Newbie - 2013 Sportswagen 100k for 9k

Hi *,

I'm a newbie here, so I hope this isn't too dumb of a questions. I found a similar question asked but no answers.

We are looking to buy a 2013 Jetta TDI Sportswagen. It has 100k and selling for about 9k.

It already had the smog fix applied.

I called a local mech where the car is for sale (about 50mi away) to see if they can do an inspection. It's an independent shop, but he said he worked for 10+yrs at a BMW dealership. Long story short he said European cars start having problems at 100k and basically I should stay away from them. He was just giving general warnings about European cars, but now I'm a bit wary. Also, I had bad experience with a 2001 Volvo Xcountry where the xmission died at 100k.

I'm not worried about minor or expected service like Timing belts or water pumps, brakes...etc. I'm concerned about major engine problems (think I read some where about fuel rail issues with TDI) or transmission issues.

Are there problems I should lookout for this specific year? I now each year has there own set of specific problems.

Also if there are problems, is there info available for DIY'ers to fix. I've been fixing my '91 4Runner and it has 480k on it.

2013 Jetta Sportwagen

I just bought a recertified 2013 Jetta Sportwagen with 30,000 miles for about $12,000 from the VW dealer in Seaside CA and it came with a 48 month / 48,000 mile engine warranty. It looks brand new, runs great has the sunroof, sat. radio and navigation options. VW is looking to resell a lot of these recertified TDIs. I would look around more and check with the local VW dealer to find better deal.

mcbalagtas said:

Long story short he said European cars start having problems at 100k and basically I should stay away from them.

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This kind of comment is so general that it's completely useless. Any modern car will go well past 100K miles with proper care. We have two TDIs in my family that both have over 370K miles on them and they're dead reliable. Do they require maintenance? You bet. Do things fail? Of course. But overall they just run and run. I filled my '02 Wagon tonight and got 803 miles on the current tank, 50.3 MPG. That's commuting, local driving, and some 80+ MPH highway runs. Find me a another car in North America that can do that.

My MKV 2009 Jetta has a number of problems which appeared at around 100k miles. If you buy a CPO TDI sportwagen you get a 2 year unlimited warranty which should carry you through any tribulations you may have at that mileage.

I had an 2011 JSW I bought brand new, racked her up to nearly 300k miles. Zero problems.

Of course I deleted the DPF/EGR. Only issue I had out of 300k miles was one failing glow plug and drove it into the vw shop and drove out within a hour.

Never needed a tow truck until 300k and trans failed. I was hard on the trans so its my fault. M1 ecu was failing.

So I had her go thru buyback and got myself an 2014 JSW. Exact twin to old 2011 but rear camera. Thats the only difference. White exterior, tan interior to 16” bioline wheels. It was an coincidence.

Anyway anything over 40k miles will get new DPF from what I understand so you are good to go. It comes with 120k/10 years emission warranty from VW so you are covered for pretty much everything from DPF/EGR to the fuel pumps.


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I also found a '11 JSW TDI 6spd back in may with 60K on the clock for 11. Ive since put 20K miles on and its been nothing but a dream. While the example you found is certainly nice, I think you can find better deals out there with less mileage and even a CPO.

I also agree with Indigo, if you pay attention and keep after them with some preventative maintenance wise they will run forever. There will be hiccups and problems like anything, but its an awesome platform.

Look around a bit more, better deals are out there and the prices have been coming down as more vehicles come onto the market after getting the fix.

Hi *,
Thanks to everyone for all the replies to a newbie question!

We pulled the trigger on a Rose White/white interior '11 JSW TDI/DSG with sunroof. It was a CPO, so got the 2yr/unlimited warranty, but got 4y ext warranty which starts after the 2yrs. Thru the certification, they replaced tires/alignment, replaced 2 keyfobs, replaced windshield and fixed sunroof.

I already see a posts in for subjects i'm interested in Timing belt and other maint....radio replacement for car play etc....so it should be awhile b4 my next dumb question.

Thanks again.

Welcome to the community, and congratulations on your purchase! Hopefully after getting some extra attention from the dealership it should be in fine shape for some time to come.

I see you're down in the San Diego area, so winterizing your car may not be quite as important if you don't plan to spend time in winter environments. But do keep an eye on things, check the oil at least once a week, keep an eye on the tire pressure to keep the MPG's optimal, etc.

Always feel free to ask questions, there are lots of knowledgeable folks on these forums. Though it may take a day or two to get ample responses, it's been an incredible resource to find information in previous threads. So the best thing to do is just dive in and do as much research as you can and enjoy the new ride!

When I purchased my 2013 JSW TDI the dealer offered me CPO for an additional $1,200. I did not get it, so only time will tell if I should have.

PG Mike said:

When I purchased my 2013 JSW TDI the dealer offered me CPO for an additional $1,200. I did not get it, so only time will tell if I should have.

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CPO costs the dealer 400 bucks..

PG Mike said:

When I purchased my 2013 JSW TDI the dealer offered me CPO for an additional $1,200. I did not get it, so only time will tell if I should have.

Click to expand...

With the new emissions warranty extension from the factory, you shouldn't need anything special - The terms from VW are the GREATER of:

10 years / 120k vehicle miles from original date-in-service

OR

4 years / 48k miles from date of emissions fix.

I just picked up a JSW with 166k on it, so I should have the 4/48 and be covered until just over 200k miles - Astounding for any vehicle to be covered that long. The list of what they are covering is also staggering, basically everything that is touched by fuel or exhaust. Fuel pump, fuel rail, injectors, ALL covered.

Not covered is the suspension, transmission, or the body in general.

https://www.vwcourtsettlement.com/w...ents/emissions/VW_BOOKLET_2L-Gen-1-AUT-v4.pdf