VW Passat/Jetta TDI Reliability

VWPassatTDI

New member
Joined
Feb 26, 2012
Location
Texas
TDI
N/A
Hey Guys,
I am currently driving a Toyota Sequioa with 158000 miles which I bought new back in 2002 and I've NEVER had a problem with it. I'm looking for a commuter car that gets better gas mileage and keep the Toyota as a weekend car. The TDI seems like an appealing option. So if were to buy a Jetta or Passat will they be able to go 200000 miles with minimal problems? Thanks in advance!!!!!
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
Welcome to the club. Your question isn't new to this site, and would require pages and pages of discussion, most of it already available on previous threads.

The TDI is an enthusiast car. It does not take kindly to neglect, or even passive/indifferent driving. The owner/driver attitude is critical, as TDIs require a level of owner/driver awareness that would befuddle/confuse/terrify the average owner/driver.

Your question is one that has been debated endlessly here, with multiple threads. There is no one answer, only a jumble of opinions that, IMHO, all boil down to one basic difference between TDI drivers and most other drivers.

TDI owners/drivers enjoy the thrill of high mileage, torquey, fun-to-drive vehicles, vehicles that will never win any awards for reliability. Longevity, especially in the CR TDIs (09>>>) remains to be seen, but the initial impression is that they will be significantly more costly when asked to go 200,000 miles.

The challenge that the enthusiast readily takes on is to "beat the odds" of high-cost component failure (which of course can occur with any make) while enjoying the driving experience that is distinctly VWs.

Others will undoubtedly add/subtract to what I just said, which is based on my 3 years of TDI experience here, as well as many 100s of thousands of miles driving many different makes (although VW/Audi non-TDI ownership since 1983). YMMV.
 
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Sauron@Mordor

Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2012
Location
NJ
TDI
shopping for Passat TDI
My experience with German cars in general (and VW/Audi in particular) is that you need to be on top of regular maintenance. If you do, I've found them to be pretty reliable. Neglect the oil changes, or timing belt changes, or any other key maintenance items, and prepare to get bent over the sofa (that's the technical term).

I've seen a number of 2.0L TDI engines that made it well into 200k mile territory. Mechanically, they're tough little motors. I'd be much more concerned about electrical gremlins in the rest of the car than with the drivetrain itself, but VAG seems to have gotten better in that regard in the last few years.

Best,
 

Niner

duplicate account, banned
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Welcome to the club. Your question isn't new to this site, and would require pages and pages of discussion, most of it already available on previous threads.

The TDI is an enthusiast car. It does not take kindly to neglect, or even passive/indifferent driving. The owner/driver attitude is critical, as TDIs require a level of owner/driver awareness that would befuddle/confuse/terrify the average owner/driver.

Your question is one that has been debated endlessly here, with multiple threads. There is no one answer, only a jumble of opinions that, IMHO, all boil down to one basic difference between TDI drivers and most other drivers.

TDI owners/drivers enjoy the thrill of high mileage, torquey, fun-to-drive vehicles, vehicles that will never win any awards for reliability. Longevity, especially in the CR TDIs (09>>>) remains to be seen, but the initial impression is that they will be significantly more costly when asked to go 200,000 miles.

The challenge that the enthusiast readily takes on is to "beat the odds" of high-cost component failure (which of course can occur with any make) while enjoying the driving experience that is distinctly VWs.

Others will undoubtedly add/subtract to what I just said, which is based on my 3 years of TDI experience here, as well as many 100s of thousands of miles driving many different makes (although VW/Audi non-TDI ownership since 1983). YMMV.
I will add that what is said above is 100% true. And that it has been true since water cooled diesels made it into VW's catalogues. I base it on over 30 years of ownership of VW diesels.

People that own TDI's own them for the driving experience, not the economies of scale. They are expensive to maintain, but not much else out there can give you the bang for the buck in terms of the Teutonic driving experience. It is unique and something the Japanese and Korean cars just don't have, at all.

You need a big savings account / emergency fund on hand at all times when owning a TDI. Hopefully you don't have to deplete it, but it needs to be there, just in case, dedicated funding for surprise items that break, at all times.
i
 

Mmhs19

Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Location
Milwaukee, WI
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2012 Passat TDI SEL (sold)
VWPassatTDI: I share your concerns about reliability and TCO, however, you buy VWs for emotional reasons, which you then attempt to justify rationally.

Since last December, when I bought my second VW and my first TDI, I have tried to quell my fears about reliability and obscene repair bills by reading every review, blog and forum I can find. Here's what I've learned: VWs are more reliable than they once were, but as another poster has rightly pointed out, you must be prepared for a few problems.

So why did I buy one? My rationale is terrific fuel economy, but the truth is once I drove one everything else felt like an appliance; there's something about them that makes you want to take the long way home every time.

Consumer Reports should soon be publishing reliability stats for the 2012 Passat. You might want to wait for that before you decide. In the meantime, take a few test drives, make comparisons, and see if you agree with me that perfection can be soulless.
 

GoFaster

Moderator at Large
Joined
Jun 16, 1999
Location
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
... and the ability of CORRECTLY performing said maintenance.

When the label on the coolant bottle says "G12" and has an illustration of a book, it means READ the MANUAL and the big warning in there about using that coolant and nothing else. They are serious about this.

No cheaping out. No skimping. No substituting something else without, at a minimum, doing very careful research into the implications. No taking the car to the local quickie lube where there is a risk of the minimum-wage high school kid does you the favor of topping up the coolant with regular green stuff ... OOPS.

I have just over 371,000 km on my '06 right now. I've done most of the regular maintenance myself because then I know what goes into the oil filler cap and the coolant bottle. Big jobs go to a VW specialist shop who only service VW's and have done plenty of timing belt jobs on these engines.
 

APT

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Location
Metro Detroit
TDI
2012 Passat SEL
The TDI offers a more engaging driving experience than other vehicles that get similar fuel economy. It has lots of torque at low engine speeds. If you value that plus great fuel economy, then a VW is worth your time. But if you just want a reliable, easy to drive and maintain vehicle, any small gas engine vehicle may be better for you. If you like your Toyota, you will probably favor another one, like a Corolla or Camry.
 

r11

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2012
Location
NJ
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE 6MT (BB'd), 2015 Passat TDI SE 6MT
Gents, we're scaring a potential convert here ...


Here's some of my own math and overall justification for TDI.

I had an 06 Hemi Cherokee and 02 Infiniti Q45. Cherokee was main car I drove weekly to my weekend getaway property in PA, putting on average 260 miles per week.

Q45 was mostly drive-to-work car, may be 40 miles Mon-Fri. She was completely impractical to drive to PA: rear wheel, no towing ability.

Cherokee delivered about 16mpgs HWY :), Q45 has about same mpgs commuting to work.

So what I wanted was an economic front-wheel that has some torque to tow smallish trailers.

Meet the TDI ... my calculations of 20K/Y commute show about $3K/Y savings in fuel cost (!) between TDI and either V8s.

So Q45 was traded in, I still have Cherokee as backup car ... don't expect to drive it much cept when I need to tow a few tons or there's 2 feet of snow on the ground ... bought a trickle solar charger for it so that I don't have to take her for a spin every week just to recharge the battery. $15 at Harbor Freight.

So to the OP: I did pretty much the same thing you're planning on ... kept the V8 truck as backup for when you need the 400 fp of torque and got me a fuel sippin' fun to drive german engineered american built diesel for commute. Your math might even be better in Texas .. diesel seems to reasonably priced there, she's flat and hot (diesels love that)
 
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IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
So if were to buy a Jetta or Passat will they be able to go 200000 miles with minimal problems? Thanks in advance!!!!!
Short answer is no. I've owned multiple Toyotas including the best minivan ever IMHO, the Previa. With the exception of an early 80s Tercel that was a lemon (clutch failed at 10K, transmission was junk), the Toyotas were dead reliable, cared not at all about indifferent service. VW/Audi products are another thing entirely. If you are hoping for a similar ownership experience to your Toyotas you will be disappointed, especially as the miles pile up.

I'm obviously a VW fan (look at what I do for a living) but their need for parts and maintenance keeps us in business.
 

Dismayed

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Location
Boston
TDI
2012 Passat SEL-Premium TDI
I thought I had a problem with the locking system, but it was user error. Too many years driving a manual - the doors will only lock if the car is in 'Park'.
 
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kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
Hey Guys,
I am currently driving a Toyota Sequioa with 158000 miles which I bought new back in 2002 and I've NEVER had a problem with it. I'm looking for a commuter car that gets better gas mileage and keep the Toyota as a weekend car. The TDI seems like an appealing option. So if were to buy a Jetta or Passat will they be able to go 200000 miles with minimal problems? Thanks in advance!!!!!
Depends on your definition of "minimal". Read all of the above posts again to understand that VW diesels are not your everyday common toaster that gets you from point A to point B just by dropping fuel in it and turning the key. If your willing to take the needs of the car to heart, then VW diesels are truely in a class of their own, fun to drive and frugal.
 

Genesis

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Location
Sevier County TN
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon
I own a 03 Jetta ALH/TDI and it has been balls-on reliable.

Seriously. I've replaced two timing belts (second one just done this last week), three sets of tires (worn out), one battery (about 3 years ago), one glow harness and two glow plugs and of course regular oil, filter and fluid changes (including brake fluid.) I've needed one set of rear brakes -- the fronts are still ok. When I did the timing belts I did everything under the cover (water pump, large and small idlers, etc.)

150,000 miles.

The only FAILURE was a sheared serpentine belt idler bolt. That's it.

The car has never stranded me, it has never failed to start, and it has not had one bit of trouble of note since I bought it brand new. It's easily the lowest total cost of ownership vehicle I have ever owned. It still has the original clutch, I have had no electrical problems or other "fiddly things" that people often complain about. It just works. It could use a set of rear shocks.

The only performance-related mod I have in the car is a larger set of nozzles. And since I do my own timing belt I set the timing to advanced, but in-spec. The only reason it doesn't have MORE aggressive nozzles in it is that I expected to have to change the clutch out and was going to go to something with more torque capacity -- then add bigger nozzles. The expected need to do that never happened.

I'd get in it and drive it across the country without fear, and do so pretty much every summer. It's a great car, fun to drive, comfortable on long trips and dead-nuts reliable.

What's not to like?

I intend to give it to my kid who will be 16 soon and will probably buy another VW.....

BTW lifetime average fuel economy is 44.32mpg; I drive it like I stole it.... literally.
 
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meowguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2009
Location
Saco, ME
TDI
2010 JSW, 2012 Passat TDI SE
The TDI is an enthusiast car. It does not take kindly to neglect, or even passive/indifferent driving. The owner/driver attitude is critical, as TDIs require a level of owner/driver awareness that would befuddle/confuse/terrify the average owner/driver.
I see a lot of people driving TDI's on Rt. 95 in the North East and to say they all fit this category would be ridiculous. I was not even in this category until after I made the purchase. I was won over by the mileage plain and simple. Then I came to develop appreciation for the so called "Teutonic" driving experience and entrance into diesel geekdom. School teachers and grandmothers drive these with no problem. They just put in diesel fuel instead of gas and seem to survive just fine.

I trade my cars at 60,000 miles and cannot say anything about reliability after that point. Everything below that has been rock solid.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
Meowguy, I would agree with you that the TDI has gone "mainstream". I am similarly surrounded by them here in the DC region. I'm not sure this is a good thing, however.

The jury is still out how many of these "school teachers and grandmothers" cars will be around after 100k miles, especially if they're being serviced by the "average" (lousy) VW service departments, who regularly overfill crankcases, strip belly pan bolts, misdiagnose issues, etc. etc. If they swap their cars out at 60k, as you do, you may be correct that long-term reliability won't be an issue.

The "traditional" TDI owner expects 300-400k miles. I would offer that virtually every previous generation TDI owner here would agree that the 09>>> is infinitely more troublesome than earlier TDIs, because of it's extremely complicated emissions/electronics. How will this much more complex vehicle do for reliability? No one knows yet.

To the OP: in the MKV forum, there's a thread going about "High Mileage CRTDIs". At least 3 have posted that are over 110k miles, with no serious issues. I'm encouraged by their posts, as I'm at 53k on the JSW, 9k on the 2012 Passat, and I'm in this for the long haul!
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
First, the "traditional" TDI buyer has been overrun by folks who are buying TDIs like they'd buy a gasoline engine car or hybrid. They'll probably keep it for the warranty period or, maybe 100K. They'll most likely never have to pay out of pocket for a major repair. In that scenario the TDI is a good purchase for a non-enthusiast, as it also will command a higher resale value than a gasser, most likely.

We don't know that the newer cars are "infinitely" more troublesome. They don't have enough miles on them yet. And people complained bitterly about the complexity and potential repair costs of the drive by wire MK3 and IV TDIs when they were launched. Time marches on.
 

meowguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2009
Location
Saco, ME
TDI
2010 JSW, 2012 Passat TDI SE
TDIatLast,

I see your point of view. But I think VW has a responsibility to make the TDI experience no different than the Chevy Volt or the Toyota Prius experience for owner responsibility. We need to hold their feet to the fire to make it so. So far, my TDI's have not required a degree in diesel mechanics from Wentworth for me to drive.

You may just be under-estimating the degree of owner involvement that is required for the proper operation of any vehicle. This is called in the industry the "Volvo Effect". You spend a lot of money on a Volvo, you take care of it more because you think it's supposed to last forever, and guess what, it last longer. Surprise? ;)
 

Genesis

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Location
Sevier County TN
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon
Yeah well that may be true Indigo but the fact is that there are a lot of MkIV cars out there now with a decade (or nearly so) on them in time and IMHO they've aged pretty well, especially if you did a few things to them when they were young (e.g. taking care of the EGR sooting issues.)

They're not entirely trouble-free but no car is. Still, I can't argue with the service record on my MkIV; it has been every bit as trouble free as an Acura I owned in the early 1990s but kept for far less time and has been cheaper and easier to maintain.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I don't disagree on the MKIV. But talk to people who bought them early in the run and had to replace multiple MAFs at the dealer for $400+ each, who had boost issues that caused dealers to replace ECUs and injection pumps, and so on, and you may hear a different tune. All I'm suggesting is that we can't generalize from the brief experience so far with the common rail cars. I intend to keep mine for at least 10 years. We'll see how that goes.

And also keep in mind that the MKIV car sales were limited by fleet emissions standards. In 2002, IIRC, VW sold fewer than 9,000 diesels in the US. My wagon was one of two my local dealer got for the entire year. And now, without the emissions restrictions, diesels are selling in much larger numbers. Not all of those owners are diesel devotees.
 

ruking

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
Location
San Jose area, CA
TDI
2003 VW Jetta, 5 M, Reflex Silver: 09 Jetta, 6 Sp DSG, Candy White: 12 VW Touareg, 8 Sp A/T, Flint Gray
Hey Guys,
I am currently driving a Toyota Sequioa with 158000 miles which I bought new back in 2002 and I've NEVER had a problem with it. I'm looking for a commuter car that gets better gas mileage and keep the Toyota as a weekend car. The TDI seems like an appealing option. So if were to buy a Jetta or Passat will they be able to go 200000 miles with minimal problems? Thanks in advance!!!!!
I would conditionally say YES !! ANY car is capable and in fact DESIGNED of/to doing/do 100,000 miles. Indeed most to all are scheduled a so called "major tune" @ that mileage. The later model Jetta's and Passats are due a major tune @ 120,000 miles. (TB/WP to name one)

A better apples to apples comparison would be a VW Touareg to your Sequoia. We do have TLCs 94/96 with 150,000 to 202,000 miles. We have owned them since new, (18/16 years, 04/155 miles). Right off the bat, the TLC's require "major tunes" @ 30,000 miles. What they are currently for the Sequoia, well you can tell us. It is a no brainer to say the TLC needs a min of 4 times more maintenance !? So right there, the VW Jetta Passat has the TLC's trumped. You would also probably agree these are apples to whatever comparisons. What does tend to "equalize them" of course are the costs.

The nexus and more on point, we also use 04 Civic, 136,000 miles /03 Jetta TDI 175,000 miles, albeit side by side. Again we have owned them since new, (8/9 years 08/255 miles) So you can ask me what has anecdotally happened. To make a long story short, the Civic has required more scheduled and unscheduled maintenance/s and has cost more than the 03 VW Jetta TDI. Now this is not to mean I am dissatisfied at all with any of these 4 vehicles.

Perhaps noteworthy, (to me not an issue at all) are the 94/96 TLC's and the 04 Honda Civic have been on 15,000 to more regularly 20,000 miles OCI's. The 03 Jetta TDI has had from 20,000 to 30,000 miles OCI's. ALL of the mechanics to have serviced/seen the innards of these vehicles have and continue to rave about the cleaniness and almost factory new condition of each.
 
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Genesis

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Location
Sevier County TN
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon
Oh I understand; the problem with stealers is that they're stealers and these days that means parts-replacers.

What's worse is what they DON'T replace. A "timing belt" at the stealer is likely to be JUST a timing belt and MAYBE the big idler AND NOTHING ELSE (yes, not even the vacuum pump O-ring although that's a literal couple-of-dollar part and "in your face" when removing it to lock the cam), even though it takes a couple of hours to tear things apart far enough to get to it all and you've got one-time-use bolts in there (motor mounts in particular) so it's not just time, it's also must-replace parts. You have to be out of your mind to go in there and not change out everything under the cover while you're there, with the possible exception of the cam and crank oil seals if they're not showing any signs of leakage.

Stealers are also known to drain the coolant into a bucket when doing a water pump and put it BACK IN THE CAR rather than replace it because the factory says it's a "lifetime fill." They'll even put the old serpentine belt back on! Or they'll change the oil and put the WRONG oil in the car.

Then you wonder why the coolant alarm malfunctions after the probes get coated in crap, why the engine leaks oil like crazy 10,000 miles after the so-called "major service", why the serpentine belt breaks 20k miles after the stealer did your timing belt (when you're 50 miles from nowhere and don't happen to have a good way to get under the car to put a new one on) why you have camshaft wear problems and so on.

The unfortunate reality is that this sort of stupidity is not confined to VW; there are VERY FEW competent dealer service departments and it's gotten much worse over the last 20 years or so.

But those who think that VW parts for routine things are "expensive" make me shake my head in wonder. I mean c'mon -- rear brakes -- full set including rotors -- can be had for under $75, and fronts for under $100. That's expensive? Price that kit for a Volvo and make sure you're sitting down.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Not really stupidity: In the examples you mention the dealer is following the manufacturer's recommendation. And if they didn't when replacing a water pump I bet more than a few customers would have complained about the dealer wasting their money by throwing out perfectly good coolant, or replacing timing belt parts unnecessarily.

Fact is that through this and other communities we've learned how to better the manufacturer service recommendations.
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
Fact is that through this and other communities we've learned how to better the manufacturer service recommendations.
Or for those that do not have the time or place to do the regularly scheduled mantanence, we have learned what questions to ask to make sure that those things are done "correctly" at the dealer's garages.
 

Dismayed

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Location
Boston
TDI
2012 Passat SEL-Premium TDI
. . . The jury is still out how many of these "school teachers and grandmothers" cars will be around after 100k miles, especially if they're being serviced by the "average" (lousy) VW service departments, who regularly overfill crankcases, strip belly pan bolts, misdiagnose issues, etc. etc. If they swap their cars out at 60k, as you do, you may be correct that long-term reliability won't be an issue. . .
Hmmm. Any recommendations on where I should have my car serviced? I live in the Greater Boston area.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Either do it yourself or if you're not inclined or don't have a good location for that kind of thing, use one of the gurus here. Kraftwerke in Braintree, KMH Motors in Lowell are two that may work depending on where you're located. There are some other good folks in the Pioneer valley but that's probably too far away.

All you're going to need is fluids and filters for the first 40K, by and large.
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
How about a good tdi guru around Charlotte? Found one near where my daughter lives but don't want to drive 150 miles every time the cars need something that I don't have time to do.
 
Joined
Dec 14, 2016
Location
San Diego
TDI
2010 blue JSW
Owning a TDI is definitely and enthusiast thing. I bought my 2010 JSW new and kept up on all the maintenance. Except for a faulty O2 sensor at about 40K miles, I haven't had any trouble really, until recently. My car is part of the Dieselgate recall. I had every intention of keeping it until the wheels fell off but a few months ago my CEL came on. As luck would have it about 3 weeks before the modification was released. VW will not install the modification if the CEL is on or the car is throwing trouble codes. My situation is ironic because to fix the CEL, I need a new intake manifold, EGR and DPF. All parts that would be covered under the modification warranty. Anyhow, VW wants $4K to fix the problem. The post modification restitution would cover the expense but she just rolled over 100K on the odometer so the buyback option is looking pretty good right now. I have a couple of TDI friends and they have had similar experiences. Seems like the intake manifold/EGR can get clogged with carbon/soot. I think part of my problem was when I first got the car I was a long commuter...about 80 miles or so per day. This car was meant for long haul driving to keep everything cleaned out. Now that I live 5 minutes from work my commute isn't enough to get a good regen so everything cakes up...at least that's my theory. So my two cents is it's a great car, I've loved it. If you're going to take long trips in it, she'll be a good machine to have but if you are looking for something to do mostly city driving, I would consider a regular petrol engine instead.
 

Trade Wind

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2016
Location
Minnesota
TDI
RIP 2012 Passat SE 6 spd MT
Owning a TDI is definitely and enthusiast thing. I bought my 2010 JSW new and kept up on all the maintenance. Except for a faulty O2 sensor at about 40K miles, I haven't had any trouble really, until recently. My car is part of the Dieselgate recall. I had every intention of keeping it until the wheels fell off but a few months ago my CEL came on. As luck would have it about 3 weeks before the modification was released. VW will not install the modification if the CEL is on or the car is throwing trouble codes. My situation is ironic because to fix the CEL, I need a new intake manifold, EGR and DPF. All parts that would be covered under the modification warranty. Anyhow, VW wants $4K to fix the problem. The post modification restitution would cover the expense but she just rolled over 100K on the odometer so the buyback option is looking pretty good right now. I have a couple of TDI friends and they have had similar experiences. Seems like the intake manifold/EGR can get clogged with carbon/soot. I think part of my problem was when I first got the car I was a long commuter...about 80 miles or so per day. This car was meant for long haul driving to keep everything cleaned out. Now that I live 5 minutes from work my commute isn't enough to get a good regen so everything cakes up...at least that's my theory. So my two cents is it's a great car, I've loved it. If you're going to take long trips in it, she'll be a good machine to have but if you are looking for something to do mostly city driving, I would consider a regular petrol engine instead.
I encourage you to take the buyback. 5 minutes to work will be nothing but trouble, in my opinion.
 
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