200k mile question

Hi, new to the forum and newish to TDI's, but not new to VW's.

Anyways, I have the opportunity to purchase a 2014 Passat TDI SEL that has almost exactly 200,000 miles on it. My thought is that since it's so many miles on that new of a car, it's likely highway miles primarily and the suspension shouldn't quite have the same wear and tear as older cars with the same mileage.

The only experience I've had with a TDI was my 2013 Jetta, which I sold back to VW at 70k miles. I know these cars can go for hundreds of thousands so 200k doesn't necessarily scare me.

My question is, what do I need to look for or be cautious of with this car? Do these engines hit 150k, 200k, 250k miles and need some expensive maintenance done? Like timing belt work? I just want to make sure I measure the true cost of this purchase. Like if I'll be putting in $2-$3k of maintenance into the car pretty quickly.

200K miles is a lot. If I were looking at a car with that mileage, I'd want to know when the timing belt service was done, when brakes and tires were last replaced. Also, is the suspension and are the control arm (front and rear) bushings original? If so, you should plan on replacing soon. If it's an automatic, you'd also want to be assured that the DSG transmisison has been serviced regularly.

Of course you want to know if the car has had the fix done, and what (if any) warranty is remaining. If none, I want to know how old the turbo is. 200K miles on one of these cars could well be near the end of the turbo's life. Also, you may want to check on injector balance: I've heard of injector issues with this generation Passat lately.

A lot of TDI owners tend to do routine service on their cars, but don't replace other components as they wear, especially suspension. It's easy to spend a couple grand on suspension if you don't do the work yourself.

Great info! Thank you!

Brakes I can do myself, so not too worried about that. Tires have plenty of tread left. Suspension I can do myself, but that can still get pricey if I'm replacing all the bushings. But still manageable.

So Sounds like I need to look at DSG fluid and filter service done... from my research, that would be done at 120k usually and again at 240 I assume?

Timing belt hopefully done at least once so far?

Turbo... So if it's the original turbo then I will likely need to replace that soon?

As far as the fix... I don't know if it matters too much if I plan to get a tune and possibly DPF/EGR delete? ( For off road use only, of course )

russdawg24 said:

<snip>
So Sounds like I need to look at DSG fluid and filter service done... from my research, that would be done at 120k usually and again at 240 I assume?

Timing belt hopefully done at least once so far?

Turbo... So if it's the original turbo then I will likely need to replace that soon?

<snip>

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DSG is serviced every 40K miles, fluid and filter. So at 200K you'd be looking at the 5th DSG service.

Timing belt due at 130K on the NMS.

I'd assume the turbo might be going at 200K.

All of these are pricey, of course the last two much more so than a DSG service. I personally wouldn't touch the car without a service history, unless the price were ridiculously low, i..e., single-digit, enabling the performance of all the service mentioned in this thread.

Rico567 said:

DSG is serviced every 40K miles, fluid and filter. So at 200K you'd be looking at the 5th DSG service.
Timing belt due at 130K on the NMS.
I'd assume the turbo might be going at 200K.
All of these are pricey, of course the last two much more so than a DSG service. I personally wouldn't touch the car without a service history, unless the price were ridiculously low, i..e., single-digit, enabling the performance of all the service mentioned in this thread.

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Does the carfax typically include dealer scheduled maintenance? It's through an independent used car dealer and they're asking just shy of $8k. I called and asked about maintenance records and they have nothing.

should be a good buy, talk them down to 7k delete the thing and your set. These aren't Honda/toyota built so yes, expect some repairs in the future- typical vw stupid **** that goes wrong- door handles, door locks ect. I'm at 125K without a single drop in repair other than the wife's hair ball breaking the clock spring.

jrm said:

other than the wife's hair ball breaking the clock spring.

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lolw-t-f?

Was her hair actually getting down into the steering column somehow?

russdawg24 said:

Does the carfax typically include dealer scheduled maintenance? It's through an independent used car dealer and they're asking just shy of $8k. I called and asked about maintenance records and they have nothing.

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The last time we bought a used car, in 2007, it did. Showed that all the required maintenance had been performed at the dealer. Of course, that car (an 04 SAAB 9-5 wagon we bought with 21K on it and are still driving at 195K) had far less miles on it than the one you're buying.
You're buying in the dark, but the seller has clearly priced it accordingly. I like the advice of "jrm." Offer them $7K, then perform all the maintenance as if it had never been touched.....and I'm including the turbo. If it blows, you could be looking at an engine.

This is great advice. For things like turbo, timing belt and DSG service I would be taking to the dealer... so I'd assume that's about $3k there. So I might as well go with a '13 TDI SEL that is at 86k. Sounds like a safer bet that has much less chance of surprises and immediate maintenance work.

russdawg24 said:

This is great advice. For things like turbo, timing belt and DSG service I would be taking to the dealer... so I'd assume that's about $3k there. So I might as well go with a '13 TDI SEL that is at 86k. Sounds like a safer bet that has much less chance of surprises and immediate maintenance work.

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Depending on price and condition, that car has a LOT fewer miles, for sure. Our '13 SEL (which will be turned in later this year) has been a great car since we bought it new 5 years ago. Only problems have been a new NOx sensor the second winter, covered under BtoB warranty, and a heater core, covered under a specific 10/120 extended warranty.

Blue_Hen_TDI said:

lolw-t-f?

Was her hair actually getting down into the steering column somehow?

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lots of hair, and she also puked on the wheel when he had food poisoning- said she couldn't get the window open quick enough the tech was like yeah, it was a mess. Maybe Russ could do the T-belt himself? its not to bad, myturbodiesel has a great write up and video

Rico567 said:

Depending on price and condition, that car has a LOT fewer miles, for sure. Our '13 SEL (which will be turned in later this year) has been a great car since we bought it new 5 years ago. Only problems have been a new NOx sensor the second winter, covered under BtoB warranty, and a heater core, covered under a specific 10/120 extended warranty.

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I should have mentioned that for comparison... they're asking $12,900, I could probably get that closer to $12k. Plus it has service history including DSG service.

jrm said:

Maybe Russ could do the T-belt himself? its not to bad, myturbodiesel has a great write up and video

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I don't see it under the DIY thread... But I don't know if I would want to chance it. I'm mechanically inclined for the most part and do a lot on my cars. But I also know my limits and have a really good local shop and the dealer has done good work for me in the past on warranty work and some other stuff.

I here ya, like my friend says work a few hours overtime, have a shop do it and spare the frustration and having the car down for a few days. here is the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAi667H7M2Y

jrm said:

I here ya, like my friend says work a few hours overtime, have a shop do it and spare the frustration and having the car down for a few days. here is the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAi667H7M2Y

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Exactly, I drive a little on the side for Uber in another car and if I have an expense like that come up I'll just drive a Saturday or 2 night and it's covered.

A few days down time? If a timing belt job takes a few days, then yeah it might be good to have a shop do it. It may sound like a daunting job, but it's really quite easy, just have the right tools & parts on hand and follow the diy instructions step by step. I knocked mine out in less than 6 hours with breaks, doing my first one on a tdi.

There is a '12 SEL that is at 86k miles and a private sale. Owner has all service records that have been done to that point, including a DSG service that was done at around 50k he thinks.

There's a dealer closer to me that's selling the exact same car as far as color combinations and mileage except it's a '13. It doesn't seem like there's any difference between the two years as far as I've read. I don't know about the service records but I am going to go look at it this afternoon on my lunch break and see what they have on it.

Dealer is asking $12k. Private seller is asking $13k but I talked him down to 12k and he said that's the lowest he's willing to go even knowing I have the lead on the same car but a year newer at the same price. I am fairly confident that I can get the dealer down to at least $11.5K plus maybe get a decent offer for a trade-in. I got the go ahead from my wife to buy on the spot if the deal is right, so I might be ending this thread soon with a happy ending.

Then, hopefully we'll have a new member/contributor!

Good luck.

Well, here she is. Out with the old, in with the new. It was very hard to say goodbye to my A6. I absolutely loved that car more than any car I've ever owned. After we shook on the deal and while they were getting paperwork ready I even took it for one last drive to say goodbye. I have a B6 Passat wagon and a MKV Rabbit also, and it just didn't make sense to keep it.

I ended up getting the car for $10,500. It was a long negotiation but worth it.

It has the walnut trim which I really like on the dark interior. Also, came with WeatherTech floor mats front and back so that saves me from buying the monster mats.

Next thing, I need to look into what my options are to reverse the "fix" that VW did. Looks like my best option maybe the Rawtek + Malone Tune. Doesn't seem to be much else out there. I'm just having a hard time justifying almost $2k for it though.

Rocketchip has a great tune for the EA288 with all emissions intact. I have it on my GSW and it really helps, especially at tip-in and in high gears on the highway.

russdawg24 said:

There is a '12 SEL that is at 86k miles and a private sale. Owner has all service records that have been done to that point, including a DSG service that was done at around 50k he thinks.

There's a dealer closer to me that's selling the exact same car as far as color combinations and mileage except it's a '13. It doesn't seem like there's any difference between the two years as far as I've read. I don't know about the service records but I am going to go look at it this afternoon on my lunch break and see what they have on it.

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Be advised the DSG fluid should be changed every 40K without fail so if you got the one mentioned above where owner "thinks it was done at 50K" that would worry me. If it's the one from the dealer hopefully you have all service records and proper maintenance was followed.

Good luck with your new ride!

251 said:

Be advised the DSG fluid should be changed every 40K without fail so if you got the one mentioned above where owner "thinks it was done at 50K" that would worry me. If it's the one from the dealer hopefully you have all service records and proper maintenance was followed.
Good luck with your new ride!

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I got the one from the dealer and it had a service history that did receive a DSG service at 40,226 miles (There's a log book that's been filled out in the owner's manual, plus the car fax showed maintenance at every step where it should have). I had put everything needed for the DSG service into my cart at ECSTuning and before I even pulled out of the lot I got on my phone and ordered it along with LiquiMoly oil and a filter to do this weekend. That'll put it at about 6k miles over for service but I'm not worried too bad. And the oil was just changed before it was sold and they had receipts from the local VW dealer showing the VW Brand oil they bought and OEM filter, but idk... I am just weird about doing it myself to have peace it was done right.

I'm new to the diesels but I've been pretty into VW/Audi's for a while and the community, so I know the importance of regular maintenance.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

Rocketchip has a great tune for the EA288 with all emissions intact. I have it on my GSW and it really helps, especially at tip-in and in high gears on the highway.

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Not really looking for more power... though that's welcome. I'm interested in maximizing MPG's. I put on a lot of miles, so that's why I went with this particular engine.

russdawg24 said:

Not really looking for more power... though that's welcome. I'm interested in maximizing MPG's. I put on a lot of miles, so that's why I went with this particular engine.

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I’m right there with you. Car has plenty of power stock for what I use it for: long commute. If a tune could get me, say, 5 mpg extra, it might be worth looking into. The problem is, 5 mpg extra is about $3/fill-up for me, so I wouldn’t make up that cash until 200 fill-ups. I’m not sure if I’ll still have the car then or if I want to risk my warranty. Granted, tunes are tempting.

Blue_Hen_TDI said:

I’m right there with you. Car has plenty of power stock for what I use it for: long commute. If a tune could get me, say, 5 mpg extra, it might be worth looking into. The problem is, 5 mpg extra is about $3/fill-up for me, so I wouldn’t make up that cash until 200 fill-ups. I’m not sure if I’ll still have the car then or if I want to risk my warranty. Granted, tunes are tempting.

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We tend to do 2 road trips a year that are ~1200 miles one way for our vacations and I put on about 85 miles a day for my commute. It would probably take me a year and a half to make up for the cost of doing it... so I guess that's not too bad. I intend to keep the car for the life of it. I intended to do that with my mk6 Jetta but the buyback offer was way too sweet.

IMO you don't really get a tune to improve MPG. It will probably help, but I don't know if there's a reasonable rate of return on the cost of the tune. However, once you've driven a tuned diesel it's hard to go back, even if you think now you don't need more power. It's more about response and making the car easier to drive.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

IMO you don't really get a tune to improve MPG. It will probably help, but I don't know if there's a reasonable rate of return on the cost of the tune. However, once you've driven a tuned diesel it's hard to go back, even if you think now you don't need more power. It's more about response and making the car easier to drive.

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I just get in my GTI if I want to go hooning around. More hp and torque than a TDI.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

IMO you don't really get a tune to improve MPG. It will probably help, but I don't know if there's a reasonable rate of return on the cost of the tune. However, once you've driven a tuned diesel it's hard to go back, even if you think now you don't need more power. It's more about response and making the car easier to drive.

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From what I can tell, It should get me about 10-15 mpg better with the rawtek product and Malone tunes. And it doesn’t seem like there’s much else out there. And with the driving I do, I should make up for the cost after under 2 years of driving.

My mkv rabbit is NA and tuned. Didn’t do much for power but it was all about driveability

All depends on what kind of miles you put on it. Once the OEM emissions system is up to temp and fully working (>30 miles) the MPG vs Deleted is much less a difference, maybe 1-4MPG which is mainly regens. But if you're hot rodding around town driving yeah sure you may see the increase you're looking at.

jrm said:

lots of hair, and she also puked on the wheel when he had food poisoning- said she couldn't get the window open quick enough the tech was like yeah, it was a mess. Maybe Russ could do the T-belt himself? its not to bad, myturbodiesel has a great write up and video

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FYI There was a recall for a cover to the clock spring to prevent hair from going into it, granted it prob ins't puke proof either.

740GLE said:

All depends on what kind of miles you put on it. Once the OEM emissions system is up to temp and fully working (>30 miles) the MPG vs Deleted is much less a difference, maybe 1-4MPG which is mainly regens. But if you're hot rodding around town driving yeah sure you may see the increase you're looking at.

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I am mostly highway and drive with fuel economy in mind when I'm on my commute.

So, somehow I was under the impression that I'd be getting 30-32 mpg highway after the "fix." I thought I had read that somewhere. Now I'm digging a bit deeper on this forum and seeing that some have reported 40+mpg hwy after the fix...

Was the "fix" for this car just a flash? or was there hardware put on too?