Today's buyback went easier than most Craigslist deals

I woke up this morning in a panic that a tree had fallen on the car, or mice had chewed the wiring up, or a meteor would hit it during the long 5 mile drive to the dealer. Appointment was at 1:00 so at 10:00 I remote started it to make sure it would start and not burn to the ground with me in it leaving my children subject to the care of my psychotic ex wife.

Got in it at 12:20, started right up, and although the tires had some flat spots and the brakes made some funny noises (it's been parked since august) away we went. Smooth drive to the dealership, although it felt like a Russian rocket ship, as in I couldn't remember how nearly anything in it worked, but we made it there with no issues. Parked out front and walked in the dealership to be met by 2 super friendly salesman. They asked "how can we help you" and when I said "buyback" they both got a look like I'm the one who killed their dog, they pointed me to the tiny cubicle where these wretched transactions took place.

The very pleasant specialist, dressed in a low cut shirt showing all her breast tattoos and a hoodie from a rock group I've never heard of asked us to please have a seat. She had two pieces of paper already prepared with all my info hand written in the appropriate places and asked me to check them for accuracy and then sign. She walked out, took a few pictures, and before she made it back through the door, I had an email saying the deal was done. What surprised me was that she never even asked for my ID! I felt like 1 minute and 15 seconds was too little time to spend there so I asked her how many cars she had processed and about stripped cars. She said she had done about 125 and the most stripped she had seen was factory wheels replaced with steels. I asked what her future was and she said when the buyback was done, so was she, but that there were more emission buyback coming from other makers and that she would try to get a job with one of them. Anyways, not that I needed my own thread on this, but after 80k miles in the seat of the best car I've ever owned, I felt maybe this could be my bittersweet closure. Still amazed she never asked for ID.

It's been real, and it's been fun. We as a family are far from done with diesel. My son has an 05 Jetta TDI, I have an 05 powerstroke, hell, even my riding mower is a John Deere 355d with a two cylinder yanmar diesel, but my VW 2.0 days ended today (for now). Once the dust clears and the fixes are out, I would buy another one in a heartbeat. I created the ghetto carfax thread and will post a link here hoping it gets revival to help others looking to buy one of these great cars in the future.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=469435

Yes I have had a check engine light for over a month and my buy back is March 20th. There is one guy on the forum whose HPFP grenades late this week and his turn in date is March 7th. I actually worry more about being teeboned or getting a bad tank of diesel(already had one at a different station)

So in other words, nobody held you up at gunpoint, sent you home with a PlayStation box stuffed with phone books, handed you an iPhone with a blacklisted ESN, or tried to lowball you with 10% of the asking amount. That's Good!, right?!?

(No really, I like & use Craigslist too. Tattoos, huh.)

Locoelectrician said:

I woke up this morning in a panic that a tree had fallen on the car, or mice had chewed the wiring up, or a meteor would hit it during the long 5 mile drive to the dealer. Appointment was at 1:00 so at 10:00 I remote started it to make sure it would start and not burn to the ground with me in it leaving my children subject to the care of my psychotic ex wife.

Got in it at 12:20, started right up, and although the tires had some flat spots and the brakes made some funny noises (it's been parked since august) away we went. Smooth drive to the dealership, although it felt like a Russian rocket ship, as in I couldn't remember how nearly anything in it worked, but we made it there with no issues. Parked out front and walked in the dealership to be met by 2 super friendly salesman. They asked "how can we help you" and when I said "buyback" they both got a look like I'm the one who killed their dog, they pointed me to the tiny cubicle where these wretched transactions took place.

The very pleasant specialist, dressed in a low cut shirt showing all her breast tattoos and a hoodie from a rock group I've never heard of asked us to please have a seat. She had two pieces of paper already prepared with all my info hand written in the appropriate places and asked me to check them for accuracy and then sign. She walked out, took a few pictures, and before she made it back through the door, I had an email saying the deal was done. What surprised me was that she never even asked for my ID! I felt like 1 minute and 15 seconds was too little time to spend there so I asked her how many cars she had processed and about stripped cars. She said she had done about 125 and the most stripped she had seen was factory wheels replaced with steels. I asked what her future was and she said when the buyback was done, so was she, but that there were more emission buyback coming from other makers and that she would try to get a job with one of them. Anyways, not that I needed my own thread on this, but after 80k miles in the seat of the best car I've ever owned, I felt maybe this could be my bittersweet closure. Still amazed she never asked for ID.

It's been real, and it's been fun. We as a family are far from done with diesel. My son has an 05 Jetta TDI, I have an 05 powerstroke, hell, even my riding mower is a John Deere 355d with a two cylinder yanmar diesel, but my VW 2.0 days ended today (for now). Once the dust clears and the fixes are out, I would buy another one in a heartbeat. I created the ghetto carfax thread and will post a link here hoping it gets revival to help others looking to buy one of these great cars in the future.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=469435

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Thanks, I enjoyed read.

I've probably owned over 20 cars in my life, but none have made me feel the way this one has. Sitting here now, many beers into the night, I feel like I dropped my infant child off at the fire station. Watching her slam the door shut with no regard to the micro unjust wear she was doing to the door mechanism will haunt me tonight, and possibly for many more nights. I can't imagine the abuse the throttle jockey who loads her up on the carrier will do to her trying to get her on the hauler. I damn near left care and use instructions but knew they would be discarded. At 43 years old, I had my first emotional talk with a car on our way to the dealership. I ensured her that she was perfect in all regards and that I hoped she had a good remainder of her life. Maybe I'm nuts, maybe I'm drunk, maybe both. Godspeed ATAT.

I felt bad when I dropped mine off because I don't think they're going to have a fix for the first generation engines which means mine will be stripped and crushed like so many others will.

111R said:

I felt bad when I dropped mine off because I don't think they're going to have a fix for the first generation engines which means mine will be stripped and crushed like so many others will.

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Believe you are correct -- no "fix" foe GEN 1

But at least the word is, it will not be 4 inch motor drilled

Locoelectrician said:

I've probably owned over 20 cars in my life, but none have made me feel the way this one has. Sitting here now, many beers into the night, I feel like I dropped my infant child off at the fire station. Watching her slam the door shut with no regard to the micro unjust wear she was doing to the door mechanism will haunt me tonight, and possibly for many more nights. I can't imagine the abuse the throttle jockey who loads her up on the carrier will do to her trying to get her on the hauler. I damn near left care and use instructions but knew they would be discarded. At 43 years old, I had my first emotional talk with a car on our way to the dealership. I ensured her that she was perfect in all regards and that I hoped she had a good remainder of her life. Maybe I'm nuts, maybe I'm drunk, maybe both. Godspeed ATAT.

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My parting of the ways is in my future for the VW

My first wife and I owned a (new) 1966 Chevy Super Sport 327 CUBES 275 HP

At the end of its' usefulness she wouldn't let me sell it

Pitiful shape from one end to the other ~ leaking multiple kinds of fluids ~ squat down in the under carriage ~ front end blow to heck and back ~ plastic seats were in shreds, because we once lived in Casper WY, and the seats would snap crackle and pop at -20 degrees tires 90% gone ~ end stage HAIL damage

The boss in the family made me mow the lawn around it for 'bout 2 years.

Got lucky one day, a lady knocked on the front door asking about the car in the back yard. Old girl got 'er started and offered me a $100

Wife was in tears - I was a little sad - wife got the hundred

would have been thrilled to pay her $20 o haul it. Thats the way it was 4 decades ago

i just need to know one thing and one thing only.
what was the rock band on her hoodie.
seriously.

im glad your ohio transaction went so smooth, as mine did not, in dayton ohio. Im from indiana but that was the closest VW to me. they denied my car because it has front end damage and a salvage title, ( but still runs and drives under its own power) so i had to bring the car back home. and now trying to figure out what to do next

dreece said:

im glad your ohio transaction went so smooth, as mine did not, in dayton ohio. Im from indiana but that was the closest VW to me. they denied my car because it has front end damage and a salvage title, ( but still runs and drives under its own power) so i had to bring the car back home. and now trying to figure out what to do next

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Not too sure

Branded title is the issue

Sorry, and good luck

DEAD-BROKE said:

i just need to know one thing and one thing only.
what was the rock band on her hoodie.
seriously.

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Well, not knowing bothered me so bad that I sat with the original post open for nearly an hour trying to figure it out. Unfortunately, I fear I'll never know.

The fitting turn in for mine would be to drive out to California and turn it in surrounded by friends that would cry with me....

Alas, i'm praying for no crazy old people to hit me during snowbird season, and now I will not get weird a** diesel from various stations in a pinch. March 9th needs to hurry up and get here!!

Oh wait, driving to CA would mean encountering MY psycho ex - never mind, surrounded by strangers at a strange dealership will be fine

Haha, wow. Great posts, Loco. Thanks for the entertainment. Nice story. Would read again.
My dear sweet Eisengard gets dropped off March 10th.

-T.

Tenebrae said:

Haha, wow. Great posts, Loco. Thanks for the entertainment. Nice story. Would read again.
My dear sweet Eisengard gets dropped off March 10th.

-T.

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I wish you luck. Looked out the window this morning and thought mine was stolen for a second.

Mine goes back Mar17. I won't drive it till then. I had it upgraded but put most of original stuff back on it. It will make to the dealership but thats it. I bought 2 2006 TDIs I will swap 2.0 engines into them. I like the performance and stoutness of the CR engines. and really like the MK5 body and suspension, best VW i've owned!

Well the chase email came last night after I went to bed, which seemed timely enough to me. Registered and submitted info at the airport first thing this morning. Should be paid yet this week I would assume.

Last car I took to a dealer for "trade in" was my '93 Volvo 960 wagon, the feds gave $4500 to the dealer as part of the cash for clunkers. The drive to the dealer was 150 miles and I was fighting back tears pulling off the highway.

I knew her fate was going to be short after handing over the keys, as I saw online videos of how the dealers were supposed to make the engine in-op by draining oil and filling with a silica epoxy and letting it run until it seized. Such a shame for a beautiful twin OHC inline 6 that pulled like a train and purred like a kitten at 75mph, I still routinely got 26MPG on the highway.

At 230K I had done its TB 10K prior and tossed on brakes all around 7 months prior, she had tons of life left to give, previous '87 740GLE Volvo lasted until 352K before the wiring harness finally rotted away.

The Jetta will prob facing the same fate but this time with only 140K on the clock.

740GLE said:

Last car I took to a dealer for "trade in" was my '93 Volvo 960 wagon, the feds gave $4500 to the dealer as part of the cash for clunkers. The drive to the dealer was 150 miles and I was fighting back tears pulling off the highway.

I knew her fate was going to be short after handing over the keys, as I saw online videos of how the dealers were supposed to make the engine in-op by draining oil and filling with a silica epoxy and letting it run until it seized. Such a shame for a beautiful twin OHC inline 6 that pulled like a train and purred like a kitten at 75mph, I still routinely got 26MPG on the highway.

At 230K I had done its TB 10K prior and tossed on brakes all around 7 months prior, she had tons of life left to give, previous '87 740GLE Volvo lasted until 352K before the wiring harness finally rotted away.

The Jetta will prob facing the same fate but this time with only 140K on the clock.

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That entire program was emotional. Quite a few great cars met an untimely death.

I'm comforted I'm not the only one (but I knew this already from this place) emotionally attached to these fantastic (mostly) cars.

Sending in my final offer paperwork today. Already swapped out the BBS wheels with OEM and a set of cheap used tires.

Tempted to pull the curt trailer hitch off and try to sell it too but they are way low to the ground and it wasn't even $200 to begin with so . . . think I'll just leave it.

Don't have the heart (or, let's face it, ambition) to strip it any further down, what's the point really?

We keep diesel's in the family too - the Mrs drives the very sweet (and very never-own-without-the-warranty) Mercedes GL350.

Seems like such a waste and totally counter to greening the environment. They simply don't pollute that bad.

*sigh*

great story thanks for sharing it.

newWorldTDI said:

Seems like such a waste and totally counter to greening the environment. They simply don't pollute that bad.
.

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I agree in that financial penalties and fixes would have dealt a sufficiently harsh message without the necessity of the buyback.

But imagine you were on a city council, and learned a housing developer built a large development using outdated building, electrical, plumbing, and fire codes, and went so far as to disguise these deficiencies from inspectors using fake breakers, dummy sprinkler heads and mis-marked pipes. But a good portion of the citizens loved their homes and/or didn't care. Could you rationalize, "The old codes weren't that bad -- not very many homes fell down, burned down, flooded or caused injury."

I know it's petty far from an apples to apples comparison, and you are being given the opportunity to keep your car as is. But there's no denying this was fraud with intent on VW's part.

I had my first emotional talk with a car on our way to the dealership. I ensured her that she was perfect in all regards and that I hoped she had a good remainder of her life.

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Loco, enjoyed your account. I don't know whether I will take the buyback or not. I feel like it's kind of silly not to, but then again I hate to "reject" my perfectly beautiful Gretta Sportwagen. It's not her fault. Plus I don't like the idea of "wasting" a perfectly good car, which I had originally planned to drive till the wheels fell off.

Unfortunately, it's not so much the wheels. It's the rear door locks, the gas flap cover, the sun visor, and the batteries that have all been problematic. As someone else here said, perhaps that Mexican build quality is starting to show.

So then I think I should just go get a Mazda 3 since that will be so much cheaper to fix. Then I think about how the doors feel when you close them, and I'm just like... BUT HOW CAN I LET THIS GIRL GO??

Blood money in the bank. Not sure exactly when it happened.

Locoelectrician said:

I've probably owned over 20 cars in my life, but none have made me feel the way this one has. Sitting here now, many beers into the night, I feel like I dropped my infant child off at the fire station. Watching her slam the door shut with no regard to the micro unjust wear she was doing to the door mechanism will haunt me tonight, and possibly for many more nights. I can't imagine the abuse the throttle jockey who loads her up on the carrier will do to her trying to get her on the hauler. I damn near left care and use instructions but knew they would be discarded. At 43 years old, I had my first emotional talk with a car on our way to the dealership. I ensured her that she was perfect in all regards and that I hoped she had a good remainder of her life. Maybe I'm nuts, maybe I'm drunk, maybe both. Godspeed ATAT.

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HOLY CRAP! I haven't done my buyback yet. Hell, I haven't even decided if I'm fixing this lil' guy or not, but I completely relate to this post from the conversation with an inanimate object to the drinking. Oh yeah....and the age. :-/