Used 2001 VW JETTA GLS – 1.8 TURBO – 5 SPEED MANUAL – $975 FIRM - cars &... for sale in Wellesley Hills, MA

SYNOPSIS. For sale is a 2001 Jetta GLS Turbo. Look around. It is priced VERY COMPETITIVELY given its mechanical condition, and despite having 214K on the odometer. The average Blue Book private party sale price for this optioned Jetta in “good” condition is $1,319. Dealers are currently asking double that average.

FYI, the car just passed it’s annual state inspection two weeks ago.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

GLS – Jetta’s Turbocharged Sports Edition. It has a power, internally retracting moon roof with privacy slide, remote power door locks, remote power trunk release, power windows, heated seats, cruise control, AC, factory alarm system, and the 1.8 L. 20 Valve DOHC engine with Turbo.

ENGINE: Full synthetic oil has been used for engine servicing and OEM quality oil filters (usually VW brand or Mann). Both oil and oil filters have been changed at recommended intervals. Timing belt, tensioner pulley, water pump, damper, and required hardware all replaced at 128,133 miles.

COOLING: The temperature sensor has been replaced with an upgraded VW OEM one (the “green” sensor). In the last year, a new coolant expansion tank was installed and a coolant flush performed with G13 coolant (VW spec). The radiator was replaced in 2013.

STEERING, SUSPENSION & BRAKES: Key parts are new within the last year. BOTH LEFT and RIGHT FRONT WHEELS have received: new lower ball joints, new OEM FAG wheel bearings, completely new Lemforder tie rod assemblies: tie rods, inner tie rod ends, outer tie rod ends, and new boots. The right front wheel has a new steering knuckle. The car also received an alignment after this work was completed.

The front brakes were also serviced within the last year – new rotors & new pads (left & right side), new calipers, and new brake hoses.

Both rear wheel hubs with integral speed rings were replaced in 2017 with OEM quality replacements. Bearings are integral to this style of hub, so they were replaced then too.

BRAKE FLUID: Complete system wide brake fluid flush 10 months ago.

WHEELS: Rims are the option upgrade of alloy.

EXHAUST: Exhaust is new within the last year. And it is new in its entirety: new catalytic converter, down pipe, new resonator, and new muffler. The O2 sensors are OEM, Bosch. There are no DTC’s (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) in the emissions system.

TRANSMISSION: Seems smooth shifting with appropriate clutch pedal travel.

FUEL: New fuel pump (Bosch) installed in fuel tank 4 months ago.

BATTERY: New in the last year. A heavy duty battery (730 Cold Cranking Amps, manufactured 01/20) with more CCA than a 1.8 L engine requires on cold mornings.

PERFORMANCE: I think performance on this car is good. It merges on and up to speed well. Even though it’s a turbo, I drive it conservatively to minimize repair costs. Most part replacements have been OEM or German specialty brands (e.g., FAG, Meyle, Lemforder, Rein). It has been worth the cost for quality and peace of mind.

HEAT: There is currently NO HEAT in this car. IMPORTANTLY – please note that despite all the recent work and new parts on this car, the asking price has already been significantly discounted to consider this reality ( it is a good deal! ).

There are two options for fixing the heat. The first is replacement of the heater core. An OEM quality heater core currently sells for under $40 ($36.75 at FCPEuro). Replacement is NOT technically difficult, but it IS a time consuming job. The dash has to be pulled away to access the heater core, so it will take hours to do it.

The second solution is much simpler. A ‘heater core bypass’. The two engine bay hoses connected to the heater core are connected to one another, “bypassing” the heater core. Then a DC heater is connected to the battery and put in the cabin ($55 "RoadPro" on Amazon). You manually turn it on and off as needed.

There are even cheaper, quicker solutions in the form of plug-in portable heaters for the cigarette lighter, though I’d expect those to be weak from a power perspective.

The best approach is the first one (replace heater core). The second approach would get you heat within hour or so. Obviously, neither solution is expensive if you do the work yourself.

PAINT/RUST: The hood has some rust and clear coat that has failed. There is rust behind the front wheel wells.

AUTO-LOCK: Mark IV Jettas are notorious for a problematic latch sensor. This doesn’t impact door function or remote locking and unlocking capability. But what it does do is randomly auto-lock itself. That means if you leave the keys in the car, you will be calling AAA. The solution is…not to leave the keys in the car unless you are in it. This problem can be fixed with a new latch assembly. It is a Do-It-Yourself job, but the problem doesn’t really justify the effort required since not leaving the key fob in the car quickly becomes habit. The backseat door (driver’s side) opens/closes normally, but must be manually locked/unlocked and it’s window doesn’t open. All other doors operate normally.

A new driver’s side console control was installed in the last year. A new shift boot and knob has also been installed in the last month. You can spend aftermarket dollars making a lot of this stuff look production line new. There is a ton out there for VW’s. Everything from interior console updates to color coordinated silicone racing hoses and racing-like suspensions. It really depends on what is important to you. For me, the focus has been mechanical and dependability over some of the visuals.

As said before, even with the heat issue, this is a pretty darn good deal for a car that runs! It’s a particularly great one if you’re willing to roll your sleeves up and do that job yourself. Please let me know of questions. But please also know that at this dollar amount, the price is firm and cash only. Thanks for reading.

Not a Dealer – As Is Sale – Local Only