Take the cash or keep on rolling my JSW?

Hey gang. As we all know the dieselgate payouts are soon upon us and I'm really torn on what to do. My situation is this: 2009 JSW TDI with 138,800 miles on the clock. I've owned this car since Dec 2010 when it had 14k miles on it and I have had done EVERY VW prescribed maintenance thus far....all the DSG services, all the fuel filter changes, just did the timing belt, just did the rear brakes and I have a FrostHeater installed. Car has been paid off for over a year, runs great and I'm getting ~40mpg (bit higher in the summer, lower in the winter).

On Monday I hopped in to head to work and as I was backing out of my garage I heard a loud SNAP!!!! in the front of the car. UM...*** was that? Looking around the car my right front now sits 1/2" lower than the left front...so I'm guessing that the spring snapped. Earlier this year for inspection they found a rear spring was cracked at the end and it had to be replaced. When I ordered those springs I got all 4 but only installed the rears choosing to wait on the fronts until the struts needed replaced because of the design. Dealer said shocks and struts are fine.

So now here I sit a month out from the first decision point. I have a Jeep Wrangler that I've been driving to work, just parked the JSW for now. What do I do with the JSW?

If I'm going to get the spring replaced I might as well do the struts at the same time. And if I'm doing the struts then the strut bearings and might as well do the rears as well. These are original with >138k miles on them after all. But it seems stupid to drop the cash on that (~$600 for the parts plus labor and an alignment) if I'm going to take the full VW payout and give them my car. I was planning on keeping the car, but this wasn't expected and shines the light on the fact that other things I'm not expecting are going to start going bad on a car with >140k miles on it.

My calculated payout is $12,875 if I'm under 140k miles, which I will be for sure at this point. Take the cash and bid the JSW a fond farewell? Keep the JSW and run it into the ground after VW does whatever they are going to do to it?

Cash out and motor on!

If you like the car, have it fixed and drive on.

VW will give you $5100 (and perhaps a bit more) sometime after the end of the year to put whatever fix is approved, and then you get 4 years/48000 miles on critical parts.

what is not to like?

Throwback7r said:

Cash out and motor on!

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So you're saying take the $12,875?

meerschm said:

If you like the car, have it fixed and drive on.

VW will give you $5100 (and perhaps a bit more) sometime after the end of the year to put whatever fix is approved, and then you get 4 years/48000 miles on critical parts.

what is not to like?

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I guess my concern is the car becoming a money pit of repairs. If I cash out I can buy a used car with like 1/3 the miles I have now.

I have 31k on my 2010. I can't imagine selling mine to go get crushed. I just wish I would get something for the depreciation of the car because of this crap.

The fact that a spring (or something else) broke is unfortunate. However, it really doesn't change the decision we all have to make. Do we keep our cars or do we let VW buy them back? This is a purely personal decision so we can't decide it for you. It depends on how much you like the car, and (maybe) how much it will cost to fix it. If you can still drive it onto the lot, VW will pay you for it. They will pay you far more for it than you could sell it for even after it is fixed. You (and only you) must decide how much this car is worth to you. I am personally still waffling back and forth myself so I have not even registered online for repair or buyback. Sorry, but we can't make the decision for you. Some will say keep it and some will say sell it back but in the end it is a personal decision for every one of us.

Have Fun!

Don

I have 138K on 2010 Golf TDI and I just made an appointment to get the CP3 HPFP upgrade. That was the only thing that really worried me, even though I know it's possible to have other major repairs. I still love the car. I'd also love a new GTI, but I don't want to spend the money even though I have the money. And I think I'd just kill the GTI with my commute.

I'm thinking if there is a fix, that cash would go a long way to pay for repairs or upgrades, maybe even a tune to take the fix off, ha, ha, ha... Of course I'll feel stupid if I get a blown turbo or some other big thing, but I'm going to take the chance. It's mostly because I still love my little car. I guess I also like the idea of keeping a car a long time, so it's hard to give it up.

Now if I was one of the folks with a 2014 that essentially got to drive for free for a few years, then I think I'd take the buyout. But for me, like you, it's not that great of a deal unless the car turns to crap in the not too distant future.

i'm saying don't fix anything take the 12,5 and buy something different, you will never get that much for a car with that many miles on it in any condition. The car will cost more and more money. With 138 on the clock, some stuff will start to need to be replaced.

I'm taking the money and closing the door on this fiasco. I like the car but enough is enough. Got my letter to turn car in on Nov 1st.

Throwback7r said:

i'm saying don't fix anything take the 12,5 and buy something different, you will never get that much for a car with that many miles on it in any condition. The car will cost more and more money. With 138 on the clock, some stuff will start to need to be replaced.

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But they also give you a minimum of $5,100 to keep it if you take the fix. That cash can do quite a bit of fixing and you don't have to add another $15K+ to get into a new comparable vehicle. They're also going to provide an extended warranty for some things. I'd think at a minimum the extended warranty will cover the exhaust system and that's where quite a few of the expensive issues arise.

I'm hoping the fix is just a larger surface area for the LNT (lean not trap). Then things will be essentially the same, except more Nox will be trapped. It wouldn't actually be enough to meet the standard, but I've read a number of times that the fix will fall short.

So if I get another 3 or 4 or more years out of my car, I think it could be a good value to just keep rolling. The depreciation on a new car in 3 or 4 years would be significant. I think it would be more than the value of my car at the moment and as I said I get $5.1K anyway. Of course a major issue could change the value proposition, but that could also happen to a new car, maybe just past the warranty. Cars are always a crap shoot. At least I know this one and I also still love driving my little car.

I'm taking the $15k VW is offering for my 2010 and applying that to an almost new Subaru wagon. There's no way I'll ever be able to get that kind of money for my VW otherwise. I'll be happy to unload a car that could ultimately become a money pit and i struggle to keep up with the leaky pano roof drains on the JSW.

EricVA said:

I'm taking the $15k VW is offering for my 2010....... I'll be happy to unload a car that could ultimately become a money pit and I struggle with the leaky pano roof drains on the JSW.

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Granted the JSW sets the bar: fuel numbers, space and the 6M - MHO - interacts with the TORK flawlessly.

The $$$$ (VW calc's circa my purchase price) plus HPFP/DPF fears as the odometer climbs et al (and I don't even have the exposure - pun intended - of a pano roof...........(you get the picture).

Add a few $$$$ to VW's buyback amount to this sailor and next year perhaps an Alltrac with a 6M, V-tex and no pano..............

ez

Ok I will chime in, keep it if you have had good luck with it, no one knows your car better than you, are you the type to run it into the ground or want a new car sooner than later?Also if the turbo and DPF went you would still have cash left over from the fix , granted you would have to put the cash out first but you would get it down the line, and lastly what would you replace it with, if you have a easy answer to that last one sellout back. I am selling back I say 95% but the last 5% is what can I find that does the job as well as my TDI wagon. Good luck

If you turn it in what would you do with the money? Do you have to buy another car (sounds like you have a spare)? If so, could you find one you like as much as your JSW for the money you'll get?

138K isn't high miles. And it sounds like you've taken good care of it, so you shouldn't have much in the way of surprises moving ahead. Of course a 7 year old car with 138K on it will require more maintenance than a new one, but lots of other things are less expensive.

I agree that the spring breaking shouldn't make the choice for you. And if every time something fails you'll be tempted to turn it in then perhaps you should just do it and get it over with. You'll have to make that choice yourself.

Thanks for all the feedback. I've been looking around and there's plenty of very nice used cars with <40k miles on them in my area for ~$15k. So I'd be adding around $2K of my own cash for a newer car with 100k less miles on it if I went that route.

But right...will I love it like I love my TDI? Probably not. On the other hand I literally have had zero issues with my TDI. I'm a realist here...I've seen the threads of others with issues and know at some point things will start to break down. Yes I have my Jeep to get me around if that happens or until I find THE car as a replacement if I let VW buy it back.

The spring is at the center of this for this reason: If I'm going for the buy back then I'm not fixing it and the car is sitting as it is now. If I'm going for the fix then I'm dropping the added cash to replace the shocks and struts now along with the strut bearings etc. Like I said...it's like $1,000 for the parts and labor. Money basically thrown away if I go for the buy back.

I don't have the pano roof so no problem with the drains there. The springs have already broken so no issues there.

Here's a question: Is the turbo considered part of the emissions system? Will the added warranty coverage cover turbo issues?

There's this burning part of me that's a VW guy. I've owned the following: 83 Rabbit GTI, 90 Golf WE, 99 Golf WE, 99 Passat, 08 Passat, 09 JSW TDI. But my commute is 72 miles round trip 5 days a week. The TDI was great for this given the fuel economy. A gas VW would not be as economical as it would most likely have a turbo and thus require premium gasoline.

I guess it come down to this: Can I get ~$8,000 ($12,875 - $5,100 +1,000) worth of additional use out of this car without other significant issue. How do you even quantify that?

Based on what you write, if I was you I would keep it, your a VW guy it seems, and your car has cost you nothing in repairs, I doubt a Turbo is part of the emission but if it goes at 200K you find a Guru and replace it if you want, as I said earlier in a post VW will give you the $5100 so they will pay you for any big repair , assuming you take the fix if it every comes out, I can tell you there is not much out there that will do what a TDI wagon will do, the closet I have found is a Volvo v60 4 cal wagon and that was gonna cost me twice as much as VW is gonna give me for my TDI wagon.

Grasschopper said:

Thanks for all the feedback. I've been looking around and there's plenty of very nice used cars with <40k miles on them in my area for ~$15k. So I'd be adding around $2K of my own cash for a newer car with 100k less miles on it if I went that route.

But right...will I love it like I love my TDI? Probably not. On the other hand I literally have had zero issues with my TDI. I'm a realist here...I've seen the threads of others with issues and know at some point things will start to break down. Yes I have my Jeep to get me around if that happens or until I find THE car as a replacement if I let VW buy it back.

The spring is at the center of this for this reason: If I'm going for the buy back then I'm not fixing it and the car is sitting as it is now. If I'm going for the fix then I'm dropping the added cash to replace the shocks and struts now along with the strut bearings etc. Like I said...it's like $1,000 for the parts and labor. Money basically thrown away if I go for the buy back.

I don't have the pano roof so no problem with the drains there. The springs have already broken so no issues there.

Here's a question: Is the turbo considered part of the emissions system? Will the added warranty coverage cover turbo issues?

There's this burning part of me that's a VW guy. I've owned the following: 83 Rabbit GTI, 90 Golf WE, 99 Golf WE, 99 Passat, 08 Passat, 09 JSW TDI. But my commute is 72 miles round trip 5 days a week. The TDI was great for this given the fuel economy. A gas VW would not be as economical as it would most likely have a turbo and thus require premium gasoline.

I guess it come down to this: Can I get ~$8,000 ($12,875 - $5,100 +1,000) worth of additional use out of this car without other significant issue. How do you even quantify that?

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seth1065 said:

Based on what you write, if I was you I would keep it, your a VW guy it seems, and your car has cost you nothing in repairs, I doubt a Turbo is part of the emission but if it goes at 200K you find a Guru and replace it if you want, as I said earlier in a post VW will give you the $5100 so they will pay you for any big repair , assuming you take the fix if it every comes out, I can tell you there is not much out there that will do what a TDI wagon will do, the closet I have found is a Volvo v60 4 cal wagon and that was gonna cost me twice as much as VW is gonna give me for my TDI wagon.

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See that's how I generally feel...but then I read the HPFP thread where the guy has had to replace his HPFP 3 times in fewer miles than I have on mine.

And someone makes this post

The HPFP fuel pump failure isn't the only horrific expensive to repair issue these cars have. For MY 2009 the Cat and DPF are in the same housing and when the DPF develops crack, you have to replace both and the EGR filter for about $6000.

Add to that that there is a VG chance the turbo will not last past 120K miles because of the ridiculously high EGTs that happen during a regen.

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Only saving grace there is that I'm pretty sure that the Cat, DPF and EGR filter are pretty certainly part of the emissions system.

So I'm on my original HPFP, my original turbo, original exhaust. This car has been flawless outside of the springs and typical wear items (battery, rear brakes, tires). Something's gotta break at some point right?

I do realize that $5,100 will go a long way with repairs...I had planned on using that money to make a large payment on the Jeep as I would rather not have a car payment.

im out

i love my 2010 jsw but with 113xxx turbo is acting up and almost ready for the timing belt for all repairs they want 6000.00 so im going to bail and get the cash.

At 150k miles and on to 300k! I figure I'll come out way ahead over the next 150k.

$6k for a timing belt and turbo? LOL

lmiller5150 said:

i love my 2010 jsw but with 113xxx turbo is acting up and almost ready for the timing belt for all repairs they want 6000.00 so im going to bail and get the cash.

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You have a great guru in St Louis at Car Doc Automotive. You should get a quote from him, I bet it would be less than half what the dealer quoted. You could get the car repaired correctly and walk away with a new emissions system and cash left over after the fix. Just a suggestion.

Just had the front spring go (pass side) today, and I just had to have the dealer replace the ignition cylinder/ steering wheel lock a month ago. I'm still keeping my 10 JSW.

I'm taking the 5200 they're giving me, and deleting the emissions crap, then saving the rest of the $$ for timing belt, and replacing the fuel pump with the cp3.

He is how I did the math that decided I'd keep the car.

get the fix: $5200 + a 40MPG station wagon
Buy back: $6800 + No car ====> That $1600 difference would have been eaten up by taxes (1200 on a 15K car) and fees (dealer fees/ registration/ higher insurance) that come with buying a new car. A car that doesn't have a set of snow tires, a car that likely isn't a 6 speed manual. A vehicle that more than likely gets less than 30mpg.

Given those things, I'm keeping my girl.

Another reason for keeping it: I smoked a miata at a red light last week

With only 55,000 miles, I am keeping it and taking the $5200. Since they were only willing to pay $15,500 it would take at least another $10,000 out of pocket to get something comparable used. I would rather put money in my pocket or for future repairs rather than hit my savings. If I had a higher mileage car I probably would have taken the settlement.

We surrendered our 2010 JSW. It had 110,000 miles. The offer was just north of 17K. We have no shortage of vehicles to drive and the check engine light had come on again. This time for some cylinder pressure code. No regrets. Other than the web application, the process was quick and painless. Thank you VW.

Surrender. But not right away. Offer is nearly my 2013 price. Will miss the MPG and torque.

Alltrack/GSW 5M atop short list. 5M owns highest MPG. Still a 20 per cent drop in hwy fuel numbers (compared to my TDI 6M).



ez