TDI reliability and repair costs

05.5 manual trans. MKV body.

BRM engine. These and SOME of the BEW code engines got cams from the factory that were not heat treated sufficiently. They fail between 120k-160k.

I had my belt done at 100k and the cam was on its way out. I drove it 22k more miles and put the cam in myself.

I'm not sure how it would be "easily done without tools" but it can be done in your driveway.

There are 3 transmission options, the manual, the automated manual (DSG) and a torque converter auto. The dsg and the manual both use dual mass flywheels, that tend to fail.

The wire harnesses in the driver door fail. Mine grounds the switches for the locks and Windows through the hinge, so the door has to be shut or in the "sweet spot" to operate.

The vinyl peels off ALL of the switches, leaving the white substrate with no indication of what the button is for.

I have 138k on mine and have not put brakes on it. The parking brake is showing that the rear pads are worn so it's time.

I get 38-42mpg in mixed driving, which is WFO throttle in each gear until I'm at cruising speed. I'm huge, so my mileage would reflect having the additional weight in the car. My best MPG to date has been 51mpg on I80 headed east from Colorado.

Two of my last tanks have been way under par, and I just now got the numbers to back that I actually have something up.

I would buy one again. You have to be your own repair station though, or the few repairs they need will be costly.

Sent from my Not So Smartphone
 
Thanks for the replies gents. If I could possibly find a super clean Mercedes 300td circa early 80's I may still go that route but that isn't likely. My wife gets kinda owly when I start talking about deleting her new car so that's a hurdle on the tdi as a choice. Fooling with my truck is one thing.
 
I like my 06 Mk V BRM TDI Jetta 5-speed MT as well, but I have had similar goofy VW issues to Biggy... It is a nice car, but there are some quirky VW things like the driver door harness issue that wont allow me to control the driver rear window from the driver door switch and the most annoying, the trunk release button quit working and the stupid car DOES NOT have an external key manual release so the only way we can open the trunk is to crawl through the back seat and release the anti-kidnap lever inside the trunk!!! I need to take arpart the door and fix the harness, but it is dumb that it broke!!!

We bought it with 8X,XXX miles and it was showing cam wear issues so we replaced the cam with a Colt Cam when we did the timing belt. I need to inspect the cam and lifters and wear as we are at around 16X,XXX miles now and about due for another timing belt change and I hope we don't have to change the cam and lifters again.

We did many upgrades (covered in Diesel World magazine) including South Bend clutch and SMF, Porsche Boxster brakes up front and GTI brakes in the rear along with 1-inch lowering and 18-inch TSW wheels with Goodyear tires. It brakes and handles awesome now!!! One of the nest braking cars I have ever driven! It also has Snow Water/meth, Kerma TDI tunes and an aFe cold air intake... On the dyno we are up to 135 HP over 100 stock and I can't remember the TQ figures...

I am actually thinking about selling it though... I would like to get going on my swap of a Duramax engine and Allison trans into my 2000 Tahoe Limited and it would replace the Jetta as our daily driver and road warrior for the shows and stuff we attend throughout the year. Selling the Jetta would help fund the swap project and save some money by getting another car off our insurance policy. We also have purchased a 2002 MK4 VW Jetta TDI for Kyle to use as his DD so we still have a TDI in the family even if it is not quite as roomy as the MK5...

If you are considering purchasing a diesel sedan as a family vehicle the MK5 and MK6 models offer more passenger room than the MK4 models, but if it is just a solo commuter or you have young kids the MK4 is fine... I would also consider the Chevy Cruze Diesel as well as a 2009-2011 BMW 335d if you are looking for a nice diesel ride! The Cruze is a very nice car and the BMW is a BMW!!! But I hear that they are having similar emissions related EGR clogging issues in the manifold, so there is that to worry about, but the prices are coming down to the mid- to upper teens and low 20s for real nice ones and they originally sold in the upper 30s so they are getting affordable now and they are a blast to drive with the turbo I6, the new 3-series diesel gets the I4 so if you want the bigger power of the I6 and are willing to sacrifice some mileage you need to buy the 2009-2011 model...
 
Top right of the license plate. The key goes in vertically



Since posting the other night, my car is riddled with electrical issues.
I wouldn't own the car if I weren't a mechanic.

I have found that I have two engine problems, a cam position sensor, and the mass air flow sensor.

Again, all of the failures on the cars are well documented on forums.

I got my keys to work (four years into owning the car)

VCDS is a great investment. The more I learn the more I like it, but it's love hate because I find more wrong.

Oh yeah, I found I have a BEW engine. Who knew


Sent from my Rotten Apple
 
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Also, take apart the motor mechanism, clean all of the grease out of it with a good spray cleaner, and lightly reapply dielectric grease, the trunk should open again unless you really did kill the wiring


Sent from my Rotten Apple
 
biggy238 said:
Top right of the license plate. The key goes in vertically



Since posting the other night, my car is riddled with electrical issues.
I wouldn't own the car if I weren't a mechanic.

I have found that I have two engine problems, a cam position sensor, and the mass air flow sensor.

Again, all of the failures on the cars are well documented on forums.

I got my keys to work (four years into owning the car)

VCDS is a great investment. The more I learn the more I like it, but it's love hate because I find more wrong.

Oh yeah, I found I have a BEW engine. Who knew


Sent from my Rotten Apple
Click to expand...

Shainer said:
LOL beat me to it! If in doubt read the manual.
Click to expand...

biggy238 said:
Also, take apart the motor mechanism, clean all of the grease out of it with a good spray cleaner, and lightly reapply dielectric grease, the trunk should open again unless you really did kill the wiring


Sent from my Rotten Apple
Click to expand...

I will look again tomorrow in the daylight, but I have looked several times all across the trunk and could not find a key hole anywhere... hopefully I'm just blind!!! Would make things much easier on road trips... I figured it was the wiring issue since the door wiring is already having problems with the driver side rear window, I figured it was likely that the wire for the trunk release broke too...
 
biggy238 said:
Top right of the license plate. The key goes in vertically



Since posting the other night, my car is riddled with electrical issues.
I wouldn't own the car if I weren't a mechanic.

I have found that I have two engine problems, a cam position sensor, and the mass air flow sensor.

Again, all of the failures on the cars are well documented on forums.

I got my keys to work (four years into owning the car)

VCDS is a great investment. The more I learn the more I like it, but it's love hate because I find more wrong.

Oh yeah, I found I have a BEW engine. Who knew


Sent from my Rotten Apple
Click to expand...

Shainer said:
LOL beat me to it! If in doubt read the manual.
Click to expand...

NOPE!!! Apparently my car does not have an external key release for the trunk... WHY not, I have no idea at all!!! But the only things on the panel above the licence plate are a recessed handle in the center and licence plate lights on each side of the recessed handle. There is NO key slot at all vertical or otherwise. Also not at all in the VW emblem on the vertical surface of the trunk lid like most models I have seen have.

I don't know if it is some weird production duck that was built with a mish-mash of parts or what, but it has no external release whatsoever!!! I have looked many times and now just looked again.

I also reread the manual and there is no mention of a key slot anywhere in my manual. Simply says to open the trunk use the button on the key or the switch in the door. For what its worth, the manual also says 2007 VW Jetta not 2006. I know they sold TDIs as 2006 models well into the 2007 model year for emissions reasons so maybe with the 2007 model Jettas VW did away with the external key release for some STUPID reason!!!!

Someday when I have time I'll fix the door, or the person who buys the car will, if I sell it before then...
 
I have a 2001 Jetta TDI, supposed to be one of the best. I'll never buy another VW. Far too expensive to maintain/repair and need too many special tools. It's amazing how many folks I've talked to that drive a VW and say they've never done anything to it. But then when I start asking specific questions it's amazing how much money they've generally spent and apparently never knew it.
 
There's an '05 Passat auto for sale here locally for $1500. 225K miles. Ad says it needs a tranny. What do you think? Any common problems with the tranny?
 
I know the 4-speed autos in the Jetta are not at all the best... Supposedly the 5-speed autos are better... Not sure about the Passat versions if they are any different or not... Check out Frans on TDIClub.com he has some great prices (between $1000-2000 or so shipped) on complete auto to manual swap kits using used European parts. So you could probably have a 5 or 6-speed manual car for around $3500 if the rest of the car is nice!!!

We will probably be buying one of his kits to swap to a manual in Kyle's '02 Jetta TDI.
 
I had an 06 Jetta TDI, I bought it with 82k on it and sold it with 214k on it four years later. I did the normal timing belt at 100k and 189k, a cam at 189k, clutch around 110k, and the EGR crapped out at 132k so it got deleted. I would buy another one if I could find an AWD version, but not if it is not AWD or 4WD. They do good in the snow and such, but they do run into issues that I prefer AWD or 4WD for, mainly because of where I live now.
 
madmikeismad said:
Yeah me too. But EPA is considering an $18bil fine. ****ing outrageous. I hope vw says Phuck OFF and just pulls out of the states. Leave us to rot in our own filth.
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Don't forget California want's their separate case so you can up that number. What I really wish is for the Krauts to be a little better with their software engineering so it would have remained undiscovered. Still think it is awesome that they think like I do. Hey lets have this sh!t run two programs.
 
Shainer said:
I love VW more than ever now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/19/business/volkswagen-is-ordered-to-recall-nearly-500000-vehicles-over-emissions-software.html?_r=0
Click to expand...

madmikeismad said:
Yeah me too. But EPA is considering an $18bil fine. ****ing outrageous. I hope vw says Phuck OFF and just pulls out of the states. Leave us to rot in our own filth.
Click to expand...

Shainer said:
Don't forget California want's their separate case so you can up that number. What I really wish is for the Krauts to be a little better with their software engineering so it would have remained undiscovered. Still think it is awesome that they think like I do. Hey lets have this sh!t run two programs.
Click to expand...

Wow, that could definitely be the end of VW and TDIs as we know them... That fine would be HUGE and even if the pull out of the US I would think the US govt will still go after them to try to collect.

Good engineering though!!! Especially when you consider that the CARB/EPA rules were based on false data from a discredited engineer who lied about his credentials and did bad math...
 
BTW, if anyone is considering a manual swap, just get a parts car with a blown engine. Way cheaper, and you'll for sure have everything you need. Just don't get a beetle, they were all kinds of stupid.
 
"They want to make it clear that they’re going to crack down on cheaters,”

They want to make it clear that it doesn't matter to them unless millions of dollars are involved.

I think Volkswagen should drag them through international court, and should force the pay out to the consumer of the vehicles that bought them from the dealer. Cut the EPA out of the money game.

Sent from my Not So Smartphone
 
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