Adios TDI :(.

[k^2]

So I turned in my 2010 Sportwagen TDI last monday and the money showed up on my account this morning.
A little background.
I bought the car with a salvage title and 23,000 miles on the odometer Feb 2013 for $17000. In four years I put 70,000 miles on it. I did only only one DSG fluid change and one fuel filter change. The failures on the car were, rear coil spring, Oxygen and Exhaust Pressure sensors and the Exhaust Flap valve. The last two one were purchased with VW dieselgate credit card so no cost for me. Overall I loved the car and I wish the dieselgate would have never happened. Getting over 40mpg was great and so was the spaciousness of the car and the low end torque. If VW was selling TDI's a new one would be on my driveway now. I just can't believe that VW gave up on diesels so easily.
As for the reasons of turning the car in and not waiting for the fix I guess the money talks. My buyback was $16153 vs $17000 that I paid for it 4 years ago. So to drive it for 4 years at a rate of 17,500 miles a year cost me less than a grand. . I guess I really made out on the salvage title. The VW rep who received my car told me that from all the people he dealt with I made out the best. If I kept the car the timing belt service was coming plus the DSG fluid change was overdure. So that would be over a $1000. After another 90,000 miles the DPF would have been gone and then there was always the risk of HPFP failure.
The replacement. Mother in law of my friend at work is too old to drive so I picked up her 2012 Ford Focus sedan with 29,000 miles for $5600. There has been so much bashing of american cars on this forum, but I really like the way that car drives and feels. Don't find it any inferior than my former Sportwagen. I just wish it was a station wagon.
I guess I will be lurking on this forum from time to time as I always liked the diesel engine. Good luck with your TDI's folks.

 

[740GLE]

the frugality of people on this site should never bash someone picking up a ride with 29K on the clock for only $5,600 regardless of whats it is.

If they do, they are just jealous your smarter than they are.

 

[k^2]

A little update. Apart from TDI aspect I was missing the practicality of a Station Wagon. I was contemplating to get a new 2015 TDI station wagon BUT, I was window shopping on craigslist and found 2011 RED Sportwagen SE 2.5L with 50K miles. The car again had a salvage title due to replaced rear door side airbags and quarter panel. I picked it up for meager $7200! I calculated that driving 10,000 miles a year the fuel savings between a gas and a diesel come to be about $300 a year. Also factoring the low maintenance of the 2.5L engine vs dsg fluid changes and timingbelt it will take me "eternity" to catch up to $20,000 what I would have spent on a new TDI. Another plus about the new car is that it comes without the dreaded sunroof which I have not been using much on the old one. I just wish I had removed the trailer hitch from my old Sportwagen before turning it in.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

I thought cars with salvage title were ineligible for the buyback? At least in Canada. Was it different in the US?

 

[GearheadzTV]

I thought cars with salvage title were ineligible for the buyback? At least in Canada. Was it different in the US?

Yeah that's what it says for US also....how the heck did that fly???

 

[Trade Wind]

In the US, as long as the car was not acquired from a junkyard, title status makes no difference. Plenty of cars have been turned in with salvage, reconstructed, etc. titles for full buyback dollars.

 

[GearheadzTV]

In the US, as long as the car was not acquired from a junkyard, title status makes no difference. Plenty of cars have been turned in with salvage, reconstructed, etc. titles for full buyback dollars.

Other than asking, how can you determine where they purchased the car from with the rebuilt title? I found a tdi Passat for sale for cheap, thinking of a possible flip.

 

[Trade Wind]

Carfax usually says if car was acquired from an auction house like Copart. There is still some disagreement whether VW considers Copart a junkyard/salvage yard.

I know of many cars that cycled through Copart (before the final owner bought it - in other words, the final owner was one owner removed from Copart) and they were bought back by VW, money now in the bank. I know of one car bought directly from Copart by the person turning it in to VW, same thing, money in the bank. But I also have heard VW is getting more picky, so I personally would not buy one at this point from a junkyard/Copart and try to sell it back to VW. But it might be OK, I don't know.

If you buy a car with a salvage title, just make sure to get a bill of sale from the seller. It is likely VW will ask you for "Proof of Acquisition." In every case I know of, a bill of sale was sufficient for that, and money is now in the bank.

Good luck if you decide to try a flip, lots of forum members made lots of $$$ doing so! But the easy money is extremely hard to come by now, everyone is in on the game now.

 

[Cptcrnch]

When I bought my 14 Golf I was strongly considering a Focus ST. Ford's quality has a come a long way. And you definitely made the smart decision to pay cash for your next car. I'm taking the buyback and going to use the majority of the money to get myself debt free and pay cash for my next ride (hopefuly a Mkiv tdi wagon). Not to say I was unhappy with my Mkvi - I love the car. There's no better feeling then not having a car payment and being completely debt free.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

When I bought my 14 Golf I was strongly considering a Focus ST. Ford's quality has a come a long way. And you definitely made the smart decision to pay cash for your next car. I'm taking the buyback and going to use the majority of the money to get myself debt free and pay cash for my next ride (hopefuly a Mkiv tdi wagon). Not to say I was unhappy with my Mkvi - I love the car. There's no better feeling then not having a car payment and being completely debt free.

Well, it's the second-best feeling. First best came when we paid off the mortgage!

I'm car-payment-free as well. I got downsized back in 2014. Used the severance to pay off my car loan on my Mk VI. Formally "retired" in 2015 when I decided to stop looking for a new gig and enjoy what's left of life. My Mk VI was not a trouble-free car and I was making the equivalent in a monthly payment in repairs (it was out of warranty) so I decided to trade it for a Mk VII TSI, base 5-door model, no options, manual shift. I stopped the dealer cold when he uttered two words. The first was "automatic". The second was "financing". Paid cash. With the trade-in, $14k cash out the door, all taxes and fees in. Haven't had a car payment since February 2014.

In two more years I'll have enough saved up to pay cash for another base Golf, or something of similar cost, with my trade in. No payments, car in warranty, 90k max km on the car at trade in.

The way I see it I could take the cash and apply it to a lease/purchase of something really nice like an Alltrack or an Audi A4 or Volvo wagon and be in hock for another 5 years... or I can have a brand-new Golf and no worries. Buy with head, not heart.