2005 Volkswagen Jetta / Golf / GTI Volkswagen Jetta / Golf / GTI 2005

We are 103,000+ car owners sharing real-world car information.

Join Us

2005 Volkswagen Jetta / Golf / GTI repairs by problem area

Engine (31%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (7%)

Brakes and Traction Control (2%)

Suspension and Steering (28%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (26%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (2%)

Other (5%)

Chart based on 61 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2005 Volkswagen Jetta / Golf / GTI.

2005 Volkswagen Jetta / Golf / GTI repair cost distribution

$2500+ (2%)

$1000 - $2499 (7%)

$500 - $999 (18%)

$100 - $499 (40%)

< $100 (33%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 45 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2005 Volkswagen Jetta 4dr Wagon

turbocharged 100hp 1.9L I4 Diesel 5-speed manual FWD

Volkswagen Jetta in Vermont, United States
Mar 2010 - May 2015
May 2010

143200 mi
New struts in the back 
Nov 2010

151915 mi

US $111
Replaced both tail light bulbs and fuse for L/R bulb Replaced both taillight bulbs and fuse for L/R bulb 
Sep 2011

162000 mi

US $452
Removed and replaced front strut bearing, inspected rotors, inspected inoperable latch on rear hatch. 
Jan 2012

170000 mi

US $1140
fuel filtered clogged up, no power above 2000 rpm rear hatch lock cylinder corroded & frozen, could not open hatch. 
Apr 2012

172700 mi

US $299
Wheel bearing loose and noisy. Replaced. 
Nov 2013

195700 mi

US $300
Wheel bearing worn out tie rod was loose. 
Jun 2014

203000 mi

US $400
Replaced right front control arm, bearing 
Jul 2014

203700 mi

US $800
Replaced starter Replaced motor for rear wiper 
Oct 2014

207500 mi

US $300
replaced the struts 

Return to top

2005 Volkswagen Golf 4dr Hatch

turbocharged 100hp 1.9L I4 Diesel 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Volkswagen Golf in Massachusetts, United States
May 2012 - Jun 2012
Jun 2012

110000 mi

US $128
Corroded Cable from Battery to Starter 
Volkswagen Golf in Dominican Republic
Jan 2012 - Oct 2014
Oct 2014

101680 mi

$250
Air conditioner did not work because radiator fan was damaged. Replaced fan and air conditioner now works. 

Return to top

2005 Volkswagen Golf 4dr Hatch

turbocharged 100hp 1.9L I4 Diesel 5-speed manual FWD

Volkswagen Golf in North Carolina, United States
May 2008 - Jun 2011
Apr 2008

50000 mi
Heater motor 
May 2010

70000 mi

US $1794
Fuel tank, fuel pump 
Volkswagen Golf in Ohio, United States
Feb 2010 - Jun 2011
Mar 2010

85000 mi

US $286
The wiring harness in the driver's door needed to be replaced. 
Volkswagen Golf in Ontario, Canada
Nov 2009 - Jun 2014
Jul 2010

79360 mi

C $40
Replace glow plug 
Dec 2010

83080 mi

C $90
replaced a glow plug 

Return to top

2005 Volkswagen Golf 4dr Hatch

115-horsepower 2.0L I4 5-speed manual FWD

Volkswagen Golf in Virginia, United States
Jul 2014 - Feb 2015
Jul 2014

109000 mi

US $600
new compressor 

Return to top

2005 Volkswagen Golf 4dr Hatch

115-horsepower 2.0L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

Volkswagen Golf in Illinois, United States
Feb 2008 - Feb 2010
Apr 2008

40000 mi
Electrical issue - driver vanity light out. Fixed under warranty. 
Nov 2008

45000 mi
Transmission pan was leaking. Replaced under warranty. 
Oct 2009

55000 mi

US $800
Thermostat replaced. Broken bracket was welded for exhaust system.  Also replaced front struts. replaced struts and strut mounts (wear and tear). Also had bracket welded which holds parts of exhaust system. 
Feb 2010

59000 mi
At low speeds and when stopped, the steering would make a slight clunking sound. Our mechanic wasn't completely certain about the reason for the problem but he said that the strut repair was a likely cause. The check engine light was going on intermittently. The guys at Autozone thought it was a sensor issue related to the catalytic coverter (which I know is sometimes over-diagnosed). My mechanic thought it could have been a loose or faulty gas-cap. 

Return to top

2005 Volkswagen GTI VR6 2dr Hatch

200-horsepower 2.8L V6 6-speed manual FWD

Volkswagen GTI VR6 in Wisconsin, United States
Dec 2013 - Mar 2015
Mar 2015

178000 mi

US $2500
Replaced Clutch. Replaced Timing chain,. Really normal MX. Not bad for 175k miles 

Return to top

2005 Volkswagen GTI 4dr Hatch

turbocharged 180hp 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

Volkswagen GTI in Nova Scotia, Canada
Sep 2014 - Sep 2016
Nov 2014

187180 mi
Turbo boost cuts out on long up-hills, code is weak boost. Mechanic found loose sensor wire and tightened it. This did not fix the problem. 
Jan 2015

188170 mi
Turbo would cut out going up a long hill in low gear. Found a missing nut on the pipe from the turbo to the intercooler allowing the pipe to flex too much. Replaced nut. Problem remains. Turbo would cut out going up a long hill in low gear. Found a missing nut on the pipe from the turbo to the intercooler allowing the pipe to flex too much. Replaced nut. 
Mar 2015

191580 mi

C $400
A ball joint was destroyed by road hazard (foot deep craters in the ice that wasn't removed from our city roads). Ball joint was replaced. Tires and wheels ok, but a shake in the motor ever since, and I have noticed a drop in the mileage. Serpentine drive belt was cracked, so it was replaced. There is quite a shake in the tensioner on the serpentine belt, not fixed. Battery was weak, having trouble starting car in the cold if sitting for more than a few days, or if below -10 degrees. (Car is a diesel). Battery replaced 
Mar 2016

205840 mi

C $425
Front left axle was seized and wheel bearing needed replacement. 
Aug 2016

210800 mi

C $120
Bushings on sway bar were shot and needed replacing. 

Return to top

2005 Volkswagen GTI 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 180hp 1.8L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Volkswagen GTI in Maryland, United States
Sep 2017 - Oct 2018
Jan 2018

US $3500
Engine replacement. Engine overheated back in October. Turns out it was from a failed plastic part - a water pump to the radiator. Once the car engine was replaced, the transmission started to complain and didn't work correctly, and I ended up having to have that repaired, too. Transmission had failed after new engine was installed. Had the transmission repaired by a different vendor in Silver Spring, MD. Transmission was under warranty so my costs were around $900, but total repair was over $2,000. 
Jul 2018

127000 mi

US $370
Had fender painted. 

Return to top

2005 Volkswagen GTI 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 180hp 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

Volkswagen GTI in Massachusetts, United States
Aug 2015 - Jan 2017
Oct 2015

87200 mi

US $500
brakes were leaking, needed flush, one new caliper 
Dec 2016

89000 mi
Upper strut mounts needed replacing. 
Volkswagen GTI in Louisiana, United States
Aug 2011 - Jul 2018
Nov 2011

95000 mi

US $620
Alternator over-charging. Replaced alternator. 
Apr 2018

114000 mi

US $90
Replaced Battery 
Volkswagen GTI in Connecticut, United States
Feb 2011 - Nov 2017
Mar 2011

61000 mi

US $1100
Timing belt and water pump. 
Mar 2013

77000 mi

US $700
replaced valve gasket cover and cam shaft tensioner 
May 2017

104000 mi

US $250
replaced gasket between transmission and axle. 
Volkswagen GTI in Connecticut, United States
Dec 2011 - Jan 2018
Apr 2012

93700 mi
Wheel bearing. Seems to be a common issue with VW GTIs at the very least. The cost to DIY hardware costs nearly matches the total cost of having a reputable shop do it for you. 
Jun 2012

97000 mi

US $4
HVAC Controls lighting was absent since I bought the car. Simple $1 light bulb that you can remove with an air tube piece typically used in fish tanks :-) Dealer wanted $60 to do this. 
Sep 2014

134000 mi

US $350
Crank Positioning sensor. 
Apr 2015

139500 mi

US $23
Brake Light Switch module defective and rear lights would not turn off. 
Jul 2017

167000 mi

US $450
Compressor clutch went, but just went ahead and replaced the entire compressor since they now sell them fully assembled and it then becomes a bolt off bolt on operation. 
Volkswagen GTI in Delaware, United States
Feb 2008 - Jun 2011
May 2008

40000 mi
Wheels/suspension make a noise when going over bunps. 
Dec 2009

65000 mi
the drivers window fell off its clamp. It had to be reglued. 
Volkswagen GTI in North Carolina, United States
Apr 2010 - Jun 2018
Sep 2010

39000 mi
Ignition coil on cylinder 1 died. It was replaced under VW's recall, free of charge. They also took care of 2 other recalls while I was there: The Rear Brake Light switch, and a Sunroof Drain problem. In and out in 1 hour. 
Dec 2011

56000 mi
Replaced right rear wheel bearing. The dust cap had a crease in it when installed from factory and funneled water into the wheel bearing. Result? Rusted and needed replacement. Same happened with the left rear at 20,000 miles. 
Sep 2017

109000 mi

US $186
Noticed torn hoses during last oil change, also while driving, noticed specific oil smell. Replaced lower PCV hose and upper "y" hose. While driving down the road, heard a noise from the engine bay and the temperature light came on. When I got home, noticed leaking coolant from driver side. Figured out that it was the coolant flange (common failure part) and replaced it at the same time as the PCV hoses since they were in the same area. 

Return to top

2004.5 Volkswagen Jetta / Golf / GTI

Engine not specified

Volkswagen in California, United States
Nov 2008 - Mar 2010
Dec 2008

102000 mi

US $1200
Timing Belt and water pump. 

Return to top

See TrueDelta's information for all Hatchbacks, Wagons, and Convertibles.
See TrueDelta's information for all Volkswagen models.

2005 Volkswagen Jetta / Golf / GTI Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2005 Volkswagen Jetta / Golf / GTI problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.