Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he

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Sun 22 Nov 2015 02:19
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - Zoe Life

Hey Im trying to buy my first car & i came across a guy selling a 1999 volkswagen Jetta with 130,000 Mileage He also said it needs a tune up but is selling for around $550.. Good Deal or no?

Edited by Zoe Life on 22/11/2015 at 02:25

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Sun 22 Nov 2015 07:35
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - RobJP

I'll re-phrase your question :

"Hi, I want to buy this car which has problems. Is it a good idea ?"

Now answer the question yourself.

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Sun 22 Nov 2015 10:26
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - jc2

Walk,no,run away!Or get him to fix it and offer $50.

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Sun 22 Nov 2015 11:19
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - scot22

The same.

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Sun 22 Nov 2015 15:57
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - Avant

Is $550 US dollars? Without knowing which country you're in it's difficult to advise: but you should be able to find something without known problems even at this end of the market.

Condition matters much more than make or model - but in the UK there are advantages in looking for Fords (lots of them around to choose from) or something Japanese (more chance of getting a reliable one, especially a Toyota).

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Mon 23 Nov 2015 08:12
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - Zoe Life
Yes $550 us dollars
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Mon 23 Nov 2015 09:16
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - RobJP

A car that cheap is on it's last legs. It may go terminally wrong at any moment.

It already has problems. If the problems were easy or cheap to fix, the seller would have fixed them. The fact that they haven't should tell you a lot.

So if you buy it, you must assume that it may go horribly wrong tomorrow, or on any day, and be scrap.

If you are willing to take that risk, then buy it. Only you can decide if that is a risk you are prepared to take, however.

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Mon 23 Nov 2015 12:21
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - Andrew-T

All this is not necessarily true, it's just quite probable. The owner may have stopped driving after years of careful maintenance, or has owned it for a long time and hopes to save a few $ by not having a part-ex against a newer one.

No-one on here can judge about this case. Someone on-site has to find out more and decide what to do. Whatever, it's not going to break any bank.

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Mon 23 Nov 2015 12:48
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - alan1302

No-one on here can judge about this case. Someone on-site has to find out more and decide what to do. Whatever, it's not going to break any bank.

Without knowing anything about the car how do you know it won't break the bank? :-)

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Mon 23 Nov 2015 14:47
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - Andrew-T

<< Without knowing anything about the car how do you know it won't break the bank? >>

If $500 is spent and the car looks like needing a lot more, that is the amount by which the bank is broken - the car can always be scrapped. If it doesn't, we're quids in.

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Mon 23 Nov 2015 21:05
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - alan1302

<< Without knowing anything about the car how do you know it won't break the bank? >>

If $500 is spent and the car looks like needing a lot more, that is the amount by which the bank is broken - the car can always be scrapped. If it doesn't, we're quids in.

Most people who can only affor $500 won't be able to lose that $500 of a rubbish car though and even if it's fixable it could be quite costly just getting a sercice done and a set of tyres (tires!).

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Mon 23 Nov 2015 23:08
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - Andrew-T

<< Most people who can only afford $500 ... >>

I don't remember the OP saying that?

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Tue 24 Nov 2015 12:52
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - alan1302

<< Most people who can only afford $500 ... >>

I don't remember the OP saying that?

The op didn't give much info at all so we can only assume - if someone is buying a $500 car then it's most likley that's all they an afford to pay.

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Tue 24 Nov 2015 14:04
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - Andrew-T

<< The op didn't give much info at all so we can only assume - if someone is buying a $500 car then it's most likley that's all they an afford to pay >>

You can never tell. Some people can't resist a bargain.

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Mon 23 Nov 2015 12:48
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - scot22

No it won't break any bank - but who wants the hassle ? Most older cars which have been well maintained usually seem to go to friends of owner, in my experience.

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Mon 23 Nov 2015 13:16
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - Engineer Andy

It depends how big the OP's bank account is. A major service (even accounting for lower prices in the US the the UK) would probably cost (guess) in the region of $350-$500 (given that the OP indicated the owner said it needed a 'tune up'), but as has been said, we (and apparently the OP) don't really know the full history of the car - petrol or diesel, history of rectified faults/general service history/wear and tear parts replaced, any accident damage/repairs, has it been off the road long (if at all - I'm presuming it has given the 'tune up comment by the OP), etc. Some of the car's components may (if it has it been off the road long) have siezed up (brakes, anything mechanical that needs regular oiling) and will need fixing in addition to a thorough service.

A major suspension or engine problem could result in it being unusable for some time and be expensive ($500 - $1500 [replacement engine, reconditioned?] at worse as a guess).

I'm guessing the US 1999 Jetta = UK/EU VW Bora. If so, see:

www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/volkswagen/bora-1999...d

...for issues that could arise. If I were going for such a car, I would want it inspected by someone with decent knowledge/mechanic, as even a test drive might break the car or put components 'over the edge' for the first drive (ironically possibly to the dealership for a service) which might prove very costly (e.g. no oil in the engine, water/coolant in the radiator, etc) or even terminal. I'd personally steer clear unless it was proved ok beyond doubt, which it probably won't be.

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Mon 23 Nov 2015 14:12
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - madf

The answer to buying a 16 year old car was uttered by Clint Eastwood in teh Dirty harryy films.

"Are you feeling lucky?"

If it's OK it may last years. Or it may be OK and fail big time next day,week or month. The design life for most cars is 10 years. At most.

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Mon 23 Nov 2015 14:46
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - skidpan

The design life for most cars is 10 years. At most.

Not that again.

Looking on our street there are many cars 10 years old or over.

The oldest is a "F" plate Ford Sierra Saphire, bit of rust but runs fine everyday.

"52" plate Ford Ka. Looks great and not even rusty round the fuel filer.

"R" plated Renault Laguna. Looks fine but drops a bit of oil.

"54" plate Nissan Tino. Absolutely immaculate.

"X" plate Nissan Tino. Absolute nail boldily but starts everyday.

"55" plate Nissan Micra. Looks fine.

"P" plate Rover 100. Bit of rust on bottom of doors but gets the owner to work and back every day.

"54" plate Seat Toledo. Looks outstanding for the year.

"53" plate Peugeot 406. Nice car.

"T" plate Landrover. As corroded and oil leaky as expected. Smokes like a lab Beagle, sounds like a tractor but gets the lad to work everyday.

If I needed a car cheap and quick I would buy most of the above. But I would accept that any major fault would probably write it off. You cannot afford to get too attached to cars this old.

Edited by skidpan on 23/11/2015 at 14:48

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Tue 24 Nov 2015 11:30
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please - leef

The design life for most cars is 10 years. At most.

Not that again.

I agree !00% Skidpan. My Mrs has an 02 plate focus 1.6 and its in tip top condition. Sailed through its MOT only needing a new wiper.

I've got Nissan almera Tino 54 Plate and barring new discs and pads its been a dream to run (not a good looking car) but starts perfect and drives perfect.

Edited by leef on 24/11/2015 at 11:33

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Tue 24 Nov 2015 19:21
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please - Tester

Seconded! I have had a 51-plate Citroen C5 2.2 estate since it was 6 months old; for sure, it's had one or two annoying electronic glitches but nothing terminal and mechanically it's as sweet as the proverbial nut. It's very 'torquey' still - always amusing to leave behind newer cars that fancy their chances - and has never failed an MoT. I have looked after it, though.

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Tue 24 Nov 2015 19:35
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please - Engineer Andy

HJ himself has (if I recall correctly) states that most cars are designed with an economic life of 7 years, and manufacturers are only forced to make parts for 10 years after a model has ended production.

On the other side of the coin, an unloved 5 year-old car may be in far worse condition than a cherished (not gone overboard, but regularly serviced and cleaned) car from an established reliable make that is 10+ years old. My own nearly 10yo Mazda 3 is a good example - I also often see an early 80s bright pea green Toyota Starlet running around my town that looks in fine condition, as well as some much newer (under 5 years old) cars which look to have seen better days.

In this case, other than the OP saying that the seller thinks it needs a 'tune up', we (or they perhaps) don't know that much about the car's history, so we are guessing based on the information at hand and the price. I suspect the seller has (for whatever reason) not used the car for some time, and thus this could lead to issues (some quite serious and expensive to fix, if they even can be) that would put off the OP buying. Its not as though they'll be loads of cheap VW parts available in the US via every independent garage if something serious does go wrong.

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Mon 23 Nov 2015 14:54
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - Andrew-T

The design life for most cars is 10 years. At most.

Then why do they bother with a complex anti-corrosion process, which (barring accidents) will last a lot longer than that? I suppose it must be because they are stuck with some corrosion warranty. We all know that many - perhaps most - cars become valueless at that age, but that is not usually because they are clapped out. It's because buyers are bored with that model.

Edited by Andrew-T on 23/11/2015 at 14:55

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Wed 25 Nov 2015 10:15
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - madf

The design life for most cars is 10 years. At most.

Then why do they bother with a complex anti-corrosion process, which (barring accidents) will last a lot longer than that? I suppose it must be because they are stuck with some corrosion warranty. We all know that many - perhaps most - cars become valueless at that age, but that is not usually because they are clapped out. It's because buyers are bored with that model.

I recall an arms race on anti corrosion guarantees in the 1990s..

All those quoting examples of old cars greater than 10 years old forget teh 10 years is an average.. There will ALWAYS be cars that last longer (and much less).

My neighbour has an immaculate 1988 Mercedes 300E? Does that mean it was better built? No it means it was stored for 15 years and then rebuilt at huge cost..

We have a 2005 Yaris D4d. It is very good.. But most are neglected at that age and not maintained.. or have very high mileages..

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Tue 24 Nov 2015 13:26
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - A3 A4

Maybe we're missing something here, a '99 VW Jetta = a UK VW Bora (Golf IV) possibly with a PD engine, at 130k its only just run in!

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Tue 24 Nov 2015 13:41
Should i buy This 1999 Volkswagen jetta? please he - RobJP

Did VW even do diesel engines in the USA back then ?

YAY. PR disaster bingo ! VW, diesel and the USA all in the same sentence !

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