Question for the VW experts... 2000 Jetta

[Oldfisti]

Someone I know has one to unload inexpensively.  It's a 2.0 auto with 150k on the odo.  Just wondering if she was capable of making it to 200k without any major transplants of parts.  Seems like it's had average care over the years.  I was just looking for a nice beater.  I expect to do all the regular maitenance and a timing belt.  

Thanks in advance for the input!

Also - small mods are not out of the question  

[LowThudd]

Nothing is certain, but I have heard of them going over 200k. The diesels typically go over 300k if properly maintained. The engine should make it, not sure about the trans.  I would have a mechanic give it a once over and see if there is anything overlooked.

[Howie]

Most important is knowing the history of the car.  A buddy of mine had a '92 GTI that died at close to 500K miles.  Powertrain wise, other than maintenance, a head gasket, some exhaust manifold studs and gasket.  Cause of death?  Crash.

I think you know how long a well maintained Alfa can last.  I think you also know the reputation they have in the US.

[malamikigo]

It should have no troubles going 200,000km.  That 2.0 engine is bulletproof.  Again, nothing is certain and every car is an inidividual case, but if it hasn't been abused, there's no reason it shouldn't make 200k with nothing more than oil changes and spark plugs.  That's just the engine.

Things like brakes, suspension, exhaust, steering componenets, etc, those could be a different story entirely depending on how the car has been driven.  Same as any car though. 

Good luck. 

[DRKWNG]

Paging Zooom.  Zooom to the VW thread.

[Oldfisti]

I was just hoping the major drivetrain components would go the distance.  The rest seems decent for the moment.  More miles on it than I would prefer but it's CHEAP and no rust which is huge for up here in the Northeast.

[zooom]

2000 Jetta 2.0 should be an AEG engine code which is mostly a reasonable and easily maintainable vehicle. If the vehicle is driven on the highway a lot, there is less of a likelyhood of needing a catalytic converter ( if it hasn't been replaced already). The issue I have is the autotragic transmission as the weak link. It has never been one of the best trans/engine combo's and isn't exactly the most easily servicable transmission. If you know a good technician that can do said servicing, and it isn't already showing signs of hard shifting or any other kind of shifting issues, then get it serviced and maintain that in the early portion of things. Especially if the previous owner has been doing that already. If it is showing those signs and has no service history, then the likelyhood of needing a new trans is rather high in your time of ownership and that can be rather costly. There are other issues typical in that chassis which are known and easier to deal with. Things like the front window regulators and the o2 sensors, which were ( IMHO ) due to a bad combination of engineers not counting how the american market user would be using the car in their design and application parameters. Overall though, if the car is cheap enough, it isn't a bad vehicle to jump on. I'd love to hear what comes of this all.

[D8]

As zooom mentioned, the only weakspot in that drivetrain is the auto tranny. They tend to start slipping no matter how well they're maintained.

[yamifixer]

My .02

My 2001 1.8T(AWW) is just at 150K and is pretty much as good as the day I got it. It's a manual but I know of 2 autos that ate their trans. It is not a cheap fix.

Get used to CEL. Mine throws one about every 4 months (just got a new one last week. Hello new cat) mostly it is nothing big but with out the right tools they are hard to pinpoint. But on the good side It has given me a reason to buy new tools and a Vag-Com.

I love mine and Good luck should you get it.

[Johnny5]

Just do the Timing belt service and change the oil regularly.  The only thing (other than beating the living hell out of it everyday) that will make that engine go boom is neglecting those two things.  Timing belt should be done with the waterpump and thermostat at the same time, at between (every) 75k - 90k miles.