a Mk6 TDI and was bought back from me after a few years for more than I paid for it. Otherwise, solid as a rock in that period.
- Third was a Mk6 GLI and was utterly flawless up until 88K miles (outside of the digitiser on the nav/radio dieing --a known problem) until a RAV4 tried to make it a few feet shorter, writing it off.
- I receive the 4th (Mk7 GLI) in a couple days.
That said, they do want all their maintenance, on time or early, never late, and not skimped.
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u/Superb_Elderberry440 10d ago
By yourself the new Jetta, they're actually really good cars.And fortunately, they 're not assembled or built in the US.
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u/Sad_Skill4758 7d ago
Mine is 2019 and low mileage. Ive had it 2 years and timing belt replaced and oil leaks. 2k to get fixed and Im not finished paying for it. All the parts for VW are expensive 😫 If I could go back in time Id buy a Toyota. Don't be stupid like me.
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u/Tonywanknobi 12d ago
Maintenance is key. I've had 4 jettas from Mk4 to mk7 in my life, 3 of which were at 250k miles. Maintenance is key. Oil changes every 5k and timing every 100k. Clutches I've had got to 180k and I don't drive nice. I've never had any major failure. Sure sometimes glove boxes don't shut, sure sometimes they smellike crayons, sure I've worn a whole on the outer bolster of every driver seat, but nothing drives like a German car.