Sold my 2006 TDI today after 13 years!

[bondtimbond]

Original owner here. You will find a number of my postings on this site and others during my 13 years with the car. 144K miles when I sold it. Biggest thing I learned with this car and these forums, is don't start to believe that the negative experiences many folks on these forums are having will necessarily happen to you. In my first 5 or so years with the car, I spent way too much time worrying that I was about to have one of the major problems that some fraction of the owners have. I had no dual mass flywheel problems, no worn lifter problems, or many of the other things mentioned. My car overall has been great!


Overall this has been a great car, and I will really miss it. We moved on to a larger vehicle. I hope to own another TDI someday when they are back in favor. Thanks to all on this forum over the years that helped me out, and I hope others were able to take advantage of the write ups and input I provided to them. Good luck all!


Tim

 

[relumalutan]

Thanks for sharing your input over the years. I will also put my 06 soon for sale, though mine has 280k miles, but still drives like new and has a bunch of upgrades.

 

[soot1]

The 2006 TDIs had the PD engine and no DPF, right?

 

[relumalutan]

Yes, the 06 is the PD, not the DPF.

 

[Matt-98AHU]

Original owner here. You will find a number of my postings on this site and others during my 13 years with the car. 144K miles when I sold it. Biggest thing I learned with this car and these forums, is don't start to believe that the negative experiences many folks on these forums are having will necessarily happen to you. In my first 5 or so years with the car, I spent way too much time worrying that I was about to have one of the major problems that some fraction of the owners have. I had no dual mass flywheel problems, no worn lifter problems, or many of the other things mentioned. My car overall has been great!


Overall this has been a great car, and I will really miss it. We moved on to a larger vehicle. I hope to own another TDI someday when they are back in favor. Thanks to all on this forum over the years that helped me out, and I hope others were able to take advantage of the write ups and input I provided to them. Good luck all!


Tim

Probably because it has less miles than where most of those failures are normally noticed on that particular car

-Someone who works on these all the time and has owned a Mk5 BRM that had 290,000 miles on it when I sold it...

Glad the car served you well for so many years, though!

 

[relumalutan]

Probably because it has less miles than where most of those failures are normally noticed on that particular car
-Someone who works on these all the time and has owned a Mk5 BRM that had 290,000 miles on it when I sold it...
Glad the car served you well for so many years, though!

Believe it or not, I have experienced most of the failures expected to happen on MK5 before I reached 144k miles. I bought the car at 123k , at 126k I had to replace the DMF, at 143k I had to replace the camshaft and lifters. Other things replaced before 144k: windshield wiper motor and linkage, rear suspension, radiator fans, driver door harness, air recirc. motor, one rear taillight that was accumulating condensation all the time, two Bioline wheels bent out of shape, ASV and who knows what else, as I forgot. I am taking care of my car and I perform all the maintenance. I guess to a certain degree, it's a matter of luck. I'm at 280k now.

 

[where2]

Back in February (2019), at 169K my wife's 2006 met with an accident and was deemed a total loss. We had purchased it with 20 miles on the odometer back in April 2006. Around June, my sister acquired its fraternal twin TDI, (my former company car 06_TDI which had the DSG rather than the 5spd MT my wife's had, both were Package 1 TDI models and used to share our driveway). My nephew and my sister love the 2006 TDI they acquired at 125k, now that the headliner is fixed and the A/C is fixed. Honestly, I was glad to see the company I used to work for part with it, since it was just sitting after I left my employment with them. They're solid cars. We drove ours from FL to Maine countless times, and even a few trips dragging a 5x8 trailer (with brakes, see the "Show what you Tow" thread). They are little cars that "can", if you ask them to. I don't regret putting my wife in the 2006 TDI after her '98 4Runner was totaled. That 1.9L engine sipped fuel compared to the V6 4Runner @ 17mpg.

Thanks for the final update Tim, and safe travels!

 

[Matt-98AHU]

Believe it or not, I have experienced most of the failures expected to happen on MK5 before I reached 144k miles. I bought the car at 123k , at 126k I had to replace the DMF, at 143k I had to replace the camshaft and lifters. Other things replaced before 144k: windshield wiper motor and linkage, rear suspension, radiator fans, driver door harness, air recirc. motor, one rear taillight that was accumulating condensation all the time, two Bioline wheels bent out of shape, ASV and who knows what else, as I forgot. I am taking care of my car and I perform all the maintenance. I guess to a certain degree, it's a matter of luck. I'm at 280k now.

Yeah, the failure rate varies. I've had some with worn cams by 100k, some made it to 180k without issue. Some DMFs bad at 70k, others go to 150k-180k.

I'm sure a lot has to do with environment and type of driving to make up the variance, but for sure, right in that 120-160k range is when most of these issues really start to rear their head as being terminal. At the same time, most automotive engineers will tell you that 150,000 miles is their target for 'vehicle lifetime.' So there's that.

 

[TDI73]

Original owner here. You will find a number of my postings on this site and others during my 13 years with the car. 144K miles when I sold it. Biggest thing I learned with this car and these forums, is don't start to believe that the negative experiences many folks on these forums are having will necessarily happen to you. In my first 5 or so years with the car, I spent way too much time worrying that I was about to have one of the major problems that some fraction of the owners have. I had no dual mass flywheel problems, no worn lifter problems, or many of the other things mentioned. My car overall has been great!


Overall this has been a great car, and I will really miss it. We moved on to a larger vehicle. I hope to own another TDI someday when they are back in favor. Thanks to all on this forum over the years that helped me out, and I hope others were able to take advantage of the write ups and input I provided to them. Good luck all!


Tim

I sold my 2006 (2005.5) Jetta MK5 BRM exactly 14 years after I got it as a first owner. It had 261,000 km (162K miles), no major issues at all, but a few annoying ones : door harnesses, alternator clutch pulley, sagging roof liner, clock spring, peeling paint on a radio. Still with original DMF, clutch, lifters, camshaft, etc


Served me well


All the best!

 

[dzl_nator]

I am the second owner of my 06 BRM DSG car with 144K miles. This car was well treated for the first 9 years then abused for the next 3 years. For me, I have also decided not to dis VW anymore. These are solid cars as have been my other cars. I have owned this car for 1 year and here is what I have had to replace: Headliner, left door harness, EGR, RCV in the AC compressor, DMF, RF axle. This car gets 39/44 mpg, is smooth as silk on the road and is very quiet and comfortable. These are well engineered automobiles. I am happy to have acquired this car.

 

[325_Guy]

315k on the one in my signature. Purchased with 30k in 2011. 275,000 miles later, this vehicle has not once ever left me stranded. All of the common issues (DMF, cam, EGR cooler) showed themselves but I had plenty of warning and could repair at my leisure.

Other than that, nothing but steady preventative maintenance and some upgrades along the way.

I have no plans on ever selling this car. It serves me very well.