Taking delivery at end of month, looking to get 350k or more

Lyman601

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2012
Location
Cape May, NJ
TDI
2012 Mk6 Jetta Sportwagen
I'm the OP. To answer some of the questions that were asked...
I like to keep my cars for a relatively long time. But my wife and I do tend to drive a lot. We each average about 25k to 30k per year. That is why I'm looking for a car that gets excellent MPG.
We currently have 2 vehicles, a Sienna 170k and a GMC Sierra 102k. The GMC is a diesel and I intend to keep it for a long, long time. Previously, the longest I ever kept a car was our Nissan Pathfinder, 185k. The only reason I sold that is that the front end dipped when braking and we had a new born that I did not want to risk with a rollover.
I don't expect to be able to keep a car for 300k without putting some money into it but I don't think one should expect to have to put significant money into a car prior to 120k.
We plan to use the JSW for longer trips (we are not selling either of our other vehicles) and commuting to work (we each average 150mi round trip). So, the JSW will primarily see highway driving.
After I made my original post and realized I put 350k as my desired longevity, I thought I was being a bit unreasonable, but then again, why not be an optimist. If I were to give into more pessimistic tendencies, I would not buy this car. But to let fear get the better of me would mean missing out on what I expect to be a good deal of enjoyment from this car. I took one for a test drive yesterday and took a few corners at 60mph (at least that is what my son said. I was looking at the road, getting into the ride). What a pleasure to have a practical family vehicle that can still provide a thrill.
So, given the above, I am serious about keeping this car for at least 300k and saving a ton of money on fuel in the mean time!
I just bought one, 2012 jetta sports wagon, 810 miles.
So i dont get it, there are two types of TDI drivers it seems, people who like the power and mpg and people who think they can go forever like the old MB diesel used to. Like the 240d and 300tdo. What you guys are saying is that a VW 2.0 TDI with all its innovation is either no better or worse than a common Jap/ U.S. gas engine.
Well I guess i bought the wrong car, I should have got a peterbuilt Semi tractor lol.
 

Lyman601

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2012
Location
Cape May, NJ
TDI
2012 Mk6 Jetta Sportwagen
just took delivery, I love this car! but I will say this I fear I will be a bit disillusioned about longevity and durability.
 

Lyman601

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2012
Location
Cape May, NJ
TDI
2012 Mk6 Jetta Sportwagen
Nobody in the U.S. can attest to 350K+ out of a VW CR TDI; a few have hit over 100K in a mostly trouble free fashion- the CR TDI's are significantly more complex (for instance a few members have started having issues with their diesel particulate filter "DPF"). I'm not saying you'll have issues- all cars are different- but just know that if things do go wrong, they are typically expensive to repair still on the CR TDI's given the lack of aftermarket solutions for these motors and their auxiliary parts/devices.

On the MPG front, you'll easily hit that if you do a lot of highway driving- my Golf clocked 43-46mpg, every tank without question, with the 6M until the HPFP want kaboom. Great car, great fun, great mileage, but I couldn't stand the thought of another $8,000 repair bill out of warranty.

I wish you the best and enjoy your new ride!
:eek: I had a friend of mine who filed a lemon law suit against VW after less than 20000 miles because he had to replace his EGR valve 4 times, really...I know this is a fluke but is this a quality control problem of is it the way he drove it or what?
 

pknopp

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2011
Location
WV
TDI
2012 Jetta Sportwagen
We'll see what happens. I hope you guys are right. I also think that if an owner faces a failed turbo and DPF simultaneously they may walk away instead of spending $5-7K on parts and labor. And when the clutches go in the DSG, well...

You can't compare these cars to a Powerstroke, or even an ALH or AHU. They really are unknown territory.
I am sure that your quote applies to many owners but these are factory replacement prices.

A junkyard DSG or reman prices done outside of the dealership would bring those costs way down.

For me, I couldn't imagine forking out the money for a new DSG installed at a dealership on a car with 250,000 miles. A junkyard one done at a reliable shop or in my garage? Sure.
 

pknopp

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2011
Location
WV
TDI
2012 Jetta Sportwagen
I just bought one, 2012 jetta sports wagon, 810 miles.
So i dont get it, there are two types of TDI drivers it seems, people who like the power and mpg and people who think they can go forever like the old MB diesel used to. Like the 240d and 300tdo. What you guys are saying is that a VW 2.0 TDI with all its innovation is either no better or worse than a common Jap/ U.S. gas engine.
Well I guess i bought the wrong car, I should have got a peterbuilt Semi tractor lol.
We went on a chartered trip this weekend. I happened to look over at the miles on the bus. (it was diesel) 410,000 miles.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
We went on a chartered trip this weekend. I happened to look over at the miles on the bus. (it was diesel) 410,000 miles.
And I've ridden in many Lincoln Town Cars over the years with well over 300K on them. Not really relevant.
 

maxedtdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Location
Kalifornia
TDI
2011 Golf 2 Door DSG
And I've ridden in many Lincoln Town Cars over the years with well over 300K on them. Not really relevant.
Yes, completely irrevenat to this thread.

The HPFP won't last 350k miles, I also doubt the DPF and other catalytic converters will last that long also.
This car has way too much tech to go that far without major trouble.

Others that keep thinking that... keep smoking the good stuff.
 

JettaTDiPA

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Location
Northern PA
TDI
Owned 2011 JSW DSG for 16mo.
I have a 2012 Jetta Sportwagon on deposit and hope to take delivery by the end of the month. I'm planning on 40+ MPG and 350k+ miles. Am I nuts?
40+ is very obtainable - after some break in time. Mine is good for 37-38 in town and local highways- 42+mpg on highway.

I don't use any of "tricks" many people have successfully used to improve mileage. I just drive it. I don't have a lead foot, I don't normally exceed more than 5mph over speed limits.

350k life??? I very seriously doubt it. If you have deep pockets and time for repairs - maybe so. I will be pleased as can be if mine last 150k. (Although have never kept a car much over 100k)
 

BrianCT

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Location
USA
TDI
TDI
Yes, completely irrevenat to this thread.

The HPFP won't last 350k miles, I also doubt the DPF and other catalytic converters will last that long also.
This car has way too much tech to go that far without major trouble.

Others that keep thinking that... keep smoking the good stuff.
Go on over to other forums and see members replacing their entire exhaust systems out, some are pulling their emissions stuff out as well. They'll have the ecu reprogrammed and a chip tuner take care of power. I picked up some spare parts here and there for dirt cheap with little to no mileage on them. I'm certain that in a 5-6 year period there will be more systems you'll be able to buy that will "look" oem but are just pipes and containers for "visual" inspections.

The MK6 lasting 350,000 miles? Before you go mechanical think interior. We've seen front seats fray at 5,000 miles. What kills these cars are the emission devices. There are so many sensors and EGRs, flaps and pumps, filtres and what have you ...I think it'll nickle and dime you to death sooner or later once out of warranty.

Last note. We have all 3 version of these cars, MK4, MK5 and now the MK6. The MK4 has 263,000 miles on it. There's zero oil consumption and the compression was perfect last check at 250k. These are 400,000 mile motors easily. Why anyone would need to re-ring an ALH engine at 260k doesn't make sense unless he was racing it on a track or something. There are members who have 400k on these ALH engines and the internals never touched. LOL

The MK5? I think everything was fine for the first 88,000 miles except an EGR exhaust valve and pipe lower end [$500 repair] exploding at 48,000 not covered under warranty. After 88,000 miles this car has costed a pretty penny in repairs [cam, followers, EGR flaps, etc....] and it has 150,000 on it. Will this go to 350K? Yes, it will ...but trailing off the rear bumper there needs to be Wells Fargo Armored Car.

The MK6? Dunno. Honda Civic 2dr manual transmission perhaps.

Good luck.

Welcome to the TDIClub about2buyTDI!!!!




 

sgoldste01

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Location
Webster, NY
TDI
None; Replaced 2010 Golf TDI with 2012 Subaru Impreza 5-door with manual tranny
Last note. We have all 3 version of these cars, MK4, MK5 and now the MK6. The MK4 has 263,000 miles on it. There's zero oil consumption and the compression was perfect last check at 250k. These are 400,000 mile motors easily. Why anyone would need to re-ring an ALH engine at 260k doesn't make sense unless he was racing it on a track or something. There are members who have 400k on these ALH engines and the internals never touched. LOL
So what are the pattern failures of the MK4 TDIs? Certainly the whole car isn't bullet proof....
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Well, my car may get re-ringed at 260K. Partly because I'm thinking of upgrading rods and partly because it has been run on the track a fair amount. There's really nothing that indicates it needs rings other than slightly increased oil consumption.

Failures? Turbos, certainly. Valve guides and seals, causing blue smoke on start-up but usually little measurable increase in oil consumption. Injection pumps, somewhat fuel quality dependent. The exhaust pipe rusts in front of the CAT. Cam and lifters fail, especially on '01s. But a downpipe for an A4 is $400, not $4,000. And a cam and lifter set is $200, not $750. Turbo is $839, not $1,295. And even the IP is $1045, not $1200 plus whatever collateral damage the HPFP failure causes.

So ALHs don't fail as soon, and when they do they're a lot less expensive to fix. Some of that is time as aftermarket parts have come available, but a lot of it is that it's a simpler engine.

I like my '12 Golf, a lot. But if someone put a gun to my head and said "pick one, the '02 or the '12," I'd take the '02. Even though it has 257K more miles on it.
 

sgoldste01

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Location
Webster, NY
TDI
None; Replaced 2010 Golf TDI with 2012 Subaru Impreza 5-door with manual tranny
This might be the best explanation yet of why I should dump my 2010 TDI while it's still under warranty.
 

BrianCT

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Location
USA
TDI
TDI
This might be the best explanation yet of why I should dump my 2010 TDI while it's still under warranty.
It's really about your needs sgoldste01. I'm driving a 2002 Golf ALH with 263,000 miles and it's still running the original turbo, down pipe, injector pump, radiator fans, radiator, heater core, transmission, starter, etc... Heck I replaced the original battery at 240,000 miles and it was still in perfect working order. But the tricky question is, was I lucky?

Any new vehicle should last 200,000 miles easily. I think the MK6 could last that long. The two items on the menu which ward caution are, HPFP and the CAT-System. If both of those go, that's $15,000 in repairs. Any company that creates an $8,000 emission exhaust system should be mentally committed. How can a car company make money when forced to develop that type of technology? Dayum, my inspection is visual on these cars. There's not even pipe test other than "looking" for smoke during inspection once a year. Is that worth $8k if not enforced?
 

about2buyTDI

Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Location
Brimfield, MA
TDI
2012 JSW 2.0
It's really about your needs sgoldste01. I'm driving a 2002 Golf ALH with 263,000 miles and it's still running the original turbo, down pipe, injector pump, radiator fans, radiator, heater core, transmission, starter, etc... Heck I replaced the original battery at 240,000 miles and it was still in perfect working order. But the tricky question is, was I lucky?

Any new vehicle should last 200,000 miles easily. I think the MK6 could last that long. The two items on the menu which ward caution are, HPFP and the CAT-System. If both of those go, that's $15,000 in repairs. Any company that creates an $8,000 emission exhaust system should be mentally committed. How can a car company make money when forced to develop that type of technology? Dayum, my inspection is visual on these cars. There's not even pipe test other than "looking" for smoke during inspection once a year. Is that worth $8k if not enforced?
I can tolerate moderately expensive repairs after 100k, say 2k to 3k but $5000 to $8000, that is a bridge too far.

The only vehicle that I ever had engine/drive train issue with, prior to 100k was a Dodge Dakota pickup. The engine seized at 58k. At that time, when I called around to dealer's service dept. most of them said that it was not uncommon. That was over 15 years ago. All my vehicles since then have gotten me over 100k, some almost double that, without major mechanical issues. Other than, tires, brakes, timing belts (normal wear items), I do not expect to have to shell out thousands in repairs.

Given some of the feedback, I'm rather apprehensive but I did speak with a couple of mechanics who believe that more likely than not, I should have a good experience with the JSW, but make sure to do the maintenance, etc. Obviously, there are no guarantees. Perhaps I'm letting my desire to get 40+ MPG blind me to some of the unfortunate possibilities, but I'm willing to give it a go. Wish me luck!
 

BrianCT

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Location
USA
TDI
TDI
Given some of the feedback, I'm rather apprehensive but I did speak with a couple of mechanics who believe that more likely than not, I should have a good experience with the JSW, but make sure to do the maintenance, etc. Obviously, there are no guarantees. Perhaps I'm letting my desire to get 40+ MPG blind me to some of the unfortunate possibilities, but I'm willing to give it a go. Wish me luck!
The real question is:


  • Horse
  • Cart
Prior to stringent diesel regulations on emissions, you had bullet proof motors floating around assembly lines for decades. That's the Horse scenario. The ALH motor in my 2002 has been around since the early 1970's, perhaps even before. It was a truck engine in its infancy from what I've read.


The Cart scenario is manufacturers running around chasing a market with a moving target on emissions while trying to get fuel mileage. You can see this in the absents of model years 2007 and 2008 diesel Volkswagen. In order to avoid a pun, they tried in 2 years to "reinvent" the engine. They did so around an emissions system compliance.


In the Cart scenario we all end up with a compromised longevity issue because diesel engines do not take well to heat [exhaust recirculation gases] and stringent fuel systems. This Cart system pacifies customers who are buying "a diesel" from Volkswagen that has good fuel economy under the guise of longevity that precedent models held.


History will tell.


Personally I think the 2009-2013 engine is a lovely design. I'm all about the 16v system and smooth diesel output. I'm not crazy about a half dozen EGRs and a milk bucket full of sensors up-stream and down-stream lighting up a MFD like the 25th of Decembre. On the other hand, it's amazing what engineers have accomplished in such short order and bewildering to see the GDI engines [Korean makers] putting out 40 plus miles to the gallon with mid-sized gasoline models. That collaboration and confusion.


Will there be a migration of diesel enthusiasts over to GDI engines due to vastly similar fuel economies?


Time will tell.
 

sgoldste01

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Location
Webster, NY
TDI
None; Replaced 2010 Golf TDI with 2012 Subaru Impreza 5-door with manual tranny
It's really about your needs sgoldste01. I'm driving a 2002 Golf ALH with 263,000 miles and it's still running the original turbo, down pipe, injector pump, radiator fans, radiator, heater core, transmission, starter, etc... Heck I replaced the original battery at 240,000 miles and it was still in perfect working order. But the tricky question is, was I lucky?

Any new vehicle should last 200,000 miles easily. I think the MK6 could last that long. The two items on the menu which ward caution are, HPFP and the CAT-System. If both of those go, that's $15,000 in repairs. Any company that creates an $8,000 emission exhaust system should be mentally committed. How can a car company make money when forced to develop that type of technology? Dayum, my inspection is visual on these cars. There's not even pipe test other than "looking" for smoke during inspection once a year. Is that worth $8k if not enforced?
So I've been stuck in a loop trying to decide what to do with my TDI. I'd like to dump it because I don't trust it outside of warranty, but I'm not thrilled with any of the alternatives (with the 2012 Focus and Impreza highest on my list. Impreza is slow and loud. And I can't convince myself that I like the Focus' center stack, or trust its reliability).

Then I just got a thought: Why not buy an MK5 gasser Rabbit (non-GTI)? They seem to be reliable, and they don't have the complexities of turbo and diesel. Wouldn't that give me the driving dynamics and build quality I like in my TDI, without much of the future grief and expense?

Something like this, perhaps:

http://www.luxuryautofinder.com/vehicle/3877276/2008-volkswagen-rabbit-batavia-illinois-60510

Yes, the fuel economy would pale in comparison to a TDI. But expensive repairs will seem to outweigh the fuel savings over time.

I'd consider an MK6 gasser Golf, but they don't seem to come configured the way I want (4 door with a manual tranny).

Hmmm....
 
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veedubfreak

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2011
Location
Denver, Colorado
TDI
2011 golf
The gasser is a boring engine. The TDI gives you great mileage and great driveability. Those high mpg gassers have no balls whatsoever. The TDI really is the only car on the market that gives you both. If you plan to keep the car for a good length of time, I suggest getting the VW extended warranty out to 7/100 and then putting a car payment away every month after the car is paid off. That's my plan, but then again, I'll probably trade up for something new before my 7/100 is out as I don't really put tons of miles on the car a year and 7 years is about the time I start to get bored with a car.
 

sgoldste01

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Location
Webster, NY
TDI
None; Replaced 2010 Golf TDI with 2012 Subaru Impreza 5-door with manual tranny
I think I'm willing to take a little less excitement in exchange for a lot more dependability. I know the TDI is great in terms of its combination of power and fuel economy. But the fuel economy is worthless if you end up spending thousands of dollars on TDI repairs over the life of the car.

You might get away with it by trading in the car within 100k miles. But I want to keep the car for twice that long, and I just don't think this TDI will be economical if kept for that duration. This is disappointing, because one of the perceived benefits of a diesel vehicle is long-term durability.

I know that any car will need repairs over 150k - 200k miles, but not every car model's repairs will be as spendy as those of a CR TDI. If the costs of keeping a CR TDI on the road over 150k miles was similar to doing the same with a non-CR TDI car, I'd keep my TDI.
 

LandCruiser

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2010
Location
MA
TDI
1991 Mazda Miata
dont forget about the cost of getting rid of your tdi
Historically these cars have strong resale values, probably stronger if oil prices was still going up, right now...it's probably not the "best" time to sell.

These cars are more for hobbyist...I wouldn't recommend a TDI for somebody that just wants a relatively trouble free car. Even in my two short years of ownership, I had things like, broken keyfob (~2 months into ownership), cubby coin door broken (~3 months), and moody sunroof (~3 months). I was able to look past most of it but still, that shouldn't happen to a new car.
 
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sgoldste01

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Location
Webster, NY
TDI
None; Replaced 2010 Golf TDI with 2012 Subaru Impreza 5-door with manual tranny
dont forget about the cost of getting rid of your tdi
Yes, I've been thinking of that. To minimize my loss, I plan to do a private sale myself, rather than trading it in. My research leads me to believe that I can get $21k for my car's configuration (30k miles, winter package, HID headlights, sunroof, etc.). I will offer my snow tires/wheels/TPMS sensors and Panzer to the buyer of my car for additional $$; if the buyer isn't interested, I'll sell those items on Vortex.

I bought the car for $25k (not including tax). Back in early 2010 when I bought the car, I was able to receive a $1300 government rebate for buying an alternate fuel vehicle, bringing my cost down to $23700. VWoA is compensating me for my fuel leak grief by making a 1-month payment toward my loan, which is $760 (I took out a 3-year loan). So that brings my effective price of the car down to $22940.

So if I'm right about being able to private-sale my car for $21k, then I will only have paid $2k for the privilege of driving my TDI for the past 30k miles. If I'm being optimistic about what I can sell it for, then my cost of ownership will go up accordingly. I would then use the money from the sale to pay off the balance of my TDI loan, and then use what's left as a down payment on whatever I replace it with.

The dealerships I've visited so far have quoted $16,500 trade-in value toward my TDI. I told them to forget it.
 

about2buyTDI

Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Location
Brimfield, MA
TDI
2012 JSW 2.0
Historically these cars have strong resale values, probably stronger if oil prices was still going up, right now...it's probably not the "best" time to sell.

These cars are more for hobbyist...I wouldn't recommend a TDI for somebody that just wants a relatively trouble free car. Even in my two short years of ownership, I had things like, broken keyfob (~2 months into ownership), cubby coin door broken (~3 months), and moody sunroof (~3 months). I was able to look past most of it but still, that shouldn't happen to a new car.
I have to say, the consensus seems to be to take a pass on purchasing this car. I was hoping for more positive comments. Given the many choices buyers have and some competitors working hard to improve reliability, I'm surprised by the quantity and variety of problems being reported. Is VW indifferent to these issues?

Anyone out there able to offer a more positive ownership experience?
 

Softrockrenegade

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2011
Location
Howellbama, NJ
TDI
None...2011 Golf DSG (replaced by VW W/) 2013 Passat SE 6M(bought back) Current 2017 sportwagen TSI 4Motion.
The best quality of these cars is how much fun they are to drive ! I can't speak for problem free as iv had problems since 1400 miles and with the metal in my fuel filter I see even more down the road ...
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
It's true that the tone of this site is pretty negative when it comes to the newest TDIs. I think the combination of the expense of a HPFP failure, despite its apparent infrequency, along with the de-contenting of the Jetta Sedan, and the seemingly lower FE of the new cars has made folks sour.

Look at it another way. The Sportwagen is pretty much unique in the market. Other than Audi and Volvo, I don't think anyone has a small wagon available. And no one has a wagon that will deliver anything approaching 40 MPG. These cars are great to drive, the Sportwagen and Golf have better interior finishes than many similarly priced cars, and overall owners have had relatively few problems. Any car forum will emphasize the negative.

If you don't get the Sportwagen, then what? If it's the diesel that you're worried about, you could look at an A3 2.0T. I'm not a big fan of the 2.5, but that's another option and there are folks here that have gone that route.
 

sgoldste01

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Location
Webster, NY
TDI
None; Replaced 2010 Golf TDI with 2012 Subaru Impreza 5-door with manual tranny
Anyone out there able to offer a more positive ownership experience?
How long are you hoping to keep the car? This is a huge factor. And what's your budget? How financially willing to support this car are you?

The Golf TDI is a fantastic car. It's the most well-rounded car in its class, in terms of handling, acceleration, fuel economy, styling, quality of materials, features, and so on. It's a very cool car.

But it's not super reliable due to its complexities. To make a diesel meet the environmental requirements of all 50 states, especially NY and CA, is quite an engineering trick. That engineering trickiness requires a lot of complexity, and with that complexity comes lower reliability and higher repair costs.

If you're willing to live with the risks, the breakdowns, and the expense in order to drive such a cool car that's more well-rounded than any of the competition, then go for it.

I'm not willing to live with the risks, breakdowns, and expense. So I'm planning to dump my TDI (before the warranty runs out) in exchange for a car that I won't enjoy driving as much as I enjoy driving my TDI. So be it. A fun car to drive isn't a fun car to drive if it leaves you stranded on the side of the road. And the lack of fun only increases if the dealership (or independent repair shop) hands you a 4-digit bill.
 

BrianCT

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Location
USA
TDI
TDI
Anyone out there able to offer a more positive ownership experience?
I have a friend who bought my per-order June 2009 MY2010 Golf MK6 because at the time I wasn't ready to purchase it. That's when there was an announcement that the Golf TDI was coming to town [Summer of 2009].

Anyway, he took delivery. He had the local dealership perform all oil change service [6k, 10k, 20k and 30k]. He does not use an additive and lives in New England with cold winters. The car is flawless. Never an issue with anything other than some light fraying of the driver's seat. He's completely satisfied with his purchase. Now with 60k on it, he's happier and happier.

Myself, I have the 2011 model year. Same exact configurations. I love the overall feel of the car and modified it somewhat with a rear sway bar and other "stuff." I have 8,000 miles after almost 2 years ownership. I just don't drive it enough. There are literary hundreds of recent model year TDI's in my area of Connecticut. I've spoken to many and most have dealership service. Very few if any have ever had issues with anything.

Over all, I think the instances of failures are limited. You just have to really eyeball the build quality upon delivery and if having any issues with the build quality ...make certain you have all that addressed.

I really love the car. I also love the MK4 I own too. But in retrospect ...I really drive so very little now a days to justify purchasing a diesel let alone a car at all.:D
 

sgoldste01

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Location
Webster, NY
TDI
None; Replaced 2010 Golf TDI with 2012 Subaru Impreza 5-door with manual tranny
You just have to really eyeball the build quality upon delivery and if having any issues with the build quality ...make certain you have all that addressed.
Really? How can you eyeball an HPFP problem, or an intercooler problem, or a DPF problem, or (unique to me) a fuel line that's going to be fine for 30k miles, and then leak all over the place?
 

BrianCT

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Location
USA
TDI
TDI
Really? How can you eyeball an HPFP problem, or an intercooler problem, or a DPF problem, or (unique to me) a fuel line that's going to be fine for 30k miles, and then leak all over the place?
You can't over come the failure of the HPFP. If you have metal fragments in your fuel filtre ...you have issues. If someone is bringing their NEW vehicle to Volkswagen for free maintenance service, I'd expect that VW [with 3 service calls] would discover or solve issues as they arise. I haven't had intercooler issues, nor my friend but then again, there are hundreds of these cars roaming around in Connecticut. Each time there are cold days you'd expect to see stalled or seized roadside CR 2009-2012 model years stranded ...but we don't. I don't see dealerships full of HPFP seizures either.

Maybe with time? Maybe with miles? Maybe? Maybe?

Maybe not.
 

ksing44

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Location
Southeast PA
TDI
2010 Golf TDI
Then I just got a thought: Why not buy an MK5 gasser Rabbit (non-GTI)? They seem to be reliable, and they don't have the complexities of turbo and diesel. Wouldn't that give me the driving dynamics and build quality I like in my TDI, without much of the future grief and expense?
I got my son a slightly used 2010 Jetta 2.5 gasser. It was the last year they had the MKV Jetta. It may take some shopping, but you can find them with the same RCD510 radio and even with a MDI for the iPod. I really liked the car, when I drove it for a month before giving it to my son as a surprise. The bluetooth is only for outgoing calls, there are no steering wheel controls, and it has a simplistic MFD, but it really is a nice car. It also isn't as sporty feeling as the Golf TDI, but it uses regular gas! The trunk is huge and the seats fold like the Golf. The engine is more like a tractor or something, but still endearing in a way.

Honestly, however, if you're thinking about another VW, I think you should get a slightly used MKVI GTI. That you can get with everything just like the TDI and it handles even better! If I bailed on the TDI, I think I'd try a slightly used GTI. That would be a way to cut the losses and get something that is the most similar to the car I like to drive now. I have looked, but so far I have not found the configuration I want. I'd also say the MKVI Golf 2.5 gasser, but they seem so stripped.

Good luck and so sorry about your troubles with the TDI!
 

sgoldste01

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Location
Webster, NY
TDI
None; Replaced 2010 Golf TDI with 2012 Subaru Impreza 5-door with manual tranny
Good luck and so sorry about your troubles with the TDI!
Thanks!

Are you thinking about dumping the TDI for a GTI? My concerns about this would be:
  • GTI reliability. Consumer Reports shows that MK6 GTIs have problems with Body Hardware and Power Equipment. Why these issues would be greater on an MK6 GTI than on an MK6 TDI is unclear to me.
  • Complexity. Is the GTI less complex than a TDI? I know it wouldn't have the DPF and HPFP. They both have turbos, but I'm not aware of intercooler icing issues on the GTI (or do they have that issue too?). Does the GTI have a complex EGR system like on the TDI?
  • I assume the insurance on a GTI would be higher than on a TDI, but I could be wrong about that.
  • Fuelly shows fuel economy averages of around 28 mpg. I don't know what kind of fuel economy a GTI could get if it was cruising at a reasonable speed on an extended highway trip.

Thoughts?
 
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