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The 2007 Volkwagen Jetta, of German manufacturing, has several problems to consider before purchasing the vehicle. It weathered two serious recalls, which could have greatly impaired the cars performance and even endangered the driver if not fixed. It also has many consumer complaints dealing with various aspects of the car ranging from mechanical failures to cost spent in repairing these issues.

Headlights

In Sept. 2007, a recall was issued for 2007 Volkswagen Jettas because of a malfunction in their headlights. Some vehicles may not have received a cap that disables horizontal aim of the headlights and some vehicles may have contained a cap that disabled the vertical aiming screw. This means that the nighttime illumination of the roadway would have been partially disabled and could contribute to a crash.

Driveshaft Screws

In May 2009, a recall was issued for 2007 Volkswagen Jettas because of loose screws near the driveshaft cover. These screws may not have been properly torqued and could loosen over time, creating a knocking sound when the vehicle was in motion. They could also loosen to the point where the driveshaft could detach from the gearbox. The driveshaft could cause damage to the gearbox in a moving Jetta, damaging the gearbox and causing it to leak oil onto the highway. This could be a potential threat for the driver of the Jetta and other drivers on the roadway.

Other Problems

The 2007 Jetta also has a list of other problems that were not widespread enough to cause recalls. Drivers found problems with their engine, transmission and driveline, steering and suspension, brakes, heating and air conditioning, starting and charging and car accessories. Excessive complaints have been raised about the engine. At certain times the car will not start. Aside from the problems, 2007 Jetta parts are quite expensive to buy and repair, financially setting many drivers back.

The Volkswagen Passat is a series of family cars in production since 1973. The fifth generation of this series was in production from 1996 to 2000, and was available with a variety of engines. One such engine was a six-cylinder 2.8-liter engine with a double overhead camshaft. This design uses a timing belt to synchronize the crankshaft and camshaft movements. Volkswagen recommends replacement of the timing belt every 60,000 miles or six years.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the cable on the negative battery terminal with a socket wrench. Detach the accessory drive belt.

2

Turn the crankshaft by hand to align the timing marks on the crankshaft and both camshafts. This places the first cylinder of the the engine in the top dead center position. Disconnect the crankshaft position sensor from the lower left side of the engine.

3

Place Tool No. 3242 onto the crankshaft and tighten it slightly to hold the crankshaft in place. Disconnect the upper cover for the timing belt with a socket wrench. Remove the vibration damper from the crankshaft, and remove the lower cover for the timing belt.

4

Loosen the bolts on the camshaft sprockets with a socket wrench. Release the sprockets from the ends of the camshafts, and remove the sprockets from the camshaft. Relieve the tension on the timing belt with the tensioner roller, and disconnect the timing belt from the pulleys.

5

Place the camshaft sprockets onto the camshafts. Install Tool No. 3243 into the alignment flanges of the camshaft, and fasten the camshaft sprockets to the camshafts. Place the new timing belt over the crankshaft sprocket, camshaft sprockets, idler rollers and timing belt tensioner in that order.

6

Tighten the roller on the camshaft tensioner so that you can just twist the timing belt between the tensioner and the left camshaft sprocket by 1 / 4 turn. Tighten the mounting bolts for the camshaft sprockets to 33 ft. lbs. with a torque wrench.

7

Connect the lower cover for the timing belt with a socket wrench and attach the vibration damper to the crankshaft. Remove Tool No. 3242 from the crankshaft. Connect the crankshaft position sensor to the engine, and attach the accessory drive belt. Connect the cable to the negative battery terminal.