Hello,

I am in the process of buying a 2001 Jetta with the 4 cylinder/5 speed and 140,000 miles. While doing the compression test I found 3 cylinders at 190lbs and 1 at 160lbs. Can anyone please tell me if this is an acceptable range??
Also, this car will be driven by my teenage son and I've seen a lot of negitive reviews on the internet. Is this a smart choice?
Thank you for any/all feedback!

How does it drive? Has the timing belt been replaced recently? Have all the major maintenance items been replaced recently?

If it drives great cold and hot, has ample power, smooth, and no faults in memory, then I would say go for it! Is it a turbo or regular 4 cylinder?

Thank you for your response!

It is not a turbo. The timing belt has no visible cracks but does not look new. There are no "big repairs" in the service records that the seller has provided but I don't get the feeling that maintanence has been a priority. I did not see any fault lights on when running.
As far as running, it seems fine when warmed up but runs pretty rough when started cold.
Whatcha think?

Thanks again

Change hte belt and water pump and call it a day. I wouldn't worry about the small difference if you notice no drivability issues.

Are we talking diesel or gas

Thanks for all the help guys. The dealer told me that this could cost a small fortune if it were not one of the "simple fixes" you've outlined so I passed on the project and went another direction.
Thanks again!