Official list of HPFP Failures

2011 Jetta Failure @ 64,500 miles

Year: 2011
Build Date: ???
Make/Model: Jetta
Tranny: 6M
Mileage: 64,500
Diesel Fuel Source: 75% Shell, 20% Kroger, 5% other
Additives: No
Problem: I noticed a sound like the squealer on worn brake pads. Checked the brakes and they were fine. No more squealing so I forgot about it.

A couple of weeks later on a Thursday the MIL light came on and stayed on. Had codes P13CE and P13DO (no VAG-COM access) and figured I had a bad glow-plug/sensor.

On Saturday, 140 miles later, my son was driving. I was in the passenger seat with the window down. Son said that the car wouldn't accelerate in 4th gear. At the same time I heard the brake squealing sound again. Before he could turn off the road into a parking lot the glow plug light started flashing and the car died.

Checked in this forum and was advised to check the post on HPFP failures. Spent the rest of the weekend almost physically sick thinking about the prospect of a $6,000-$10,000 repair bill.

Had it flat-bedded to the dealership Monday morning.


Dealer: Gossett VW Germantown TN
Status: Dealer checked it out this morning and confirmed that it was a HPFP. VW is going to cover the complete repair and provide me a loaner car. They said the repair will be complete in a couple of days depending on what parts they have to order.

Year: 2011
Build Date: Unk
Make/Model: VW Golf 2Dr.
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 83,664
Diesel Fuel Source: Only Chevron
Additives: No
Problem: HPFP failed
Status: ALL FUEL DELIVERY COMPONENTS REPLACED. Dealer fixed everything. No questions asked.

Year: 2010
Build Date: ????
Make/Model: VW Sportwagen
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: approx 40,500
Diesel Fuel Source: Local stations; last fill-up at Sunoco
Additives: None
Problem:My wife was driving on the freeway on a road trip from Norfolk VA to Kalamazoo, MI when my car lost power around Toledo, OH...the glow plug light started flashing and the service engine now light came on...Pulled over and tried to restart without any success. Had the car towed to closed dealership. I was informed that they smelled gas and noticed water in the fuel. The HPFP had failed and metal shavings were found throughout the fuel system. I have receipts showing that we only used diesel and drove for about 2 hours after last fill-up before failure. I had to drive to pick-up my wife and leave the car at the dealership.
Dealer: Ed Schmidt of Perrysburg, OH
Status: Dealer does not want to warranty..claims we filled it with gas. Contacted VWoA and they are waiting for failure analysis (fuel testing?). The car is in Toledo, we are in Norfolk, no end in sight...

Just spoke to VWoA, they are going to cover all costs...except the plane ticket I need to get to pick up the VW when it is ready.

2013 HPFP dead

Year: 2013
Build Date: Unk
Make/Model: VW Golf 4Dr.
Tranny: Manual
Mileage: 280!
Diesel Fuel Source: Dealer!
Additives: No
Problem: HPFP failed
Status: HPFP being replaced
__________________
Yes, you are reading this correct, car has less than 300 miles on it, I've never put diesel into the car as I'm still using the full tank of fuel that the dealer provided with the new car. Five days after picking up the car from the dealer, CEL came on, car operated normally. Brought it to dealer and they determined HPFP was producing low fuel pressure, was told might be loose seal in the pump. Fuel pump replaced. I was assured that the fuel pump did not tear itself apart and no metal shavings are present in the fuel system. Service writer had no explanation for HPFP failure after only 200 miles.

I'm hoping that this issue is not related to the known HPFP issue that you all have experienced. I'm crossing my fingers. I haven't picked up the car from the dealer yet, but they had better not ask me for any money for this repair or there is going to be trouble.

and another one bites the dust...

Year: 2009
Build Date: unknown
Make/Model: Jetta TDI
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: ~83,500
Diesel Fuel Source: Shell & Exxon
Additives: No
Problem: HPFP failure
Dealer: Tracy VW - Hyannis, Ma.
Status: Pending

I love it. The dealership said they found metal SHARDS in the fuel tank. SHARDS?! What's even more bizzarre is that the service counter had metal SAMPLES at their desk. What a scam...

The problem occurred at highway speeds. I reported it to the NHTSA and have opened a case with VW.

Here's the quote for repair... thoughts?

Year: 2011
Build Date: Unk
Make/Model: VW Golf 4Dr.
Tranny: 6spd Manual
Mileage: 26xxx
Diesel Fuel Source: Some Chevron, Unocal76, but mostly Propel B5 or B20
Additives: No
Problem: HPFP failed
Status: ALL FUEL DELIVERY COMPONENTS REPLACED. Dealer fixed everything. No questions asked.
Mentioned that they had done this repair on several others, but claimed it usually was due to wrong fuel (gasoline) or water in the fuel.
Even mentioned that I should avoid Valero brand.

Not sure if it's relevant or a coincidence, but the fuel up prior to failure was done after nearly running out of fuel and required 14.1 gallons. Failure occurred after first driving approx 370 mi, then after a couple hours of not driving, the HPFP failed while driving around town.

Is there any information on failure rates after repair? Should I be afraid to take this car on long road trips?

Year: 2009
Build Date: 06/09
Make/Model: Jetta Sportwagen
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 30,882
Diesel Fuel Source: Shell, Various Others
Additives: (Yes/No) No
Problem: HPFP fails, comes apart, contaminates entire fuel system.
Dealer: VW/Audi of Naples.
Status: Repaired; although out of warranty, dealer fixed free of charge when given the facts of the case. There is precedent for repairing this under powertrain warranty.

Invoice for repair
http://pics.tdiclub.com/showphoto.php?photo=96842&title=20130606-153500-1-&cat=500[/

Year: 2011
Build Date: TBD (car in shop, haven't had a chance to look at data label).
Make/Model: Golf hatch
Tranny: 6MT
Mileage: 92k km (57.5k miles)
Diesel Fuel Source: Ultramar, Esso mostly a few others.
Additives: (Yes/No) No
Problem: Car still runs, metal shavings in fuel filter, power loss at approx. 3000 rpm on occasion.
Dealer: Automobiles Niquet, St-Bruno, Quebec.
Status: Car in shop being evaluated; dealer said would be covered under powertrain warranty. Edit: coverage under powertrain warranty refused by VWoC. After complaint, VW and dealer agree to pay 66%. Not satisfied, planning further complaint/legal action.

Year: 2010
Build Date: 09/10
Make/Model: Jetta
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 33,944 (at time of service)
Diesel Fuel Source: Shell (only)
Additives: No
Problem: 33949 high pressure fuel pump malfunction, ran GFF and found fault P0087; ran test plan and opened VTA access Code-1062649; tank and auxiliary pumps within spec, replaced HPFP (Part#: 03L-130-851-AX PUMP, N-911-803-01 BOLT [3]).
Dealer: Vista Volkswagen, Pompano Beach, FL
Status: Repaired under manufacturer warranty.

Year: 2010
Build Date: 09/10
Make/Model: Jetta
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 82K and change
Diesel Fuel Source: USLD from trusted sources... never any water in fuel since day one
Additives: No
Problem: P0087 high pressure fuel pump failed, small amount of tiny metal shavings on top of filter cartridge when I pulled it. Won't start or even try to start
Dealer: Volkswagen of Panama City, FL
Status: Unknown as of today, tomorrow we'll find out hopefully when I visit the dealer. (I bought the extended "Bumper to Bumper" warranty) when I bought the car with 4 miles on it.

Jetta down

Year: 2010
Build Date:
Make/Model: Jetta
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 86k
Diesel Fuel Source: Racetrak
Additives: No
Problem: Vehicle stalled after wife drove 200 miles on morning fillip; car towed to David Maus VW in Orlando. Service rep contacted and informed that the HPFP failed due to misfueling. No gas samples provided at this time, wife has receipt from morning fillip - 13 gallons of diesel. David Maus diagnosed misfueling by finding metal flakes in the fuel filter.
Dealer: David Maus VW
Status: pending, service department has filed case with VW tech and waiting to hear back.

I'm looking for advice on how to handle this case, it seems like the dealership is going to fight the issue, but has submitted it to VW to try warranty service. I have already submitted a complaint to NHTSA and after giving the dealership a day to process the car informed them that I will fight the issue if it is not covered. Additionally, filed a claim with out insurance carrier, who has stated they will cover the repair if needed and is suppling a rental car until we find out something further from the dealership.
Reading the forum posts it seems as if people are having good luck with getting this resolved.

My biggest question is about the misfiling; my wife drove for 200 miles after getting fuel, the car would not do this if filled with gasoline correct? It seems that if you put gas in the vehicle it only takes a couple mile for the damage to occur.

Year: 2009
Build Date:
Make/Model: Jetta
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 80,279
Diesel Fuel Source: USLD from reliable and well used stations
Additives: No
Problem: Pretty sure fuel pump failed. Lost power, glow plug light, warning chime, check engine/service shop message, turns over won't start
Dealer: Took back to used car dealer, have only put just at 1,000 miles on since we bought it.
Status: Unknown until 6/28/13 I'm physically sick to my stomach to think about how much this will cost to repair after we just bought it. Has anyone had any luck with VW pitching in with full coverage or partial coverage if you were not the original owner? Interested on which number to call for VWoA? What are the chances they will help me, even if I'm willing to pay 10-20%. Seeing as there is not a real way to know when this will fail, I don't blame the dealer, after all there is no test. (other than shavings in fuel filter, but that's really an indication that the pump is already failing)

2012 Jetta TDI HPFP failure

Year 2012
Model Jetta Wagen
Transmission DSG
Mileage 47149
Fuel Chevron Diesel
Additives No
Problem engine started running rough, glow plug light came on and died.
Dealer has replaced entire fuel system under warranty.

JackMc

2010 Jetta TDI HPFP Failure on July 1, 2013

Year: 2010
Build Date: don't know (at dealer)
Make/Model: Jetta
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 83K and change and loved every mile
Diesel Fuel Source: usually Marathon; other trusted
Additives: None
Problem: HPFP failure (per Star Motor VW in West VA, where car is being repaired) on July 1 2013. Very little warning; glow plug and engine yellow light came on when stopped to refuel off interstate, but went out after refueling. Came back on immediately on reentering interstate, and engine failed within 1 mile. We live in Owensboro KY, and had to rent car to get home (about 500 mile trip).
Dealer: 100% VW maintained since purchase by DPAtrick VW IN
Status: Service Manager at Star Motor handled all communications with VW of America; on July 3 VW-America agreed to pay all repair costs, per Service Manager. Expect to pick up car sometime next week.

Year: 2010
Build Date: don't know (at dealer)
Make/Model: Jetta
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 93K and change bought from Whipple81 at 71k private sale
Diesel Fuel Source: usually Chevron; other commonly used busy stations
Additives: None
Problem: HPFP failure per Dirito brothers VW walnut creek Ca. Noticed last tank I got close to 60 miles less to tank. Very weird. Filled at chevron. Check engine light came on about a week ago. Inconsistently on and off. Did not bring to dealer till this occurance yesterday. I left Costco where before and after was running great as usual. Then a few minutes and about mile an half onto highway. Felt loss of power, flashing glow plug light. tuned off radio to listen and heardloud clicking noise and motor would not increase rpm with throttle use. Motor sputtered to a stop. Would not restart. All happened within a matter of seconds. Engine check light disappeared. Had towed to dealer where they told me about this hpfp commonly failing. And that it sounds like that's the problem. The service there by supervisor was impeccable so far. Very helpful. They called and confirmed metal shaving in hpfp last night a few hours later. Will submit to VW for request to be covered. Says he can not guarrentee it will be covered since I have 93k but he hasn't seem one be denied yet. Says hell stand behind me and help me get it covered and pushed through if it gets denied. I have to wait through the weekend to find out results of request.
Dealer: 100% VW maintained since purchase by whipple81 of vwvortex. And first oil change by VW in Fairfield. And second by me 2 weeks ago.
Status: Will update next week.

Well...
Year : 2010
Build date : will update as I am away from paper work
Make/model : Jetta
Tranny : DSG
Mileage : 48850miles
Diesel fuel Source : Shell (same pump same station)
Additives : none

Problem : driving on highway to work normal speeds 100-110kms/hr (62 - 68mph) then last 15kms were in heavy stop and go traffic. Once in traffic there was a new sound developing that was a medium pitch grown on the engine side infront of the passenger seat. Once off high way and on side streets it seemed to be in limp mode as it did not seem to have as much power as usual but still rev above 3000rpm. As I pulled into parking garage I got the service soon light flash on e with flashing glow plug light and a chime about every minute till a found a spot.

It has not been diagnosed as HPFP at a dealer yet as I am still away but all indications are as such. I am getting towed home and hope to find someone with a VCDS in "Burlington, Ontario" huhumm! And will proceed from there.

Now here is we're it gets fun, the car is American (there all Mexican I know) and I still get service done in Buffalo and was told by both Northtown VW and VW of America at time of purchase (Oct 2012) that my warranty will hold in the good old US of A. I have 48850miles on it and I do believe that the pump is under the power train till 5/60000 is it not? Even still I know they are covering the majority of the HPFP fails after warranty so here's hoping.

Side note: I was 290miles into a new tank of fuel and I have all the receipts.

NHTSA complaint will be filed once VCDS plugged and coded so I have ammo when going to dealership.

Year: 2009
Build Date: don't know, it's in the shop
Make/Model: Jetta
Tranny: 6M
Mileage: about 81000
Diesel Fuel Source: mostly Exxon-Mobil
Additives: Never
Problem: HPFP failed. I heard a chime,saw glow plug light and message mechanics workshop or something, drove a little ways (50-100 yards) in limp mode and then engine failed and wouldn't restart. Had it towed to dealer, they found metal shards in the fuel system.
Dealer: The service associate at the dealer seems helpful and professional, although he didn't admit that these failures were common (by this time the failure rate must be quite a bit higher than .5%, no?) He said the actual cost of repair was $8500 (which has kept me from sleeping for a few nights!) but he was sure I wouldn't have to pay that much. Car has always been serviced on time and --obviously -- filled only with diesel. (Filled the tank with 11 gallons of diesel an hour earlier and have the receipt). I have filed a complaint with the NHTSA and written a letter to VWA; waiting to hear back.

First engine failure

Year: 2009
Build Date: 03/2009
Make/Model: Jetta TDI
Tranny: 6 speed manual
Mileage: ~56,000 miles
Diesel Fuel Source: Primarily Chevron, sometimes Shell
Additives: No
Problem: I was sitting at a red light when a rattling sound started that sounded like it was coming from the air vents on the dash. I could also feel what felt like vibrations in my seat that made it feel like the seat was moving back and forth slightly. When I was accelerating from the red light the response from the engine was extremely weak, and it felt like the engine was "choking". Then the glow plug light started blinking. I was able to get into second gear but the engine couldn't accelerate the car much more after that. I was able to pull into a parking lot where the engine then died on me and wouldn't restart. VW said the HPFP had failed and they were going to replace it along with the entire fuel system because there were metal shavings in the fuel system.
Outcome: VW is replacing the HPFP and fuel system at their expense.

June 2013 HPFP failure

Year: 2010
Build Date:
Make/Model: vw/jetta
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 114,000 (60 highway miles each way to work)
Diesel Fuel Source: Citgo/Hess
Additives: None
Problem: CEL for 1 day, then driving along and engine just quit, and would not restart
Dealer: VW New Port Richey, FL
Status: Paid out of pocket, nothing mentioned about vw covering any part of the repair. The mechanic did mention that all of the parts had to be returned to VW, I guess they must inspect them after the failure. Also had timing belt and water pump changed. I don't see 42 mpg anymore, its now right at 39.

I had to take the car back because of a CEL the day after I picked up the car. Turned out to be something that was left loose, cylinder 4.

Also ordered/received VAG-COM to provide quicker diagnosis of any CEL's from here on out.

Year: 2009
Build Date:
Make/Model: Touareg TDI
Tranny: DSG, 6M
Mileage: 65000
Diesel Fuel Source: CountryMark Premium Diesel-R
Additives:
Problem: HPFP Failed (Dealer called after bringing it in and stated it had no pressure and trying to find the problem. They then called the next day to let me know there were shavings found and the entire system must be replaced since the pump went out.)
Dealer: Bought used from a Nissan Dealership; Taken to Team Volkswagen/Audi of Indiana
Status: Just out of warranty and estimated 15k to 20k to repair. Called Volkswagen of America to discuss as I can't pay that much out of pocket. I was denied as it was sold as is, out of warranty period. The cost will be on me. Filed an ODI complaint with nhtsa and have a supervisor/manager calling me from Volkswagen tomorrow. Going to see what they can do as this is a well known problem and the 3rd person I spoke to from VW of America knew very well the 'shavings' taking out the fuel system.

Update 7/19 - Volkswagen is covering 100% of repairs (Parts & Labor). I'll confirm once I receive the Touareg back completed. Waiting 2-4 weeks for repairs as they must ship from Germany.

Year: 2010
Build Date: not sure; purchased in June 2010.
Make/Model: Jetta Sportwagen
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 55,000
Diesel Fuel Source: (usa, shell)
Additives: No
Problem:The vehicle stalled as I came up to a stoplight and wouldn't restart. VW agreed to cover the replacement of the entire fuel system under the powertrain warranty. No rental or loaner car.
Dealer: Smith VW of Wilmington, DE
Status: Fixed (5 days)

Airbus320 said:

Well...
Year : 2010
Build date : will update as I am away from paper work
Make/model : Jetta
Tranny : DSG
Mileage : 48850miles
Diesel fuel Source : Shell (same pump same station)
Additives : none

Problem : driving on highway to work normal speeds 100-110kms/hr (62 - 68mph) then last 15kms were in heavy stop and go traffic. Once in traffic there was a new sound developing that was a medium pitch grown on the engine side infront of the passenger seat. Once off high way and on side streets it seemed to be in limp mode as it did not seem to have as much power as usual but still rev above 3000rpm. As I pulled into parking garage I got the service soon light flash on e with flashing glow plug light and a chime about every minute till a found a spot.

It has not been diagnosed as HPFP at a dealer yet as I am still away but all indications are as such. I am getting towed home and hope to find someone with a VCDS in "Burlington, Ontario" huhumm! And will proceed from there.

Now here is we're it gets fun, the car is American (there all Mexican I know) and I still get service done in Buffalo and was told by both Northtown VW and VW of America at time of purchase (Oct 2012) that my warranty will hold in the good old US of A. I have 48850miles on it and I do believe that the pump is under the power train till 5/60000 is it not? Even still I know they are covering the majority of the HPFP fails after warranty so here's hoping.

Side note: I was 290miles into a new tank of fuel and I have all the receipts.

NHTSA complaint will be filed once VCDS plugged and coded so I have ammo when going to dealership.

Click to expand...

Airbus320 said:

Update,

Finally got home and was able to look at her. Code was p0087 low fuel pressure are the rail. Flyboy320 and I pulled the fuel filter and did not find any metal shards just a couple of flakes that might not of even been metal. The flashing glow plug was no longer on and limp mode has ceased as well. So far this does not seem to be a HPFP issue but might be an fuel pump/Aux pump/fuel metering issue. 2micron was kind enough to loan me with a few parts to test things out and proceed from there.

Thanks again flyboy320, 2micron & Colin (not sure if your handle)

Once this is figured out I will take it off this page and start a new thread.

Click to expand...

Update #2

First off all is well with the Jetta, it was not an HPFP failure as thought earlier, although it had the signs of one, therefor I will be deleting my first and second post however I will keep this one as it will have the whole story and help others in case they have similar issues or symptoms.

My symptoms started a couple months back with a light whining noise from the right side of engine compartment (while in driver seat) later to be recognized as the Aux pump. This only started as the exterior temp started to increase above 18c and the car was at temp in high traffic stop and go hwy or inner city driving. As the outside temp rose the noise became louder until it was a noticeable groan. It never lost power(limp mode) nor did it suffer any fuel consumption decrease. The funny part was that if the noise had started and I stopped of at a store for 5 min or so and came back out it would not come back after restarted until the high strain driving. Finally I got the glow plug light flashing and limp mode while driving one day into work (see initial post).

After rethinking the problem and being in contact with 2micron and flyboy320 I came up with a short list of solutions, top of the list was the fuel line connectors coming from the tank, then checking the lines with a suction hand pump to see if the re was a blockage some ware. If those two checked out it was off to check the pressure of the tank pump and aux pump and if those were ok then I would change out the fuel metering valve on the HPFP followed up by the the pressure sensors on the rail.

As it turned out my fuel line were put on backwards by a mechanic earlier in the fall when I was getting a fuel leak looked at, he must have swapped them by accident. Thank god it was a quick and cheap fix however when I called them up to complain and let them know that if there is any future issues with my HPFP due to lack of fuel I would be coming after them. They of corse deny that they did this and blame whomever was working on it before them as they just mark down where the line were attached and reattach them to the same connectors!..... I told them that I would expect a knowledgable mechanic to recognize an error and correct it and that even if it was they were the last ones to put it on backwards!!!!!

What also led us to believe it was the lines first was when we pulled the codes the fuel temp sensor said 85.5c which got me thinking that if they were backwards the tank pump would be pushing the return lines fuel to the filter hence keeping all the warmed fuel there.

I would like to thank 2micron and flyboy320 for there help with this, i have to say that this is one of the best forums I belong to. 2micron sent me spare parts out of his own good will and flyboy320 was able to come by on his spare time with his VCDS cable and computer and help trouble shoot. Without them I would not have been able to fix this issue without paying out of pocket.

Hope that wasn't to long, worry less,drive more!

Brad T.

Year: 2009
Build Date: not sure
Make/Model: Jetta
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 134900
Diesel Fuel Source: Shell
Additives: none
Problem: Was driving to work and made it 120 miles from home and the glow plug light started flashing and the car went into limp but kept running. I pulled over at a truck stop to investigate and it died as I slowed and would not restart. Had the car towed to a TDI specialty repair shop. VCDS showed requested rail and very low pressure delivered. Found massive amounts of metal shavings in the HPFP. Shop is replacing the pump and the rail and cleaning the rest of the system. I bought the car used with 125k. It was owned by a company and had all service done at Gunther VW in Ft. Lauderdale FL. The pump had been previously replaced at Gunther at 71k. When my shop pulled the pump they found a tab broken from a bracket and plier marks on the pulley. I called Gunther and spoke with the GM about the damaged parts (not the pump failure) and he said "I should have had the car inspected before buying it"...? lol... really? I asked him who he knew that fully dissembled cars to inspect them...douchbag. Anyway the car's getting a new CP4 & rail, plus the other assorted parts that Gunther screwed up.
Dealer: none
Status: still in shop

EDIT: Just to be clear the car was (supposedly) very well maintained by the original owner. I have a copy of every service record from new to 125k when I bought it. I did not buy the car from Gunther, it was traded in and they sold it at an auction and I bought it from that party. My only worry is from all of the records quite a bit of work was done on it at Gunther.... how much other damage will I find down the road?

Year: 2009
Build Date: pre-2009
Make/Model: Jetta Sportwagen
Tranny: 6 speed manual
Mileage: 76,056
Diesel Fuel Source: Chevron / BP mostly
Additives: none
Problem: Car had a few hiccups every now and then when cruising on the highway kinda felt like the clutch slipping, this went on for 10k miles(might be related), then one day it did kinda stuttered while accelerating and squealing/metal grinding noise start to come from the fuel filter area the next thing i know the car shut off at 35mph.
Dealer: VW Litha of Reno, NV
Status: still in shop, Parts ordered...Should I make the VW pay for the TOW as well I live 30+miles from the nearest dealer?

According to the dealer all the parts and labor for this repair will be covered, they gave me no issues with this so far. They have recommended a timing belt change...i think the tech is just trying to get billable hours since the techs don't get paid for warranty work....the real reason this seems to take most people 3-4weeks.


2009 Jetta Died while going 35mph. I hear a few squeaks then it just shut of not to start again, Waiting for a tow truck now we'll see what the deal say later today but by the sounds of it I'll be adding my car the the Failure list.

This is a 2009 that was delivered in December 2008 and just hit 76k. What are the chances VW will fix this, the car was CPO at 19k so the warranty just ran out.

Mostly Chevron and BP fuel for the last 50k

***also might be the first Nevada one on the board to have this issue, The car spent most it's time in Southern California.

--Edited to add my information in the correct format since I now know the HPFP is the issue.--

Year: 2009
Build Date: Jul 2008
Make/Model: Jetta Sedan
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 74,670
Diesel Fuel Source: Primarily Shell / last fill was Wawa
Additives: none
Problem: Car was running fine, with no noticeable problems. Pulled up to a light, and got the "bong" accompanied by the Engine Fault Workshop warning and the flashing glow plug. Started driving, car was very sluggish and was slow to accelerate to 45-50 mph (though it did go through all 6 gears). Engine reached ~3300 RPM. Stopped at a red light ~1 mile down the road, and the as the car came to a stop the engine died. Engine would not restart. After getting towed home, hooked up the VCDS and got "Fuel Rail/System Pressure Too Low". Following morning I pulled the fuel filter and found metal particles in the filter.

Dealer: Purchased/Serviced:Tony Volkswagen - Waipahu, HI
Serviced Till 40k: Cardinale Volkswagen - Salinas, CA
Last Dealer (For Recall Work): Waldorf Volkswagen - Waldorf MD

Status:**UPDATE #2** Dealer has had it since Aug 12, and confirmed it was a HPFP failure that sent metal through the fuel system. They contacted VWoA who is going to cover it as a "good will" repair. Dealer said it would be ~$4500 at cost, not including the 11 hours expected to fix it (at $110 an hour). Expecting it to be fixed early next week.

Dealer said I would have gotten a loaner car if they had one available. VWoA said they would not pick up the cost of a rental.

**UPDATE #3** Car was ready 8 days after dropping it off. VWoA picked up entire cost of repair. Did not get any questions/hassles about possible contaminated fuel, but 3/4 of my fuel was missing from when I brought it in.

Year:2009
Build Date:?
Make/Model:Jetta Sportwagen TDI
Tranny: DSG,
Mileage: 69000
Diesel Fuel Source: Varies
Additives: No
Problem: Glowplug started flashing and lost power. Drove car to office (7miles) and turned off. Restarted engine and acted like regular power was restored. As soon as I pulled onto road both glowplug and engine light came on. Tried to drive car to local mechanic (there are no dealerships in hometown), only made it about 7 miles and car stopped running. It would still crank but not start. Had it towed to my mechanic. He called with the bad news that the HPFP had gone bad and contaminated the entire fuel system- $5-6000 repair. Trailered the car to Dover VW in Dover DE. ( now it is Winner VW). I am awaiting word from them as to what they find and where we go from here.
Dealer: Winner VW- Dover DE
Status: at dealer, waiting for them to contact me on initial diagnostics.
Update-8/15/13- Dealer contacted me yesterday. They are going to drain fuel tank and look for debris. Talked to them this morning and they found no metal in fuel tank. Sensor at the HPFP has some contamination showing. They are trying to determine if it is metal or not. I called VWofA two days ago and they are aware of my concerns. They called me last night - waiting for more info from the dealership.

Update-8/15/13- Dealer contacted me today. Entire fuel system contaminated and all parts need to be replaced. They are going to cover all costs for the entire repair.. The dealership was nothing but professional in how the entire process was handled. Kudos to both Tom's at service, and Stewart (mechanic). Also, April at VWofAm was very professional and answered all of my questions.

I am still waiting for some additional information- basically answers to questions that will get me back to the comfort level I had driving a VW before this incident occurred.

Wow, first post here

Year:2011
Build Date: 3/11
Make/Model: Jetta Tdi
Tranny: 6M
Mileage: 39050
Diesel Fuel Source: Shell, Murphy USA, Chevron
Additives: None
Problem: Car had almost stalled earlier in the day while driving. Pulled away from a stop light, glow plug lamp began flashing, lost power, stalled, difficult to restart. Check engine lamp came on.Got the car to a side street and at that point it would crank quickly but not want to start. I had it towed to the nearest dealer. I had also notice fuel mileage the previous tank had dropped 2 mpg
Dealer: Charles Maund VW in Austin TX
Status: Promptly repaired without issue or question.

We had the car towed in on Saturday afternoon after their service department closed and I stopped in Monday morning first thing to discuss it with the service advisor. They had a substantial amount of work scheduled for that day and she explained that they may not get to it until the following day. She called late Monday and explained that the HPFP failed and they would need to order parts. They expected it to be done late Wednesday, or at the very latest, Friday.
Wednesday, early afternoon, they called and said the car was done. They replaced the HPFP, fuel lines, fuel distributor, and injectors, They cleaned the tank and installed stickers in the fuel door for the misfueling campaign. I picked it up later that day, they did a great job washing the car and got most of the insect debris off the front. The car runs as it should.
Honestly, I am really impressed with how smoothly and quickly the dealership handled it . I had been a auto/ material handling equipment technician for 25 years and can appreciate their effort considering the size of the job. They didn't have a loaner car available and I forgot to ask about the towing bill but they performed the repair quickly and appears they repaired it right the first time.

Year: 2010
Build Date: Feb 2010
Make/Model: VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI
Tranny: 6M
Mileage: 53,000 miles
Diesel Fuel Source: Liberty in Annandale, VA; BP in Windsor Mill, MD
Additives: No
Problem: HPFP failed. On Aug 7, 2013 at approximately 16:20, while stopped at a traffic signal, engine begins to run slightly roughly, but not sufficient to be of concern. Accelerate from traffic signal towards onramp to I195. Suddenly engine dies (before onramp). Coast car into parking lot at side of road. Total time from beginning of rough idle to engine shutdown was about 10-15 seconds. Had failure occurred on interstate i195 or i95 during rush hour, this would have been a dangerous condition -- possible stranding of car in a travel lane or dangerous crossing in front of faster moving traffic to reach shoulder. Called for tow and car towed at about 19:00 to VW dealer - West Broad Volkswagen in Richmond VA. Dealership is closed so leave car at dealer. Spouse drives from home about 100 miles to pick me up. Reach home by 23:30.
Dealer: WEST BROAD VOLKSWAGEN IN RICHMOND VA.
Status: Dealer diagnosed as HPFP failure. Entire fuel system replaced, fuel tank drained and cleaned; VWoA covered cost of all parts and labor for repair (without questions or arguments). Time to repair: 5 calendar days (including weekend)
Afternote: Although VW dealer and VWoA never raised the question about possible misfueling with gasoline, I checked receipt from last fillup and confirmed it was diesel – it was the usual pump at the usual station. That last fillup was about 150 miles prior to failure.
Editorial Note: VWoA is covering the repair of most HPFP failures even when out of warranty. I suspect this is because the TDI is a critical product for VW and they have major PR concerns due to the high impact and cost ($10k!) of the failure. It unclear if the root cause is an engineering defect, manufacturing defect or fuel quality issue. Unclear if lubricity additives are helpful. Without clarity that persuades me that the failure will not recur, I’m reluctant to keep the car as long as I otherwise would and unlikely to get another TDI – a shame since otherwise the car has been flawless and a joy to drive.

first post. first vw. first problem

Year: 2009
Build Date: (unsure. will update once i find out)
Make/Model: VW Jetta TDI
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 81k
Diesel Fuel Source: Primarily BP but "Super America" was last fill-up in Minneapolis
Additives: No
Problem: We were driving from Minneapolis back home to Chicago via La Crosse, WI. Approximately 3 miles outside of La Crosse we heard a 'bong' warning tone and the glow plug light started flashing with the Engine Workshop warning popping up. My wife was driving, said it was sluggish, and we decided to finish the (highway) drive to La Crosse. When we got to a stop light the car died. When we tried turning it back on the check engine light was on and we knew bad times were ahead. Thankfully there was a huge empty parking lot nearby so I pushed it in, called a tow truck and had it brought the VW dealership in my hometown.
Dealer: Bob Burg VW
Status: We had the car towed on the 22nd of August 2013 and because this is a relatively small town VW dealership I didn't hear until yesterday (27 Aug 2013) that they were going to do the fix for free. However, due to the job and the lack of staff it wasn't going to be done until 07 September 2013 at the earliest. Thankfully my parents live in the city the car broke down in so my wife and I borrowed one of their cars and have it in Chicago. If i get any more details on what they did, replaced, costs, etc I will post it here. Thankful for friendly, small-town dealership, my parents extra car, and these forums for all the helpful information!

Year: 2012
Build Date: FEB 2012
Make/Model: VW Golf
Tranny: DSG
Mileage: 10,995
Diesel Fuel Source: Shell and BP
Additives: No
Problem: On 16 AUG, car went into limp mode at highway speed during a cross country road trip. I had the car towed to the nearest dealer who read a P0087 code and diagnosed this as fuel sensor problem. They replaced the sensor and returned to me three days later. The vehicle again went into limp mode while pulling out of the dealership. Dealer performed a fuel swap completed several days later, and informed me the problem reoccurred when I arrived to pick up the car. VW tech line authorized HPFP replacement, and the car was determined to be road worthy on 23 AUG. The dealer shipped car to my home dealer around 24 AUG. I received the car on 28 AUG.
Status: Everything fixed under warranty. I received good service from all dealership representatives and technicians. However, I found VWoA customer service unhelpful and unforthcoming. The drive more worry less mantra no longer comforts me, so after four months of ownership, I sold car back to the dealer at a personal loss.