Jetta purchase question

[autolover70]

I am looking at buying a 06 Jetta TDi with a manual trans in either a 5 speed or 6 speed.What should I look for.Or should I forget about the 06 and up and stick to the 99-04.I am buying for reliability reasons and fuel mileage.I live in WV where we get some cold weather and snow and it will be outside for the time being.Help me please?

 

[aja8888]

06 Jetta did not come with a 6 speed. That is a MKV which only was produced in TDI form in 2005.5 and 2006. Nice cars, but getting up in age. If you find one with less than 150K miles on it and it was maintained well, it could be a nice car. The auto shift is a Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) which is pretty nice too. Injection is Pump Duse (in the fuel injector and initiated off the camshaft) versus mechanical injection pumps found in earlier TDIs.

Older Jetta and Golf TDIs are great (00 - 04) and came with automatic (01M and it sucks) or manual. Finding a clean, low mileage one is a trick. Better economy that the MKV though.

 

[Andrewh]

6 speed was the automatic/dsg transmission.
there are some known issues that once addressed should be fine. the cam failing and the flywheel issue are the only 2 big things.
couple of other minor issues can be fixed if you are handy like the egr leak and headliner.
buttons flaking off is an annoyance.

I think the 06 is better just because it is a larger vehicle. gives you more room to haul people or stuff over the 04 and earlier.

the 04 and earlier do seem to get better mileage but I think it is due to the smaller car in general.

anything newer than the 06 runs you into the diesel gate stuff and the particulate filter and fuel system issues.

 

[aja8888]

If you are going to go newer, stay away from the 2009 model TDI as it has a very expensive DPF system (one piece). Also read the threads on the high pressure pump failures in the 2009 and up models.

I had a 2005.5 Jetta and loved it (with all the identified issues sorted out). I wish I had it back as the new Passat I have feels more like a Camry that the older, sporty Jetta.

 

[IA DPE]

If you are going to go newer, stay away from the 2009 model TDI as it has a very expensive DPF system (one piece). Also read the threads on the high pressure pump failures in the 2009 and up models.

This. It seems to me that the '09 was rushed out in an effort to get TDIs back on the market before the product met VW's previously high standards.

 

[autolover70]

I have found a 2005 MK4 and and 2006 TDI.The 06 I can get for $4900 and the 05 they want $7K for it.The 05 has 103K and the 06 has 194K on it.The 06 has had the camshaft and valvetrain changed plus a newer clutch kit.Your ideas?

 

[bubbagumpshrimp]

If it were me...I would see what I could do to get the price of the '05 down a lot. Just looking on KBB...that one looks to be way over the private party price...and KBB tends to run high.

I don't care what people are saying about TDI's being hot commodities at the moment. I see a LOT of them for sale locally and the prices are VERY low. I wouldn't pay a premium for one at the moment. Make the bad publicity (for the newer CR models) work for you.

 

[autolover70]

The guy with the 06 has dropped the price $600 on it already.Of course I am going to have to get it in Arkansas.But it is what it is.I would really like to find a black,03-05 5 speed with the dark leather interior with a sunroof in the TDI closer.But the closest one I can find like that is in texas.