Unlike in North America, In Europe Volkswagens have a reputation of reliability and quality. Just mention the brand’s name and at least someone in the conversation will immediately state how solid those cars are. Particularly the Polos, Golfs and Passats built before the mid-nineties are considered bulletproof, spearheaded by the second generation Golf and Jetta. This, and a fair amount of nationalism (or “regionalism”) makes VW the most successful manufacturer on the continent and many of the best-selling brands in the EU originate in it. Even the recent TSI issues have not been able to tarnish the high quality image VW has got and manages to cultivate. Although I knew present-day VWs are not (significantly) better than most other European brands, when I went to find my first car, I was convinced the old-fashioned ones were good.
In the spring of 2010, my then-girlfriend and me made our plans for the summer: we decided to go on a road trip, heading for former Yugoslavia. Having heard stories from friends who did so before, we hatched the plan of buying a car for the holidays to drive there, make the journey, and possibly sell it after summer. As university students, our budget was obviously low and our ambitions high. As the roads in Southeastern Europe are not of the same quality as the ones at home, and we didn’t want to have any issues on the way, we needed a solid car. Hence, perhaps foolishly, all French and Italian cars were out.
My father owned a ’93 Passat for 10 years and, in my perhaps rose-tinted memory, did not have any major problems with it. Having been a fan of the Golf II for years, I first directed my search at those. Shortly after, I found one. Not a Golf but a Jetta, which would also do, a 1990 1.3 with all of 55 bhp and 270,000 km on the odometer. That number should have backed away any serious buyer, but my enthusiasm I wasn’t bothered by that. I reasoned the car could handle that distance, as it still looked and drove well and it would be sold after summer anyway. The prospect of getting my first car was too tempting. Of course, I learned my lesson later.
I bought it for €900 and got that joyful feeling of owning my first car that is hard to describe. I was free, I could go anywhere, even if only for the summer. No matter what cars you’ll own in later life, the greatest car you’ll ever have will always be the first one.
The car seemed great at first: the engine wasn’t exactly powerful but thanks to well laid-out gear ratios, it was still kind of zippy around town if shifted at the right time. Shifting gear took some getting used to but if handled properly, shifting was smooth. With its square bumpers it looked even more like a brick on wheels, which I thought was kind of cool, not your average car. Old reviews consistently praised the Golf and Jetta’s handling, and this old lady still had that spirit: it was very tossable on both good and bad roads.
Like most cars of the day, it didn’t have power steering, but it wasn’t really necessary either because of its low weight (870kg), it just added to the fun. It even had a “sports” steering wheel with good grip in its otherwise very spartan but spacious interior. Its huge boot could carry a considerable amount of beer. The great seats and handling made it seem it fitted like a glove, the Jetta seemed rock solid and even had next to no rust; that’s why VWs are so great. I thought.
Although VW had already introduced fuel-injected engines long before 1990 and those were most sold in North America, the vast majority sold in Europe throughout the eighties were old-fashioned carbureted mills. The most common Golf and Jetta petrol engines were the 1.3, 1.6 and 1.8, of which the latter was supposedly the best: the fastest, most durable and even the most economical in practice. That engine also served in my dad’s Passat, although modified for fuel injection. The 1.6 lived on until recently as the low-tech base engine until it was replaced by the TSIs. The 1.3 was converted for fuel injection in 1990, making mine of the early ones. As I found out later, it was intrinsically solid (the old carbureted engine), but very sensitive to electric issues. I learned that fairly soon after I acquired mine.
The engine seems to have got the hiccups, stalled increasingly frequently and got jumpier and jumpier until it was almost impossible to drive. Of course, I wasn’t particularly tech savvy and although I could deduce and rule out some possible problems myself, I had to take it to the workshop to have it fixed. Great automobile start for a cash-strapped student.
Said workshop initially left it untouched for almost a week as it had more important (lucrative) things on its mind. When I finally got it back, I found they only did the standard things: change the spark plugs. I got presented a significant bill and a lecture by the phone operator but the problem wasn’t fixed or been diminished the slightest bit. Angrily, I left the workshop my family had their cars serviced in for ages, not to return.
The car being barely driveable, the holiday plan was obviously off, although we did find cheap flights to Italy instead. I tried tweaking with the car myself, my parents unsuccessfully attempted to convince the seller (who didn’t mention the problem that undoubtedly had existed before, although it was in the service history) and took it to another workshop. That workshop did come up with a solution but couldn’t guarantee it would work. Not wanting to waste more money on it, I didn’t want to take the risk. It had dawned to me: I’d bought a dog.
I used it less and less. It got broken into at some point, Golf and Jettas are notoriously easy to steal. Someone attempted to take it for a joyride but didn’t succeed in stealing it but damaged the steering column and dashboard in the process. It now even looked quite bad. Eventually, I wanted to get rid of the car. The relationship with my girlfriend ended and I managed to sell the car to a trader, who was going to export it to western Africa, a place where many old European cars end up. Although the car was no good, I still felt slightly sorry sending it off and particularly there.
The selling price in the state it was in, after reasoning (“It’s not a 1.5? Sorry, I cannot give you what I initially said”): €300. Although I shared the loss with my now ex-girlfriend, the loss was more than I’d hoped for. I’d learned a few lessons however: don’t let your enthusiasm get the better of you, don’t go car shopping on your own, check the background of the car, and be prepared not to buy one if something’s wrong with it. Look past a car’s reputation: even if it’s got a high quality image, it doesn’t automatically mean a car is actually good. And don’t expect a car to function perfectly if it’s old, there will always be cost and effort involved. Most old cars are sold off for a reason. Make a mistake here and you’ll bear the consequences. Coming of age.
Soon after, my sister and me took over our grandfather’s Volvo 850, a much better car and entire story of its own. Today, we own another car together, a VW again, although it carries a different badge: a Seat Ibiza 1.2. When I first drove it, it reminded me of that old Jetta. You just hop in and drive off and feel at home immediately. The seating position is much higher but otherwise the same and it’s got that direct steering. I was much more critical this time though and knew it would have its issues. It does, but I’m prepared this time.
Still, despite all the problems it had, the annoyance it caused, the wrong expectations I had of it and the money it cost, I think back fondly of that Jetta. I wonder whether it’s still alive in Africa. There’s really nothing like your first car!
Europeans, especially Germans consider VW’s as “reliable” for a several reasons: first, they don’t drive as much as we do. Second, years of import restrictions kept Japanese cars out, so there is no benchmark for comparison. In Germany, the TUF inspection system is quite rigourous, meaning potential problems are caught before they strand anyone. Often, parts like alternators are replaced as “regular service.” However, the biggest factor in Germany is nationalism. Except for maybe the Koreans, Germans are the most nationalistic people I have ever encountered and there is no way they would soil their roads with any Auslandwagen.
This car had very high kms on it but this model of Jetta was very easy to wrench on. Chances are the fix wasn’t all that difficult. To me it sounds like a bad coil. The fact is, when you buy a car with this mileage, you pays your money and you takes your chances.
“although we did find cheap flights to Italy instead.”
It doesn’t make much sense to drive around Europe. With pre-purchases, Ryan air is much cheaper than driving and so is DB, if you buy in advance. To go from Frankfurt to Weimar on DB last year only cost me 27 Euro, so why bother driving? If you do want a car for a couple of days, a super-mini can be had for around 30 Euro a day, insurance included.
Interestingly enough, I have the opposite story to tell. About 20 years ago, a German friend bought a 1977 Malibu four door to road trip to the USA from Vancouver. When a rear axle seal started leaking, he got into a panic an sold it for a pittance. All he was experiencing was a dishonest mechanic. I suspect you had the same experience. However, the author could have changed the plugs, wires, cap and rotor and air filter himself with $10 in tools and maybe $100 in parts. That’s regular procedure for any high-miler. Fact is, if you are on a limited budget and you want to drive, you need to learn some wrenching skills yourself. A Jetta of this era was extremely simple to work on. Everything you needed was looking at you right in the face.
I know a lot of people who drive 40,000 to 60,000 km a year. The point is that none of them drives a gasoline car. Diesel engines, all of them. Gasoline is for short distance grocery getters. And classic cars. So better not compare your big V8 gasoline engines to our pathetic sissy-gasoline 3 and 4 bangers.
BTW, I don’t think all countries in Northwestern Europe had import restrictions for Japanese cars. The peak of their popularity was from the late seventies to the mid-nineties. It’s downhill from there, only Toyota is still a big name, mainly thanks to its hybrids and their production facilities in several Euro countries.
Much of what you say is true, but import cars have always been very popular in Germany too. Back in the 50s – 70s. Fiat was extremely popular, and then Renault into more recent years. The current percentage of import brands is 30% (not counting VW owned “import” brands like Skoda and Seat.) That’s none too shabby.
Hyundai is the #1 import brand (#8) with a 3.3% share, followed by Renault, Fiat, Kia, and Peugeot. The Japanese have slipped, with Toyota down to #12 (2.4% share).
The Japanese made decent inroads into Germany in the 80s, on the strength of their reliability (as well as favorable price and features). Mazda did quite well with their first few generations of the 626, and Toyota, Honda and Nissan did quite well too. Not on the scale as in the US, but an encouraging start.
The German manufacturers were extremely concerned about a “Japanische Welle” (Japanese Invasion), and it’s what really got them to improve their reliability.
In auto, motor und sport 100,000 km tests, Japanese cars did much better than the Germans in the 80s, but throughout the 90s and into the new century, the German(and other European cars) made very significant strides in their reliability.
In general, the reliability gap between Japanese and European cars has substantially narrowed, although our perception of that may be skewed because we tend to get the high end German cars that are intrinsically more complex.
But in comparing the kind of more basic cars that Europeans typically buy, the gap really has narrowed, and auto, motor und sport long-term tests have pretty consistently shown that to be the case. Also, CR in the US has shown that the Golf and such have a generally good to very good reliability rating.
Also, Germany (and most Northern European countries) never had import quotas, I believe.
Good points, Paul. I realise that VW’s have really improved. In fact, at this very moment, I am trying to resist buying a new GTi as this is the last chance to get a German made model. The only thing stopping me is the pond-scum VW dealers in Vancouver. Even though I am a cash buyer, every single one is trying to add dealer packs on the bottom line, which I flatly refuse to pay. So far, not one has budged. This is probably a good thing!
Much later I found out what the most likely real problem was when a Golf with exactly the same problems came in somewhere: the throttle wasn’t working properly. Still, I was foolish and should’ve known better: either spend the money or do it yourself. Knowing what I know now, I probably would’ve made the effort to do some wrenching, having grown (a bit more) responsible by now. The Seat will soon be gone and I’ll be carless again, perhaps I’ll get to it again in the future, but as you correctly noted, a car is not an absolute necessity here.
€27 for that train ticket? That’s quite a lot in fact, earlier this year I spent €21 on a train ticket from Dresden to Aachen, across the country…. taking 10 different trains and 14 hours. There are few railroads in former Yugoslavia though but buses take their role. I eventually went there that way.
Concerning VW quality: current VWs generally aren’t bad (but no Toyotas either) but as with many makes, stay away from first-year models. Late models seem to have trouble with leaky roofs… Recently I read a Mk7 Golf thread where a contributor announced he was getting rid of his new model Golf, replacing it by… another brand new Golf, half a year younger. Because he liked it so much but had to drive diesel due to fuel cost and his car had a number of annoying issues. Another user humorously replied VW is becoming the new Alfa Romeo: “yes, I know it’s shoddily built but it looks good and drives well”…
For 27 Euro, I had an ICE express. It took less than two hours. At my age, I don’t spend an extra twelve hours to save five bucks.
JD Power studies in the U.K. have consistently shown for years that VW is in the middle of the pack or lower on reliability, but they still have the bulletproof reputation that I think must be some remnant of the old Beetle days. Interestingly enough, Skoda almost always does way better and is consistently near the top, even though they are share the same platforms as the VWs – perhaps expectations are lower or the Czechs build them better than the Germans.
My ’88 1.8 8v 5speed Jetta was a really awesome car. Very reliable. So was my mom’s ’85 1.8 8v 5speed Jetta. Her’s was a bit more finicky because of the CIS fuel system vs the Digifant on my ’88 which always seemed to run smooth as silk.
Sometimes people have it in their heads that the car is reliable or is not and it doesn’t matter what the truth is. I know someone who had to put two gearboxes in a Honda before 150k along with some fuel system issue but still insists that Hondas NEVER let you down….. Hmmmm, so that time I picked you up (in a VW no less) while your car was on the side of the road in a pool of transmission fluid was a figment of my imagniation?”
My father taught me: Never buy other people’s problems.
Since we are on the subject, does anyone have a complete wiring diagram for a Mk2 Jetta 1.8 Digifant EFI with the three-speed automatic? I’m at a total loss with this pile of junk, and I’m starting to think this might be the only three speed Jetta in America. Nobody has parts, nobody knows where to get parts, and nobody knows how to fix the thing.
I had a similar problem on an 80 Jetta with the CID injection. Took it too an old German mechanic who aligned the plate on the fuel distributor think it cost me a case of beer for that fix. My buddy had a similar problem on a 92 golf with the digifant system that ended up being a tear on the throttle body intake boot… Sorry to hear about your troubles, at 270k that old jetta was just getting broken in my old mechanic figured they got to about 650k before the bodies rust away 😉
My future wife bought a white 87 Jetta Wolfsburg in 1989 and other than a water pump had zero problems with it. We piled all our camping gear in it and found it had more room for all our stuff than my 90 pathfinder and as both our familys had Volkswagens in our past it was like coming home to an old friend! Eventually we sold it to a buddy of mine at work…he commuted with it from Chilliwack to Vancouver for several more years and when he neared retirement he sold it to a friend of his who was doing a Vancouver-Prince George round trip every week (1000 miles!). It eventually was put out to pasture with 360,000 kms on it…great cars!
Her family…Karman Ghia, 3 Bugs
My family…59 Bug, 61 Bus
Me….77 Rabbit L, 80 Scirocco S, 83 GTI, 86 GTI
My wife….87 Jetta
Our current car…13 Golf TDI 6mt
Last picture was a classy touch.
I also like the Ascona in some of your pics. I would have chosen a Fiat for that trip.