Considering buying a new VW TDI

[lietuviai]

Not a Mercedes question but I need some help here. I guess there's a few of you out there that also own VW TDI's. I was at the Portland auto show yesterday and my wife and I became very interested in the VW TDI's, enough that we may consider buying one sometime this year. They seem to have a reasonable amount of hp (100 for the 2.0 L and around 125 for the larger engine in the Passat, yes the Tuareg has a V-10 but at that price I can buy the 320CDI but I don't have that kind of money). There's a new Jetta coming out as well but we didn't see a diesel model. We liked what we saw and they seemed reasonably priced.
I'd like to know if there are any issues with these cars, are they reliable and do they hold up over the years. Also if I can be directed to a good TDI forum for more on these cars.
Thanks!

[H2O2]

www.tdiclub.com

Nice cars. We really enjoyed our '96 Passat tdi which was extremely reliable and fuel efficient. I'd love a new Passat tdi wagon.

[tomm9298]

The new body style, A5, will be out in mid March. It will have more horsepower and probrably less fuel economy. Prior to 2003 models a VW TDI with a manual transmission got 49 mpg highway, except the Jetta Wagen, it got 50 mpg. So, either opt for the new Jetta A5, or maybe get a real deal on a Jetta A4 TDI.

[lietuviai]

Interesting about the A designations, just like Audi.
Thanks for the TDI link, I just registered there. The first thread I read, many didn't like the dealerships nor VWOA. That has me concerned. Sounds like things haven't changed any since when my dad owned a VW diesel back in 1980.
Looks almost like you're on your own after buying one.

[wolf_walker]

Originally Posted by lietuviai

Interesting about the A designations, just like Audi.
Thanks for the TDI link, I just registered there. The first thread I read, many didn't like the dealerships nor VWOA. That has me concerned. Sounds like things haven't changed any since when my dad owned a VW diesel back in 1980.
Looks almost like you're on your own after buying one.

Which is a good reason to buy one used from someone who knows the cars.

[barry123400]

Last one we had was 2000 tdi jetta. Wife wants another one. 2006 diesel due out about May 1 gas march 1st. Seem to retain position of least depreciation of any car on market at present especially if you plan. Bumper to bumper four years or fifty thousand. Dump it towards end of third year or before fifty thousand for best results. As soon as the 2006 is released expect 2005 will drop more than 5,000 in value so get one of the new ones coming or a 2005 only if a dealer is willing to reduce price quite a lot. Dealer offered a really cheap price to us the other day on a 2005. The 2000 was deficient in several ways that warranty does not cover. Ground clearance under engine too small. Handeling through corners fast did not inspire confidence either. Expect the 2006 may or may not address the problems. Tires on 2006 even lower profile 16" I believe.So less cushioning effect and more likley to experience damage on alloy rims. You want the 2006 as it is about seven inches longer and the 99 1/2 - 2005 looks pretty stubby compared to most new cars on the market in last year or so. Plus additional interior space really good ideal. Hopefully they will put a timing chain into the diesel as they are going to put one in the gas as the cost of routine replacement of the timing belt seems excessive. But again you will not be burdened with that if you cycle car early enough. In my opinion you buy this car for the superior milage, end point valuation and the fact it will allow the occupants a much better chance of survival in a collision. They are tough. The quality of upolstery and floor rugs etc. seemed pretty marginable but may be upgraded in the 2006 or perhaps the leather option bears some consideration. Customer service by the manufacturer and their attitude seems to be one of the poorest in the buisiness in my opinion. Others opinion may vary. A lot of dealer service is deficient but this varies from place to place. Try to buy from a dealer with a good reputation especially in service. Car is also reputed to have the most complex and difficult wiring harness and system to service according to mechanics and I really dislike the ideal of plastic window regulators where steel should be used. But we will buy another as others in this price range seem tinny and weak in comparison. Just drive by any damaged vehicle recovery place that is busy. Too many cars today have the roof pushed down to the seat level or there is far too much distortion of passenger compartment to allow only small injuries to occur. If you drive a jetta over a modest cliff or embankment chances are the doors will still open and close after and the roof will still be up. Just a few thoughts.

[Anthony Cerami]

I owned a 1999 TDI ........Nice car , great for commuting.
Mine was chipped ,,,got as much as 53 MPG.
Recently concidered an 05. Test drove an 05 passat as well.
Both cars were very nice.
Himmmmmmmmmm
I just bought a 1999 MB E300TD.
One test drive will convince you.
As for the dealers ......I had some issues, they try everything to take your money.
My TDI cut out one day. Had it towed to the stealer. They could not get to it for 3 days. ........."Here! rent this car ...well get to it".
$90.00 an hour for the shop rate with a minimum for diagnostics.
I was very far away from home. They really had me.....
So I call my girl friend. She loged on to Freds Tdi Club. Did a search on "no start"
and we tried a power relay...109 I think.
$10.00 later I was back on the road. (Thumbing my nose to the stealer)
Thanks to you guys right here and Fred of course.
This forum is the best for MB information.
-Anthony

1991 350SD (Zeta)
1990 300SE (Zoro)
1972 280SE 4.5 (Baby)
1967 250SE/c Sunroof Euro (Angel)
1999 E300TD (Edison)

[jayb79]

I have a y2k beetle tdi and it has been a very good car. It has over 160k on it and the only thing i have done to it is a timing belt and an maf. It still has the origanal brakes so you can see i do a lot of highway driving. had a 98 jetta tdi before the beetle and it was a good car also.

That being said if you have to rely on VW to work on your car don't buy it. The service is among the worst in the industry. Some dealerships are known to be better then others but in my area i tried 4 different places during my free scheduled maint period and each one was horrible.

[stayalert]

my 2001 gold tdi is great. As for dealers, I would rather push to an indy friend of mine in Maine than drive it 2 miles to the VW dealer. persusing fred's (tdiclub.com) convinced me that I could enjoy the tdi. Perusing here has convinced me I will enjoy a 123

Rob M Concord, MA

[rwthomas1]

A friend of mine just traded a '00 TDI Bug with 105K. He was the original owner and only got rid of it because it had been hit twice and the second time almost totaled it. Here are the issues he had: It had an appetite for headlight bulbs, seemed they only lasted 30K-40K. But cheap and easy to replace. Summer mileage 48-50mpg, winter 42mpg. Timing belt changed at dealer for $400, the new belts are supposed to be good for 100K. EGR plugged up the intake, he cleaned it out at 95K and the car ran better. You can buy VAGCOM software and turn down the EGR duty cycle yourself to keep this from happening. No other issues with car. MAF was on its way out when it was traded but still had the original brakes at 105K. He needed more room so he traded on a '05 Jetta TDI wagon for $22K. Some dealers are good, some are bad, same old story. There is a great forum, www.tdiclub.com so you can fix it yourself or at least have a clue how it works. Great car for the money. RT

[lietuviai]

Thanks for the enlightenment so far. I'm hoping for more to chime in.
Back in 1980 my dad had a VW diesel pick up. He bought it for the super mileage it was known for and he got every bit of the 50 MPG's everyone said they got. Then he had the misfortune of it overheating. No warning whatsoever. I think all it had was an idiot light to warn you about the temp and that for some reason didn't come on. It was towed to the dealer and he was told it needed a new engine. No more explanations were offered. He had put only about 50K miles on it in less than 2 years time so the warranty had run out I guess. But anyway when faced with an estimate for about 3K he decided to fix it himself (with my help). We looked it over and found that we could fix it by getting a new head. It had an aluminum head and it was warped from overheating. I found out you couldn't just mill the head otherwise we could have saved a bundle not buying a new one. It think the new head cost 600 then. We got it all together got it running and traded it for a Nissan diesel pick up which he still has to this day. Why did it overheat? The temp sensor was faulty that I guess made the fan kick on and the idiot light function. Poor design if you ask me.
I'm still leary of VW to this day and I know my dad would lecture me if I told him of what we wanted to buy. I'm sure the VW's are improved since 1980 but I worry about inept dealers and VWOA being totally without concern.
I don't want a used one in this case as I don't want to inherit someone elses headaches. Who would sell a good car that isn't that old?

[PatrickW]

I own a 2001 Jetta TDI that I purchased new, and have subsequently modified.

I've put over 100,000 miles on it since putting a higher performance chip in it.

Over the years I've owned quite a fewcars, but this TDI is far and above the most reliable car I've ever owned.

Coldest I've ever started it was -27 F (in MN). It has never failed to start for me, nor has it ever left me stranded. Front wheel drive with Blizzaks is great in the winter.

My lifetime average mpg is about 47. Not as good as some people, but I drive the pi55 out of it all the time.

You'll want to rely on yourself or a trustworthy indy (find one at tdiclub.com) to do maintenance after the warantee is up.

Timing belts (which includes the water pump and all rollers within the timing belt's path) need changing every 100,000 miles on the new TDI's. Cost's between $520 (if you buy the parts from www.dieselgeek.com and have a TDIclub indy do the labor) and $1200 (if you roll the dice and have VW do the labor).

- Patrick

[FrankM]

I bought a new 2000 New Beetle TDi and have been very happy with it.
I feel VW is best bang for the buck..
I have 152k on it now.
Original front brakes, rears replaced a while back and it is due to the car being a 5 sp and I use the e-brake...The pads do not quite return when used.
I got 95k out of my factory Michelin tires.
Original everything else except for timing belt..
I disconnected those DRL lights as soon as I got the car and have the original headlight bulbs too..
My only complaint is that it is front wheel drive... My first front wheel drive car...

I got the Ross-Tech software and can access the computers and do anything with them...

I can't tell you anything about dealer service because I have no experience with them..

Originally Posted by lietuviai

Then he had the misfortune of it overheating. No warning whatsoever. I think all it had was an idiot light to warn you about the temp and that for some reason didn't come on.

I'd hate to think how many VW's fell to the failure of that fan switch that threaded into the end of the radiator. Notorious little bugger...but then again...its switching a pretty good sized fan...

How are things up there?

[wolf_walker]

The cooling fan setup was iffy stock on the 80's diesels, none of mine were stock, all had gauges, and I've never had one overheat. Mostly crapy wireing, my 81 pickup has very little of the OEM wires left, I even replaced the fusebox at some point.

Over a million miles in IDI VW diesels, I'm convinced, hope the TDI is as good twenty years from now as they are today. I'll probibly be considering buying one about then..