Am I able to change the serpentine belt on my 2011 VW Jetta SE myself for cheaper than going to a shop or dealer?
We can’t answer that. If you change it yourself, you are only paying for the belt and not the labor to change it so it will be cheaper. We have no idea if you have the skills and the tools to do the job.
I guess that’s what I’m asking. Are special tools needed? If so, they relatively cheap as compared to having someone else repair it or are they cost prohibitive? I’ve never worked on a car but I do my own repair work around the house. I want to start doing as much as I can on my car; is this a terrible place to start? Is this something a YouTube video can walk me through or are the consequences of messing this up too great to even bother trying?
Probably there is a YouTube video on changing the belt.
Some are very easy, just a socket wrench to move the tensioner out of the way. Some can be a bear to get to.