2005 Volkswagen Jetta Wagon Reviews

RR

RICH R.

2005 Volkswagen Jetta Wagon

08/25/2016

Mixed.

I like the powertrain and handling. It is dependable and the fuel mileage (since it is a diesel) is great. I have numerous problems with electrical accessories and the AC just does not cool adequately. The door lock for the driver is intermittent. When it is not working, the automatic door lock and the remote lock do not work. I have to put the key in to lock the driver's side. Also, the cruise control is intermittent. It works fine until you've been on the road for about a half hour. Then sometimes it will not engage unless you turn the switch off and then back on. Then it will work a little longer. On long trips, this gets annoying. The radio on am doesn't work well for the local station. It sounds fuzzy. I had this corrected when I had an extended warranty. They replaced the antenna but that only solved the problem for a short while. Also, the dash lights are blue which, at night look fuzzy, especially the tick marks on the speedometer (this is a design issue). One thing I really dislike is the mechanism for tilting the front seatbacks. It is a 3 inch or so flat knob that is difficult to turn. My wife cannot turn it at all. There's not enough space to get your hand around it plus when you do turn it, it only moves the seatback a little at a time. This also is an egregious design issue. Another accessory not designed well is the AC controls which are situated low and behind the gear shift lever which is awkward. Another annoying thing is if you use the cruise control in town (not on highways or interstate) and come on a certain incline (not a steep one) it makes the powertrain continually downshift and speed up, until you get off the incline. Their choice of icons for lock and unlock are curious and not easily interpreted. They use the outline of an entire car showing one door open - for unlock. They use a key icon for lock. That kind of logic is mysterious. I much prefer what most manufacturers use, the icon of an unlocked and locked padlock for unlock and lock respectively. Why make things so arduous?

Recommended

JV

JOE V.

2005 Volkswagen Jetta Wagon

05/31/2016

Fun car to drive, expensive to work on.

This is my 4th 20th anniversary gli. They are fairly quick, nice curb appeal, and who doesn't love the sound of a turbo. This is my 1st with over 60k miles. I'm currently at 112k. From 99k miles til now, it's been coolant leak after coolant leak, secondary water pump, or air pump issues. The downside is nearly everything oem replacement is Audi brand, and dealer only. The bright side is there is alot of aftermarket options too. I suggest avoiding the tiptronic (automatic) in any 1.8t as the shift solenoids go out fairly early, but if your mechanically inclined...they are sorta easy to replace, and yes there are aftermarket options on those too.

Recommended

RP

RENEE P.

2005 Volkswagen Jetta Wagon

10/26/2015

This car will never die

This car currently has 170,000 miles on it, and it is just broken in.

Recommended

JT

JORGE T.

2005 Volkswagen Jetta Wagon

10/20/2015

2005 New Jetta

This is my 9th VW, 4th bought new. Love the vehicle and the way it drives. Feels much better than larger and more expensive vehicles. However, maybe it is due to it being a first year new model (production number under 1000), or perhaps cars are just getting too complicated and all the electronics are interconnected, but it has had too many things requiring repairs even though mileage is low (under 65K). Quite a few were under recall/warranty, but I have had to get serious and expensive engine and electrical work done out of pocket. I am truly disappointed since I have never had these kind of problems in other VWs before. I thought this car would be the last one I would have to buy but I am starting to search for a new vehicle since I am concerned as to the reliability (and repair costs) of this particular car in the future. I will hold on to it as long as possible since it fits me like a glove but if it continues to require expensive repairs I will sadly replace it with a new car with a warranty. Fortunately/unfortunately I can not get into the new Jetta, Passat or Golf without banging my head in the doorframe since they have redesigned the line and that makes the VW's not an option.

Recommended