2004 Volkswagen Jetta drivetrain & axles problems

I bought a 2004 VW jetta gls on march 15, 2004 and it has now been to the shop, oh, about 4 or 5 times! The first time, the clutch was chattering - so, they had to replace the whole clutch kit, then the clutch cable had to be adjusted because it wasn't shifting right, then the secondary air pump had to be replaced, now the brake pedal makes a popping sound everytime I press and depress it... Then to top it all off - - I went to goto work the other day, and it wouldn't start!!!

I own a 2004 volkswagen jetta 1.8t, and have just gone through clutch issues at 50k miles. 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th gears work fine, but I cannot engage 1st or reverse with the engine on. I have driven manual cars my whole life, and have put close to 100k miles on a few cars with the original clutch, with no repairs necessary. I spoke with 2 different VW dealers, and both said to me on the phone "this seems odd, I bet a new clutch isn't needed, a minor adjustment should do the trick".