are VW Jettas reliable cars still when they reach 100,000+ miles?

Question 1
are VW Jettas reliable cars still when they reach 100,000+ miles?...  im on the hunt for my first car & i really want a used Honda Civic & i know how good they still are when they reach 100,000+ miles. but i also am interested in buying a used 2005 VW Jetta. are these cars still reliable after they have reached 100,000 miles like a Civic is?
thankyouuu!

Answers
1)   Yes, almost all cars today will go way over 100k miles. German cars are better than American cars, but not as good as Japanese cars. - Mr. Smartypants

2)   Can you be more specific? Year, and what engine? - Nocturnal! - JD

3)   Cars are good to 200K + these days with proper maintenance. Honda Civics are great first cars.
There are virtually maintenance free and what cost you do have are very little. I drove mine HARD. I forgot to put oil in it. You name it. Never had a problem...well until an 18 wheeler ran over it. Still it was almost at a 140k. It was great in any weather. Parts are dirt cheap. Great on gas. Honda are very solid which is great. Unlike a Mazda or Toyota.

The Jetta is good. A Jetta TDI even better. The TDI holds its value very well. However they are German and will cost a bit more for maintenance/ parts and probably require more. - adragon999

4)   really depends on the engine. If its a 4 cylinder or VR6 it will last well over 100,000 miles with all the schedule maintaince kept up. If its the turbo version you will have some extra money in keeping it running well over 100k miles. - Matt

5)   Yes I think so I own a 2000 Jetta TDI with 167,000 miles on it and just drove it to Florida towing a trailer. we have owned it since 2003 other than having the mass air senser go bad 2 times I have not had any other problems with it. it even has the original clutch. - J.R.


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Question 2
Volkswagen Polo or Ford Fiesta?...  In a couple of weeks I'll be getting my first car and i've narrowed my choices down to either getting the new Ford Fiesta or a new Volkswagen Polo. Which one would you say is the better car and for what reasons? (Im talking about the most recent models, from the dealerships.)

Answers
1)   Without a doubt it has to be the Polo. Better built, durable, reliable and much less of a hit on depreciation. - marco999

2)   I don't honestly think anyone could say that one car was beter than the other if we're talking about the brand new, current ones.
Personally I think the Fiesta looks better, is likely to be better equipped for the same money and will be just as reliable. - EvelynThe ModifiedDog.

3)   Ford Fiesta - MaxR *loves* Wes Bentley

4)   Polo is just hard hitting. You want to look the stuff in your car right? Go for the Polo. Ford is too common. - Eskimo Bob

5)   Well the press rate the VW highest. At the moment Ford pricing is expensive. There is rumour that Fords are considering dropping many car prices. If you buy before that then your car value will drop like a stone afterwards. Be very careful if you opt for the Ford. - L G


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Question 3
What is wrong with my diesel v reg polo?...  Hi

I have just had a new altenator put in my v reg [1999?] polo. The mechanic also replaced two belts... not sure which ones they were. I think one ofthem had something to do with the altenator and the other I THINK was to do with the power steering. Anyway, I had a test drive in it and I could still smell a LITTLE bit of burning. Could that be because it has new belts? It is not smelling of burning badly but I can smell it.

Also, while I am driving, the light still flashes on the dash board now and again. I am not sure what light that is... it looks like a spiral going sideways. As soon as I break it goes off again. And another new thing has happened now, which never happened before I brought it into the garage... the airbag light popped back on while driving and would only turn off when i turned the car off. This 'airbag light' usually only lights when i turn the car on [it is a diesel car] and turns off and stays off. It has never happened before that it suddenly comes on while driving. I am so frustarted I just spend a lot of money on getting it fixed :(

If anyone knows of a good mechanic in the Herts Beds and Bucks area please let me know SIgh

Answers
1)   the one dash lite is brake system (0) ,[wheel with binders]. usually means low fluid in reservoir. if had burnt wire,will smell a while. a bit vauge in descriptions but weak grounds make electrical gremlins. smell can be oil leak or belt tensioner locking up [most common] - yowzah

2)   The Spiral symbol is to do with the ignition system, usually comes on to show the glow plugs are Warming before you start the car. If the light is on when you drive, you need to have a diagnostics test done to find the cause of this.

The air bag light is also to show you there is a fault, most commonly on VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) cars this is caused by the metal contact ring behind the steering wheel, again this will show on the diagnostics test.

If the Lights have come on since the garage did work on the car i would take it back to them and get them to look into the cause, as they maybe responsible for the fault that has caused these fault lights. - Alan

3)   Okay. Alternator belt and power steering are on all cars( gas or diesel) mind you, I did not know VW had power steering.

So, is there "any reason" you cannot go back and ask the mechanic who just did the work?
Yeah, you can.

Now the spiral light comes to mind (rear window defroster is coming on) Flick the switch on and then off that controls the rear window defroster. That "should" fix that. We can always hope.

However it might be tied in electrically to the air bag light. In this case "electrical" it goes to the dealership workshop. I would rather have them fix it because they are suppose to know or have the manuals or have multiple mechanics that all together they can figure it out.
More money, yes. But at least they don't have a guessing game with you..
The smell probably comes from the defroster wires, it is possible.

The alternator only? Usually the battery goes at the same time (because it has been undercharged for so long) and possibly the starter(because of the undercharged battery).
It is an 11 year old car. You got to expect some repair expenses. All cars are designed to wear out. Fortunately those parts can be got at Wal~Mart. or as rebuilds. I got my battery at Costco for $35 for 1000 amps WalMart wanted $150 for 850Amp. The higher the amps the better. It just has to fit under the hood (measuring tape) and the posts got to be on the right side because the cables are not long enough if it is backwards.

I learned to fix my own - first the gas pots and then the diesels. You buy tools once and use them 1000 times. Same goes for repair and maintenance manuals. I hang onto repair manuals even if I sold the car. It is mine and who knows, I may buy another one.

The airbag situation I have not looked into yet and would prefer to leave that crap alone.

Certain things you cannot do on a diesel(such as diesel fuel injection pump timing -because it requires special measuring tools and timed within a "hair") OK, fine.
But overhaul the motor, pull the head, change timing belts,change starter, change "V" belts you can do. I have taken apart CVJ's and reassembled them, pulled disc brakes done them and everything else bodywork wise; and even figured out the shorts in the fusebox.(but that is on older units)

The newer they are the harder they are to fix on the road with a piece of tin foil and duct tape. You basically have to take the car in.. They "all" are making it that way. - It just struck me like lightning

4)   Go back to the mechanic and let him see the problem, be polite and hope they will sort the matter out. - L G


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Question 4
Turn signal in a beetle stopped working?...  My turn signals just stopped working, I checked the fuses and they were good. My hazard lights work sporadically what could be the problem?

Answers
1)   Check your bulb and fuses before spending money at a garage - JBL

2)   It might be the stalk that is your problem.I don't know about Beetles,if it is old then it may have lost contact inside the stalk.Do the other functions work on the stalk?Turn the hazards on and get down under the steering column and listen for that clicking noise the indicators make.If you can hear it,find that resistor and see if all the wires are connected.Sometimes a fuse can burn out in a spot you can't see,so if you have the fuse diagram,swap them around to make sure.Remember to use a fuse of the correct amps. - hartatac

3)   If the fuses are ok , the most likely thing is the indicator relay . This is situated behind the dash , next to the speedometer. if its a 70s bug its only 3 wires , change one at a time . - chris

4)   THE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH POPS OUT AND CAN BE REPLACED. THE TURN SIGNALS ROUTE THROUGH IT. - mchaz60


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Question 5
How do you replace a passenger window in a 2001 VW Jetta?...  

Answers
1)   Take it to a body shop and spare yourself the unnecessary headache. - Limar

2)   did it just fell down into the door and break ? if so VW had a recall on this problem and changed mine free . call VW with your vin (not a dealer VW itself) and see if it is covered - J.R.

3)   This link shows you how to take your door a part. You should be about to take it from there...

http://jettajunkie.com/vw-jetta/showthread.php/diy-mkiv-door-locks-explained-fixes-1895.html - Michael


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