I have a 2002 Golf TDI 5-speed, with 61k miles on it (read: I do a lot of driving!). I've had absolutely ZERO TDI engine-related problems. The car has been very solid and should hold up very well. The only non-scheduled maintenance item I've had is that I've had to replace my low beam headlight bulbs about every 10k miles.
The '02 Golf uses H7 halogen bulbs that produce a very bright white light. However, they trade away some bulb life to get the performance. It appears to be a bulb issue. It's not an issue with VW other than VW could have designed in a longer life bulb instead of the H7. Other European cars also use the H7 bulb. It's not uncommon to see Volvos and Saabs driving around with a bulb out. I don't know if the 2003's use a different bulb or not. I replace my bulbs myself because it's simple enough to do and I won't let a dealer touch it.
In general from what heard and read about VWs is that they are solid cars and are capable of holding up well over the long term. If a VW has problems, they are generally related to issues with build quality. They are generally not design issues and after problems are corrected (properly) they generally don't return. It looks like they still have an issue with MAF sensors. It appears the VW's problems are more related to VW as a company and incompetent dealer service.
The intake clogging problems are preventable with a few easy mods and by driving the TDI properly. TDIs are designed to be driven hard. People that "baby" them, thinking that it will prevent problems are the ones who tend to have more problems with clogged intakes. Regularly driving them *hard* helps keep them cleaned out. In order to handle being driven hard all the time, they have to be built very solid. You can safely "get on it" and not worry about breaking anything over the long term.
My TDI is the most efficient Autobahn burner I've ever owned and I drive it like one!
Hi everyone. I'm looking into buying a 2003 jetta TDI wagon soon but have been bummed on the consumer reports info I've read about how unreliable the jetta is.
I totally disgree with CR's assessment of VWs, given my excellent TDI experience so far. I had a 2000 Golf 2.0 gasser for a while and had absolutely ZERO problems with it too, except for a few annoying squeaks and body rattles. The body in my 2002 Golf TDI is far more solid.
Pre-2003 a4 VWs had weak window regulator clips which failed often. The 2003 should have better clips that don't fail. VW has extended the warranty on pre-2003 a4 cars to 7 years for the window regulator clips, and is using the new type for replacements (although it is still annoying to have one fail since it leave the window stuck in the down position).
I haven't had this problem (yet). Every time I raise or lower a window, I'm always listening for the telltale KLUNK sound of a failed regulator or one that's about to fail.
The glove box door hinge may break.
I'm not worried about this at all. I'll take care of it myself if it happens. No dealer is going to touch it.
Some of the gasoline engines (particularly the 1.8L turbo) got a batch of failure prone coil packs in 2000-2002. These are obviously not a problem with the TDI.
I think I'll hold onto my TDI! A Diesel engine has about 1/3 fewer parts that a modern gasoline engine. One of the things I love about Diesels is its simplicity and that non-existent parts can't fail. A Diesel is far simpler and cheaper to maintain than a gasser. Diesels also have a lot in their favor for longevity because of how they operate and how tough they have to be built. There are TDIclub forum members with well over 100k miles on their TDI's and their performance and mileage are STILL increasing! (How many gassers can do that?)
Early TDIs had relay 109 that failed often. New ones have a better relay 109. If you buy a used early TDI with the black relay 109, replacing it with the newer gray relay 109 should avoid the problem.
The Relay 109 part costs around $20 at the dealer and it's easy to change it yourself if you ever have to change it.
Mass airflow sensors may fail on all engines. This is probably the only significant engine problem that affects the TDI.
I agree. I haven't had mine fail yet, but I'm on the lookout for the telltale signs.
Some 2002 cars with Monsoon stereo systems had incorrect wiring that made the stereos sound bad.
I had this problem in my '02 Golf. I noticed it didn't sound as good as the Monsoon system in my 2000 Golf 2.0 gasser. The fix involves swapping 2 wires in the wire harness between the head unit (HU) and the Amp. It's easy to do and I fixed it myself. It's a killer audio system now! The engineer responsible for writing the wire harness documentation may have been dyslexic. Who knows. Mistakes happen. It may also have been something carried forward from a previous design.
I agree that a VW isn't a Toyota but luckily it doesn't drive like one either!
Would I buy another VW? Yes, definitely!
~ n1das
