Overview & Reviews

For 2002, the turbocharged four-cylinder engine receives 30 extra horsepower for a total of 180, which you can couple to a five-speed automatic with Tiptronic -- the 1.8T is now available for both sedans and wagons. In the spring of 2002, the Jetta GLX sedan's optional 12-valve 174-hp VR6 is replaced by a new 24-valve unit providing 200 ponies. A six-speed manual gearbox and the aforementioned five-speed automanual become available with the new VR6. Later on, the GLI sedan will appear -- it includes the new VR6, the six-speed and stability control without all the expensive GLX trimmings and replaces the manual-shift GLX. Other changes include the availability of the 1.9-liter turbodiesel engine for GL and GLS wagons. The base GL trim level is new to the wagon in 2002 -- previously, you had to step right up to the GLS model. A CD player is now standard on all GLS and GLX models, and all-new Volkswagen vehicles come with an improved four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, up from two years/24,000 miles. Volkswagen also offers a fully transferable limited powertrain warranty that covers five years or 60,000 miles. An on/off switch for auto-dimming rearview mirrors, a cruise control indicator light, a trunk escape handle for sedans and a new exterior color (Reflex Silver replaces Silver Arrow) complete the changes.

• Powerful 1.8T and VR6 engines, fuel-efficient TDI powerplant, fun to drive, comfortable ride, rich interior materials, loads of standard features, solid build quality.

• More expensive than most small sedans and wagons.

User Reviews:

Showing 81 through 90 of 494.00

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  Diesels do it better - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mbeer - May 27 - 2:00 am

  The diesel engine was the main selling feature for me. I get well over 50mpg on the freeway & have no complaints about power. This car pulls pretty hard on the freeway when passing, no down shifting needed. The attention to detail when designing this car is obvious & material quality equals that of BMW or Benz. A few creeks & rattles more then a german car should have but nothing excessive. Only problems Ive had was a torn weather strip and a seeping oil seal on transmission, dealer took care of both.

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  another example of overenginered parts - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By noisyhonda - May 21 - 12:53 pm

  when i bought this car it gave a GREAT FIRST impression. good fit and finish clean lines good overall german paint and body.it was fun to drive plenty of power good not great handling. over all a very seemly sound investment. I have now owned the vehicle for four years 1.5 setting in my garage dead. I have had this car in the shop about five times for dead batterys snapped timing belt bad water pump( its impeller is made out of plastic very bad idea) bad alternator, tail light constantly going out, check engine light comes on in two minutes after dealership resets it but it show no codes, and now something is wrong with the transmission wont go anywhere. overall i would not recommend this car

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  Zippy, Fun and Sassy - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By mizzouXC - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Firstly, the handling on this car is amazing. It is very agile and responsive. Secondly, the powerplant on this car is amazing. There is plenty of passing power and enough acceleration to smoke most cars out there. The turbo spool on this car is minimal, but exists. Thirdly, the interior is sexy. The quality of materials is most appealing. American car companies: take a note from VW!! Basically, the Jetta is a budget luxury sport sedan. Its trimmed like a luxury car, its materials are the quality of a luxury car, its body is solid like a luxury car, its Monsoon sound system rocks like a luxury car.

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  German Engineering My Butt - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By bigwombat - May 5 - 1:57 pm

  The automatic transmission 01M of this car made between year 1999-2003 are known to be the most unreliable transmission ever made. Look for it online, there are so many reports of these transmission breaking down from 100k to 150k miles. Mine is even considered a good case, where it broke down right after 200k miles, but throughout my ownership of the car I dropped so much many to fix and maintain the transmission, that in the end, I dont think it is worth it. Pros: Gets decent MPG. Can reach high speed. The manual version seems reliable from reviews. Cons: Horrible auto transmission. Loud. Weak acceleration. Expensive to maintain.

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  BMW here I come - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By BMW here I come!!! - April 28 - 7:26 pm

  Bought this car brand new and fell in love with it, until I realized that I was going to be at the dealer every 4 or 5 months because something failed or broke.

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  Great Car! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Nankov - April 28 - 12:56 pm

  I own a 2002 2.0L Jetta that currently has 98,000 km. on it. Ive had no major problems with it. The car is solid and it handles great. The base engine is actually pretty good, plus its good on gas! I love driving this car. It has nice looks too! You gotta love VWs.

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  Excellent car, fun to drive - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By Jennifer DeSanzo - April 28 - 2:00 am

  We also had coil pack problems, on back order for 2 weeks. VW reembursed us for loss of usage for those weeks (leased car). Have not had any problems since. Absolutely love the car. A great value for the performance and options.

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  Fun - Until It Breaks - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By garrythegarlic - March 25 - 9:30 pm

  There are no two ways about it, the Volkswagen Jetta is a fun car to drive. I love its performance and the style. However, it has had a ton of maintenance issues over the 80,000 miles Ive owned it. All the issues it had while still inside the 50,000 mile warrantee period should have been a warning to me, but since they didnt mean out of pocket cost to me I never let it bother me. Now that the warranty is up, I seriously regret not trading in this car early, even considering the high cost of early termination of a lease.

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  Happy camper - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By luckydude - February 6 - 10:00 am

  This is the second Jetta diesel I have owned. The first was totalled in an accident. I was a lucky dude. The air bags worked and I had a small scratch on my wrist. The car was not at fault. It was drunk driver problem. I like everything about the Jetta. I average about 800 miles per week and on this newer vehicle, I am averaging 50 mpg, and I know it will get better.

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  Looks great, but has too many problems! - 2002 Volkswagen Jetta
  By sw - February 6 - 10:00 am

  I was at first very pleased with my Jetta, but after only about 8,000 miles the dashboard light and headlamps began to flicker. There was also an oil leak. A few weeks ago the automatic transmission got stuck and I couldnt shift from P to any other gear and had to restart the car several times because the problem went away. There are rattles everywhere in the cabin, and the 6-disc CD changer skips more times than the number of bumps on the road. Yesterday one of the brakes started making a horrendous noise while I was driving on a hilly road in an isolated forest. Once I got out of the car I could smell a strong burning odor from below it. I have decided to get rid of it ASAP.