Is it worth getting into? A '10 TDI w/DSG

goodmonkey

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2014 Passat TDI, 2011 Touareg TDI
During my two years in Europe, I've contemplated buying a new VW when I go back State side. I've done a fair bit of research on specs for the Sportwagon, Golf, Jetta, and Passat. I've never been able to settle on one because each have something I didn't like, or something that I wanted from the other model. Being said I've still not come to a conclusion on any of the new models.

I can't wait to get back to driving the B4. My wife has kept it back with her and has driven it with some regularity. I own a euro B5 here, and will be selling it soon. I never really liked the B5 as much as the B4. My wife and I both are a little worried about the reliability of the B4 though, with 376k miles on it, I'm not scared something will break I can't fix, just if I'll have time. That is where a new or newer car would be nice, and I could still drive the B4 as well. I really do love that car.

With just a couple months before I'm back, my wife found a '10 TDI for sale near her. I looked it up online, but was a little worried about it having 45k on it, and wondering if it ever had the DSG service performed. I found another one near her that has only 35k, so I know there are a few miles before I'd have to perform the DSG service, which doesn't look that hard at all.
The questions I keep asking myself are: Do I really want to risk a HPFP failure? Will I really appreciate a DSG over the manual, and will I be able to rely on it not to fail prematurely? Do I want to stick with VW? Please don't think me a fair weather fan. The B5 is my 6th VW in 15 years, and I've always had a love/hate relationship with them. I've learned a lot working on them all, from how to rebuild a transmission when a defect blows a whole in the side of the cover and strips teeth off the gears, repairing the injection pump on the 1Z engine after I messed up replacing a gasket, servicing A/C systems and seeing just how simple they are, to how much I hate replacing front wheel bearings and cursing the e-brake cable design.

With this I wonder, do I really want to go with the '10? I don't think it any more or less reliable than any of the new chassis, and I am a diesel nut at heart. I just wonder when I will look back to a gasser for my daily driver.

Any thoughts?
 

goodmonkey

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2014 Passat TDI, 2011 Touareg TDI
103 views, no opinions. My wife looked at another '10 with manual, then drove to another dealership to look at a used 2012 Passat. It was sold 10 minutes within her getting there, so looked at a new one, and taking it. SE w/sunroof, Black/Beige. It is the newer version of my B4, Black/Beige. Hope to get pictures soon and share with the rest of the forum.
 

cd_booth

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Location
Brighton, Michigan
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI DSG
You probably haven't gotten any replies because everyone is starting to get sick of people worrying about HPFP concerns. No offense to you though.

I love my 2010 Jetta TDI and I'm sure many other owners will agree. The DSG is great but takes some getting used to. The HPFP problem is very rare and seems to be mostly caused by missfueling.

Are both cars at a dealer? If you still have the option between the two why not request that the DSG service be done before you take delivery of the vehicle with 45,000 miles? That way you will know it is done and don't have to worry about it. If the vehicle with less mileage is worth the extra money to you be sure to consider the extra cost of the DSG service which can range from $300 to $500 not including the other 40,000 mile service items.

You could also consider doing the DSG service yourself. It's very similar to an oil change. It just takes a little research on the many helpful threads here.
 

goodmonkey

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2014 Passat TDI, 2011 Touareg TDI
The higher mileage one was not at a VW dealer. Considering I found two others with less mileage and similar price, I was going to avoid that one. I have no fears of doing the DSG service myself, I just didn't want to be duplicating the work.

We have put down a deposit on the Passat, finishing up the paperwork this week. My wife is wonderful, and I'm so happy that she has been willing to do the leg work for me while I sit over here and dream about driving around with her in it. I have been looking over all the specs again and again for the last year or so, but she is the one putting my name to it all.

HPFP failure is something I worry about. This will be my 6th diesel, not considering the fact I grew up with them, and I should never have a misfueling problem. I know that isn't the root of the failures though, only a handful of them. It will be more of my leisure car, though I'm sure it will get the trip miles put on it. My B4 is still set to be my daily driver. I'm not yet at my 500k miles goal with it.
 

cd_booth

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Location
Brighton, Michigan
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI DSG
Great choice on the Passat. You won't have the intercooler icing to worry about although the most severe symptoms on mine were a handful of 3 second rough idles. Where I live we hover around freezing about 4 months out of the year so I feel that that issue is overstated as well.
 
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