Questions and Answers
I bought a used 1999 Jetta with 13,000 miles and was alerted to the problem by actually running out of oil. I didn't think anything of it at the time as I thought it was my fault for not checking. I brought the car in for an oil change and some time after checked the oil only to find I was a quart low. I thought at the time that VW service had forgotten to change the oil so I topped it off upset because I though VW charged me services they didn't perform.
Another Jetta Losing Oil
Q. Dear Vincent, I recently read the question and answer to "Jetta losing oil" and can relate to what the person is saying, however the problem is not just confined to the car in question - it is a widespread problem affecting ALL new Jettas.
From that point on I began to pay closer attention to what was happening and found that the car was actually consuming oil 1 quart to every 1000 miles. I called the dealer and spoke to service only to find that this was NORMAL!! and that I could go on an oil monitoring program where they topped the car off and check the oil use every 1000 miles. I have spoken to 2 dealers and also VW corporate technical about this and have been told different stories each time.
VW Rhode Island tells me that it has to do with the oil seals VW is using and that after the 30,000 mile mark the rings will bed and the oil use will drop.
VW New Jersey tells me that it's part of the emission system and that in order to meet new regs the engine runs hotter and cooks off oil.
VW Corporate really wouldn't comment.
I think that this is a serious problem and that VW is covering up the problem and their dealers are misinformed about what to tell us (the customers). I had a 1977 Datsun 280Z that used less oil then this new car. One quart every 1000 miles is excessive and I fear that when I sell the car the value will be less as I'm sure word will have gotten out at that point.
What should Jetta owners do now??
Travis
A. The problem is not only with the Jetta, it is with the Beetle as well. I have gotten reports from Beetle owners with the same concerns.
Personally, my opinion is that this is a defect that VW is either unable or unwilling to correct. It's easier to say this is a normal condition then it is to replace or repair thousands of defective engines. I remember working in an Oldsmobile dealership a few years ago and hearing the GM factory rep tell a customer that using a quart of oil every 500 miles was normal.
What can be done about it? Not to much. If it is a problem with the valve seals then that would be fairly easy to correct, just replace the seals. In fact, I would recommend replace the valve seals using seals from an aftermarket manufacturer. No sense getting them from VW since they probably have the same defect, if they are defective.
There might be a legal avenue to persue, but I'm not a lawyer (much to my Mothers disappointment) so I don't know how this would be persued. Perhaps a class action suit?
