I am thinking of buying a 2003 or 2004 Jetta Wagon, I just wanted some to know if this is a smart purchase because I have heard some good and bad things about VWs. This will be my first VW, is it worth taking the risk?
Most of the issues I’ve heard of on recent VWs have been little electrical gremlins. Check out the April issue of Consumer Reports magazine at you local library. It’s their annual car issue. It should give you a good idea about your questions.
I just checked my reference even though I didn’t have to and the results are as bad as you thought they were except for the 04. I don’t recommend that you buy a used Jetta even though the 04 model seems to be the best of the Jetta lot. It amazes me that the 04 alone would stand out in Consumer Reports Buying Guide as well as it does. So far, it is a better than average car for reliability. You may have found a ruby in a mountain of rocks.