Re: New VW slogan: "Are you ready to put up with it?"

["Khan M. Klatt" <kmk@pacificrim.net>]

I have to agree with David Mathias-- Vojin's experiences are by no means
"categorical" across the board, or this would be a Jetta-HATE group.

The fact that most people are raving fans is indicative that Vojin's
experiences are in the minority. Of course, NOONE is calling Vojin a liar,
if I was in his shoes, I'd probably be pretty pissed at VW too. (First he
got a lemon, and now his Jetta is a wormhole from his wallet to the dealer)

I simply wanted to make two points:

1. Cars are not designed for infinite operation. Even solid state
technology fails on a regular basis, it's unrealistic to not to expect SOME
kind of problem from a piece of technology that is left outside most of the
time, it is propelled at high velocities in the worst of conditions (snow,
rain, bad highways, freeways, sudden stops).

We all know that cars require regular maintenance, and even then, certain
components will fail. Of course, certain manufacturers produce better cars,
with better track records for repair. The fact in this case, however, is
that while VW is not at the top of the line, they're not at the bottom
either. For "Total Cost of Ownership" (TCO) VW is right in line with all
the other primary manufacturers in their average car.

2. Time will improve technology, including cars. Imagine the computer you'd
be using if you had to use a computer made in 1995. You'd be running a
Pentium 60 or a PowerMac8100. Fast and cool for the time, but by no means
is it considered high-end today. Remember, the cars we drive were designed
for sale in 1995, meaning the blueprints were produced in 1993 or 1994.

Where I'm going with this, Vojin, is that if you're unhappy with the
current line of VW's, perhaps VW has learned from some of their mistakes,
and a '98 New Beetle, a '98 Passat, or a '99 Jetta (A4 chassis) will
improve upon the current design issues you bring up with your current Jetta.


Having made those points, let me express my personal experiences. Of
course, I have only owned my car for 15,000 miles, but I know quite a few
people who own VW's. One of my business partners has a 92 Corrado SLC.
Another one is buying a 1996 Jetta GL, and he currently has a 1986 GTI 16V.
One of my coworkers has a 1995 Jetta GL. Of all of these cars, the GTI has
had increasing repairs (as a car 12 years old will have), and the Corrado
needed a heating core replaced ($400 or so for repairs). I have not seen
any widespread evidence in a lack of quality or high maintenance issues
with (water cooled) VW cars.

My car had a bad fuel pump valve (or something) that would not allow the
car to start up. I had my VW car towed (free of charge) and then fixed
(free of charge) under warranty at the dealer. That's the only problem I've
had (other than one flat tire).

- -Khan