TDI - $11,000 rolling time bomb

hevster1

Vendor
Joined
Nov 14, 2005
Location
Columbia NJ
TDI
98 NB
Ski in NC said:
Jammicpai: Go to the dealer with a sample bottle and request a sample of fuel from your tank. Send it to a lab. Just because it is cloudy does not mean it is contaminated. Seeing something in a bottle of fuel or in the dirty side of a fuel filter housing does not establish causation. Get the sample from the tank.

Have their tech assist you in lifting the back seat and drawing fuel from the tank.
An excellent idea. If they balk at this they are lying. Threaten legal action.
 

joetdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Location
Midwest
TDI
2-2002 Jettas W/Auto
If this helps, the HPFP has been revised a while ago. And all 2010 models have it, but that doesn't mean it is better.

The fuel is not likely to be the root problem here.
 

dweisel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Location
Wheeling, West Virginia
TDI
dweisel isn't diesel anymore!
joetdi said:
If this helps, the HPFP has been revised a while ago. And all 2010 models have it, but that doesn't mean it is better.

The fuel is not likely to be the root problem here.
Whats the ''new'' part number for this revised pump? All I've heard is rumors of new hardening of pump components and revised design with NO proof of either. Got proof?

Dweisel
 

joetdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Location
Midwest
TDI
2-2002 Jettas W/Auto
Other than the DSM telling me no. And not all revised parts get new part numbers.
 

dweisel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Location
Wheeling, West Virginia
TDI
dweisel isn't diesel anymore!
joetdi said:
Other than the DSM telling me no. And not all revised parts get new part numbers.
I guess we at least know it wasn't revised before March 2010 when nipomaTDI's car was built. When the HPFP stop prematurely failing at a certain build date, THEN we'll know there has been a revised ''new improved'' HPFP.

Dweisel
 

Dodoma

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2004
TDI
2002 Jetta White
Your best solution is to trade with the VW dealer for 2010 model. Then it will become the dealer's problem while you will be enjoying your new car.
 

NipomoTDI

Active member
Joined
May 4, 2010
Location
Nipomo, CA
TDI
2010 Golf TDI UG 4DR 6spd Manual
Yeah, my Golf's born on date was 3/10.... so the 2010's are unfortunately NOT immune to the problem. When all is said and hopefully done, and when (I'm hoping) I'm driving away from the dealership with my car all fixed up (new fuel system), I'll most likely never be able to "Worry Less..." as the whole thing could feasibly happen again. And again...
 

itchytweed

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2009
Location
Milwaukee, WI
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI Sportwagen
First off, IANAL, but I see that the dealer and the rep really messed up this one. VW has the burden of proof to support the "contaminated fuel" case and evidence has been destroyed along with the chain of custody for the evidence. If this would go to court, VW could have some real issues if you get a good lawyer who knows his/her job.
 

mysql

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Location
United States
TDI
Jetta wagon
The only option VW has given us to rectify this is to sell the car.

I wonder how much I'd lose trading it in now... versus if I wait 3 years. What will the market be like for the TDI with a known repeating catastrophic failure with massive repair costs?
 

jammicpai

Member
Joined
May 27, 2010
Location
Carlisle, MA
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
testing the fuel

I took a sample of the fuel from my car's tank. It is on the way to be tested. I'll let you all know what I learn.
 

greengeeker

Vendor
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS
I take it the dealership was cooperative? Did they make any notion that they were worried or interested in what you found?
 

jammicpai

Member
Joined
May 27, 2010
Location
Carlisle, MA
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
They seemed friendly and were willing to get the sample for me. I witnessed the tech filling my little bottle from the tank directly - there is an access opening under the back seat. (Yeah, for other car ignoramuses like me, when you sit in the back seat you are sitting on the fuel tank.)
 

jammicpai

Member
Joined
May 27, 2010
Location
Carlisle, MA
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
My insurance company is paying for the repair!

So my insurance company is paying for the repair being done at the dealership! I'm responsible only for my $500 deductible.
The VW regional rep offered me a $200 certificate good for service at any VW dealership. Big whoop.
A load off my mind, but of course no resolution to the larger issues here, so I will continue my investigation. I'll post when I get results of the fuel test. I've also spoken with the manager at the last place I fueled the car, and they indeed have records of tests they perform every time they get a tanker truck of diesel.
to be continued...
 

ibid

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2003
Location
Chicagoland, IL
TDI
Jetta, 2002, Red
so this whole thing is being covered by your insurance company and NOT VW warranty or your VW dealership after all?

am I understanding it correctly?

What auto insurance do you have and what is the part of the policy that covers this? I want to make sure I'm covered if this misfortune were to happen to my VW and VW refuses to cover it under warranty.
 

dweisel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Location
Wheeling, West Virginia
TDI
dweisel isn't diesel anymore!
jammicpai said:
So my insurance company is paying for the repair being done at the dealership! I'm responsible only for my $500 deductible.
The VW regional rep offered me a $200 certificate good for service at any VW dealership. Big whoop.
A load off my mind, but of course no resolution to the larger issues here, so I will continue my investigation. I'll post when I get results of the fuel test. I've also spoken with the manager at the last place I fueled the car, and they indeed have records of tests they perform every time they get a tanker truck of diesel.
to be continued...
So what happens next? You get a clean bill of health on your fuel sample and then notifiy the insurance company and then they go after VW to recoup their loss on your repair claim? Or does it really pay for VW to play the contaminated fuel card?

Dweisel
 
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dubStrom

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Location
Kansas City Missouri
TDI
2003 A4 Jetta (sold), 2010 JSW (sold), 2013 Passat 6MT traded for 2014 JSW with 6MT-TOTALED in November 2016, 2003 ALH 5MT conversion (sold), wheezing 2015 GSW/DSG and a new 2021 Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 p'up
dweisel said:
So what happens next? You get a clean bill of health on your fuel sample and then notifiy the insurance company and then they go after VW to recoup their loss on your repair claim? Or does it really pay for VW to play the contaminated fuel card?

Dweisel
No way. I do NOT like this. You should NOT have let the insurance company get involved until after VW refused to do it. Didn't they admit it was clean diesel?

Insurance company should not pay, unless they are insuring Volkswagen, not you!!

This is not cool.
 

Ski in NC

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 7, 2008
Location
Wilmington, NC USA
TDI
2001 Jetta ALH 5sp stock
Insurance companies often pay a claim to the insured, then seek reimbursement from the party shown to be responsible after investigation. That may be the fuel supplier, or VW. Big claims get more investigation, little ones just get paid.
 

dweisel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Location
Wheeling, West Virginia
TDI
dweisel isn't diesel anymore!
dubStrom said:
No way. I do NOT like this. You should NOT have let the insurance company get involved until after VW refused to do it. Didn't they admit it was clean diesel?

Insurance company should not pay, unless they are insuring Volkswagen, not you!!

This is not cool.
I think you are getting the two recent HPFP failures confussed with each other.
1) nipomoTDI had the failure that had clean diesel and covered by warranty.
2) jammicpai had the failure that is being covered by insurance and the fuel is on its way to be tested.
 

dweisel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Location
Wheeling, West Virginia
TDI
dweisel isn't diesel anymore!
Ski in NC said:
Insurance companies often pay a claim to the insured, then seek reimbursement from the party shown to be responsible after investigation. That may be the fuel supplier, or VW. Big claims get more investigation, little ones just get paid.
I guess thats sort of like credit card fraud. Steal a little from a lot of different people and they don't even go after the thief. Too small of an amount to make it worthwhile.

Dweisel
 

gpshumway

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Location
Minneapolis, MN
TDI
2000 Jetta
dweisel said:
Can someone help jammicpai out and post some links to HPFP threads and mysql HPFP failure site. Nickofari,Maverick395 to name two.

Dweisel
I realize I'm a bit late to this party, but here's my list from another thread:

Nickofari Failure 12/26/09
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=268190

Dweisel Failure 9/28/09
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=259601

knowledge Failure 3/23/10 VW initially denied coverage. As of 3/25/10 VW Corporate was still refusing coverage.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=277237

house-1221 Failure 2/21/10 VW covered under warranty.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=273983

birkie 12/30/09 Failure VW covered under warranty.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=268609

tonydec failure 12/27/09 VW claimed "Outside Influence" and had to take VW to arbitration.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=268235

Haz-matt reported failure 2/25/10 but car had been at the shop for 6 weeks.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=274408

mysql site:
http://www.tdi-issues.com/
 

VLS_GUY

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2006
Location
Camarillo, CA
TDI
2002 Bug, Skid Plate, Stage 1 Upsolute
Nipomotdi,

People living in Santa Barbara, SLO, and Ventura County need to know the name or at least the location of the dealer that claimed you had diesel fuel contaminated with gasoline. No need to create any more unsuspecting victims.
 

colinmichael

Active member
Joined
May 27, 2010
Location
SLO, CA
TDI
JSW '10
VLS_GUY said:
Nipomotdi,

People living in Santa Barbara, SLO, and Ventura County need to know the name or at least the location of the dealer that claimed you had diesel fuel contaminated with gasoline. No need to create any more unsuspecting victims.
80 miles North or East of Nipomo is nowhere so it must have been 80 miles south... I bought my TDI there, can't say that makes me want to take it back for service....
 

ibid

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2003
Location
Chicagoland, IL
TDI
Jetta, 2002, Red
jayb79 said:
I smell a class action suit in the future for this issue.
I think that would take a while and a lot more failures before that happens.

I am still waiting for a class action lawsuit for all 99 to 2002 VW Jetta/Golf with the window clip problem (and window's falling down)

Now that all the cars including 99% of 2002 Jetta's are outside of the 7 year extended warranty VW put out instead of a recall, windows are continuing to fail!
 

truman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 18, 2000
Location
columbia,MO,usa
TDI
'05 Passat Variant, Still miss the 03JW
Class action lawsuit= $300million + expenses to the attorneys and $200 gift card to the affected owners to use toward merchandise or down payment on a new VW at your favorite dealer.
 

BumbleBeeTJ

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Location
Alabama
TDI
2010 JSW TDI DSG
yea class action suit sux...there is one lawyer(or few) to hundreds of thoudsands of owners ... we get nothing
 

jammicpai

Member
Joined
May 27, 2010
Location
Carlisle, MA
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
Insurance

Commerce Insurance in Massachusetts, under "Comprehensive" coverage. The insurance company negotiated directly with the dealership and as far as I can tell agreed to pay what the dealer asked to fix the problem.

Pretty sweet deal for VW, eh? They maybe cause the problem, then get someone to pay them to fix it.
 

dweisel

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Location
Wheeling, West Virginia
TDI
dweisel isn't diesel anymore!
jammicpai said:
Commerce Insurance in Massachusetts, under "Comprehensive" coverage. The insurance company negotiated directly with the dealership and as far as I can tell agreed to pay what the dealer asked to fix the problem.

Pretty sweet deal for VW, eh? They maybe cause the problem, then get someone to pay them to fix it.
How soon will you have your fuel sample results back? I'd think the insurance company would be interested in the results.

Dweisel
 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
jammicpai said:
Pretty sweet deal for VW, eh? They maybe cause the problem, then get someone to pay them to fix it.
Maybe for VW... as for the rest of us... if this becomes a trend, watch for insurance rates to skyrocket for these cars...

Yuri
 
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