about to buy a jetta--couple questions

okay, so i'm about to take the plunge and purchase a used 2001 jetta. i have a couple of options, and both are relatively comparable. They're both asking 7.5-8k, and I'll do some bargaining when it's time. They both have a 6month powertrain warranty (through the dealer), and are fully loaded with sunroof, heated seats, power windows/locks, cd players, etc. Neither have maintenance records, but they're both around the 185k mile mark, so I imagine the timing belts will be due soon (how can one tell about this? one guy tells me 'the label is still visible, so it should still have some life on it'). The more expensive of the two adds leather.

Now, what am I missing here? Coming from gasoline, 185k miles seems high, but everyone seems to tell me that's not the case... And the prices seem good, no?

Is it worth it to spend an extra $1k to buy a car w/60k less miles?

I'm starting to lose my mind and just want the car already!

Thanks again for all of your help,

--j

Go over the "how to buy a used TDI" threads:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=75359
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=708161

There are a lot of TDI-Club members in your region, and one of the finest TDI-Techs runs Kraftwerke Autotechnic in Braintree... if you can get the car out to have a mechanic inspect it, get it to him for evaluation!!! His UserID here is "MrCHill"... (Chris Hill)

The general thinking here is that if you can't verify that the timing belt system was properly replaced on schedule, have it done ASAP (again, Chris would be a superb choice)... By TB System I mean that just about everything in the timing belt pathway should be updated (preferably with 2003-model-year parts) - belt, tensioner, 3 idlers, a bunch of "stretch" bolts, and the water pump.

Good luck!!! Come back and let us know how things went... (BTW: the extra 60k is only important in considering the wear on the suspension components... the engine should last a very long time if it's been properly maintained...)

Yuri.

PS: as Pruzink suggested, if these have automatic transmission, think again... and getting back to the timing belts... at that milage, I imagine that they both need to have the procedure done - and you'd rather choose the mechanic to do this rather than the selling dealership...

My daughter has a 2001 Jetta with the 2.0 Ltr gas engine (I have an 04 Jetta with the TDI engine). If you do some reading in here on the topic of "01M transmission", you will find that the transmission in this car does NOT have a good reputation. If it does fail, its about $4,500 to put in a VW remanufactured. I told my daughter that she should consider selling her car now while the transmission is still fine. You can buy a brand new Toyota Corolla which have a very dependable transmission, plus a timing chain instead of a timing belt for 16K new and get the peace of mind of the new car warranty, plus they get significantly better gas mileage (I am a bit unclear if you are going diesel or gas). In any case, just an opinion, if I had known about the tranny being a weak link, I never would have bought her the car in the 1st place.

Sorry I didn't know where to find those two threads--thanks for the links.

As for the tranny, she'll be a manual--more fun to drive, and I've definitely heard the reputation of the auto.

The cars are canadian, which is the only place I've had good luck finding a decent deal on them--stateside everybody seems to think they're worth a couple grand more. It's a bit of a hassle to get them here, yes, but I'm hoping it's worth it. That said, it'll be 500-1000 miles before I have a chance to have it really gone over (unless you all know of any TDI specialists in Ontario)/serviced. I appreciate the input, and I'll check out those threads right now.

--j

Not to hijack the thread but have you researched what it takes to get a Canadian car into the states? Cost? Paperwork?

yeah. i'm sure i'll be surprised by a thing or two, but basically, you need a letter from vw saying that it meets epa and safety standards, you need the title in your name, should get insured asap, and pay 3% customs duty on the car at the border, based on trade-in value, i'm told. i'm still not 100% on the whole registration/license plate issue, since you'd need temp plates in the US, and i'm not sure you'd keep the CA plates...

--j

you should just buy my TDI instead haha...http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...STRK:MESE:IT&viewitem=&item=170163045878&rd=1

jnagar said:

yeah. i'm sure i'll be surprised by a thing or two, but basically, you need a letter from vw saying that it meets epa and safety standards, you need the title in your name, should get insured asap, and pay 3% customs duty on the car at the border, based on trade-in value, i'm told. i'm still not 100% on the whole registration/license plate issue, since you'd need temp plates in the US, and i'm not sure you'd keep the CA plates...

--j

Click to expand...

I think you need to research what it is going to take to get the car registered/into the US. From everything I have ever read, I don't believe VW ever gives out that letter.

vwcampin said:

I think you need to research what it is going to take to get the car registered/into the US. From everything I have ever read, I don't believe VW ever gives out that letter.

Click to expand...

Sounds familiar !!! I believe I read that you just about have to use a registered auto import broker, but I'm going by memory - and it was quite a while ago that I read about this...

Good luck,

Yuri.

jnagar said:

okay, so i'm about to take the plunge and purchase a used 2001 jetta. i have a couple of options, and both are relatively comparable. They're both asking 7.5-8k, and I'll do some bargaining when it's time. They both have a 6month powertrain warranty (through the dealer), and are fully loaded with sunroof, heated seats, power windows/locks, cd players, etc. Neither have maintenance records, but they're both around the 185k mile mark, so I imagine the timing belts will be due soon (how can one tell about this? one guy tells me 'the label is still visible, so it should still have some life on it').

Click to expand...

The salesman telling you the TB is good because the label is still visible... he's a liar, so don't trust a thing he says.

A 6-month powertrain warranty? Sounds great, but if these cars are in Canada and you're in Massachusetts, it's going to be a little inconvenient.

Maybe you should look for a private-owner TDI, one with full service records.