car experts: any way to tell a German assembled VW Jetta from the shoddily built mexican model?

• rnch
  
  Posts: 11556
  
  
  Jun 23, 2010 7:36 PM GMT

  i've had the current body style jetta a couple of times as short term rentals...L O V E the upscale, almost-Audi interior, the slick shifting 6 speed DSG transmission, even like the current exterior styling..
  
  
  BUT
  
  
  i've heard horror stories about the hit or miss, shoddily assembled mexican jettas. seems like they slowly start self destructing around 40K miles.
  
  years ago, the "wolfsberg edition" models were only assembled in germany.
  
  any trick to verifying where a new (or near new) jetta was assembled?

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  Jun 23, 2010 7:46 PM GMT

  From my days as a mechanic, I recall you can tell where a vehicle was assembled by the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN
  Like this:
  
  
  You can tell by the first character of the VIN
  
  1 = United States
  3 = Mexico
  9 = Brazil
  W = Germany
  
  The 11th character of the VIN is the assembly plant
  
  A = Ingolstadt
  B = Brussels
  E = Emden
  G = Graz
  H = Hanover
  K = Osnabruck
  M = Mexico
  N = Neckarsulm
  P = Brazil
  S = Stuttgart
  V = Westmoreland,P.A.(US)
  W = Wolfsburg
  Y = Spain
  
  Also check out the listing in Wikipedia for "VIN"
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIN

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  Jun 23, 2010 10:29 PM GMT

  
  There is also usually a plate on the inside from of the driver's door, which shows where the car was assembled. In my experience with four VW's it matters a lot where they were put together.
  
  http://www.ecarlist.com/showroom/974/photos/603639#54.jpg
  

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