Splash Guards, Mud Flaps ???

Cycleman

Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2012
Location
Hudson Valley, NY
TDI
2013 Jetta SportWagen
Whatever you call them, I'm thinking of getting splash guards (aka, mud flaps) for my 2013 JSW.
The main reason I'm thinking is to help the rear window not get so hard-to-see filthy. That has happened a lot so far this winter.
So, a few questions:
  • Will splash guards help keep the rear window a bit cleaner?
  • Are they easy to install?
  • What's involved with an install?
  • Are the VW brand splash guards a good choice?
All opinions from those who have used these rubber items are greatly welcomed.
Dave, who also sees two different part numbers for this item for the JSW on a VW dealer's site
 

rfortson

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Location
Houston (Clear Lake)
TDI
2012 Jetta Surfwagen TDI
Whatever you call them, I'm thinking of getting splash guards (aka, mud flaps) for my 2013 JSW.
The main reason I'm thinking is to help the rear window not get so hard-to-see filthy. That has happened a lot so far this winter.
So, a few questions:
  • Will splash guards help keep the rear window a bit cleaner?
  • Are they easy to install?
  • What's involved with an install?
  • Are the VW brand splash guards a good choice?
All opinions from those who have used these rubber items are greatly welcomed.
Dave, who also sees two different part numbers for this item for the JSW on a VW dealer's site
I have them on my '12 JSW. I don't see them helping much with the dirty rear window, but then I don't have that problem. Not a lot of winter road grime down here in Texas. I mainly got them because I thought they looked cool. I guess they keep rocks from chipping the paint around the wheel wells....maybe. I bought the VW guards from an online dealership. I think Kefflers (sp?) in North Carolina.

I paid a shop a few bucks to install mine since I didn't have ramps and it seemed like more trouble than it was worth to me. If you're used to working on your car, I don't think there's much to installing them.
 

BrShootr

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2011
Location
Utardia
TDI
MKVI JSW
The don't help with rear window dirt. The dirt on the rear window is due to turbulent air and is from dirt picked up with the air not sprayed up from the tires. It's due to the design of the car. Every bus, van, wagon and hatch has this problem due to the large area on the back of the car being relatively flat. The only OEM I've ever seen that cared about this was Subaru. They had a top spoiler that deflected air down, the airstream keeps the dirt off you window by maintaining a high speed airflow over it.
 

pknopp

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2011
Location
WV
TDI
2012 Jetta Sportwagen
No
For splash gaurds they could be easier.
I had to trim mine a bit.
OEM. My car is lowered and I've scraped them many, many times and they are holding up great.
 

Brent Wahl

Active member
Joined
Nov 2, 2012
Location
Bay Area Ca .. Melbourne Fla
TDI
2013 Jetta Sportwagen TDi
No idead about rear window

I have 2013 jsw with OEM front and rear mud guards.

Saw the oem install instruction and thought it showed taking the wheels off to install them. Dealer installed them for me
 

schultp

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2008
Location
Michigan
TDI
2010 Jetta Sportwagen, 6sp manual
From past experience with other vehicles, taking the wheels off gives more room to use a drill-driver to fasten the splashguards with stainless self tapping screws. But, I am sure on some vehicles it is possible to do the job without removing the wheels.
 

jni3

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2012
Location
pennsylvania
TDI
2012 sportwagen tdi / 2012 golf tdi
i got them for my wife's jsw. even if they don't help with the rear window it's a great product. helps save your paint from road debris.
 

MertCheney

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2011
Location
Northfield, Vt
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen
I would recommend the flaps to help keep debri off the lower body panels. The OEM's are the way to go but in VW fashion they are not as easy to install as they should be.

Mert Cheney
 

nhdude

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2005
Location
New Hampshire
TDI
2011 JSW 6M gone back to VWoA, 1996 Passat Wagon (RIP)
I installed them on my 2011 JSW (VW OEM units) to keep salt, sand, etc. from blasting the lower body behind the wheel wells. They do seem to help in that regard. No effect on rear window as others have mentioned. Install was fairly easy... wheels need to come off.
 

jasong70

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Location
DC
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
I would install the fronts, but leave the rear off.

The rears seem to get pinched if you back up to a curb in reverse or drive off a curb. I have one that is nearly ripped off.

The fronts help with rocks. The rear are marginally helpful...
 

ValveCoverGasket

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Location
pnw
TDI
colorado duramax, 1z vanagon, tdi touareg
does anyone offer a flexible version? or has anyone installed something like the rally armor setup?

im not a fan of fixed mudflaps, as if they ever get hung up on something they typically cause damage to other components as they break/flex...
 

austinlatdi

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2010
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
'12 4-dr man GOLF TDI - Graphite Blue / '11 JSW DSG loaded - Candy White
My wife's 2011 JSW came with the OEM body kit. She also has the GTI Autobahn wheels which are more aggressive than the stock 17" goals or similar, so she always has dirt/mud behind the front wheels.

Anyone have the splash guards on a JSW with the body kit? That would be excellent.
 

jni3

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2012
Location
pennsylvania
TDI
2012 sportwagen tdi / 2012 golf tdi
I would install the fronts, but leave the rear off.

The rears seem to get pinched if you back up to a curb in reverse or drive off a curb. I have one that is nearly ripped off.

The fronts help with rocks. The rear are marginally helpful...
i feel the front could come off if you drove off a curb. but then again why would you back all the way up to a curb or drive off of one?
 

jasong70

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Location
DC
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
You wouldn't, normally.

I went to an event where they made people park on a grassy area and when it came time to leave, the wooden block used to get the cars on the grass were gone. The mud guard too a big of a hit when stepping off the curb. It was a standard height too, not that tall...

The other time I backed into a parking spot and they had one of those concrete dividers to keep people from backing up too far (Ikea) and the rear mud guard got pinched between it and the tire so it tore a few screws out since it was cold and the rubber didn't give much.

Both incidents were pretty "normal" but I guess it can happen....

i feel the front could come off if you drove off a curb. but then again why would you back all the way up to a curb or drive off of one?
 
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