Steve writes:
Hi TTAC, long time follower here with a 2006 VW GOLF Diesel 1.9L.
The car was one of the last batch Mk.4 Golf’s with a diesel engine purchased in Canada where I live. Since then, it has had small and large repairs galore including temperature sensor replacements, an entire transmission (Automatic Tiptronic, 09A, a big regret) replacement at 21000kms, rear hatch wiring adjustments (I noticed the hatch will not lock), front door hinge adjustment because the front 2 doors were rubbing against the top tips of the rear two doors and chipping away paint with eventual rust setting in. Later on, suspension bushings up front were replaced, the left front headlights went out a few times and then came back by itself, the dealer could not find any fault.
From the second winter onwards, the car would randomly enter limp mode when the weather gets cold, but not directly correlated with the temperature. At first we all thought it was diesel gelling, but eventually this past summer, the vehicle started entering limp mode in the summer as well. A few scary times when I was passing someone on the highway with the throttle floored or pulling onto on ramps and the car cuts power. Already a low power diesel, imagine what limp mode on highway was like! A trip back to the dealer first resulted in “no fault found” then after my insistence to take the vehicle out for a spin on the roads, the car was diagnosed as “turbo vanes seized” and promptly had its turbo charger replaced. At roughly the same time, the car developed leaks through the passenger side foot well, where a stream of water runs down like tap water when its raining with the sunroof closed, as well as the back hatch area periodically floods.
The dealer performed some recall work on the sunroof drain hoses. The center console clip mechanism broke, the signal ticker mechanism malfunctioned (continuous tick non-stop), right headlights leaked, and the left headlights went out again, all of which had to be repaired. Then the front right bearing started screeching and the rear windshield washer sprayer hose got clogged. Those last few repairs were just made days after the warranty expired and I’ve had to fork over 4 digits…
So far, that’s the length of the fairy tale in VW land. All of that aside, when I was purchasing this car, I was really looking for a decent quality car that was frugal on fuel and simply did its job. I didn’t see that long list of problems coming my way taking previous VW owner’s experiences to heart. Apparently VW did build quality cars prior to the 2000’s.
I am hoping to keep the car if nothing else acts up, but I cannot honestly expect that given its record so far. I fell in love with diesel vehicles, but the market hasn’t changed much to diesel lovers. Should I keep the car or find something else? If else, what would it be?
Sajeev answers:
Love is love, but the market will never change! One of my mates in the UK refers to diesel as the “Fuel of the Devil.” He’s kinda right, because diesels aren’t cool enough for mainstream automotive consumption until gas prices remain significantly more expensive than diesel. You know, from here to eternity. Or if price of diesel remains artificially low, a la the Ethanol habit here in the states.
I’m not calling for a mandatory gas tax to make things better for diesels, but I strongly encourage you to sell this heap to someone more, uh, appreciative of the joys of Fahrvergnügen.
To put it mildly, VW build quality has been hit or miss for the past decade or so. Parts and service is expensive, too. So it is time for a new ride. I’d avoid diesels in general, unless you tow 5000+lbs on a regular basis. Canada’s auto market is different than the US, but one vehicle that might work is the Acura CSX: it imitates the premium German ownership experience with an efficient powertrain in a fairly bulletproof and unquestionably reliable package. Even Acura of Canada liked TTAC’s slant on the CSX, enough so to post a link on their website.
So buy a gasoline powered small car. And keep it with established Japanese, South Korean or US brands for now. Maybe VW will regain their bulletproof rep in the next decade, but certainly not now.
Send your queries to mehta@ttac.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry.
Great suggestion, Sajeev. The CSX has recently seen a significant price drop here in Canada for the 2011 model (MSRP $24,290 compared to between 27,000-28,000 for the 2010), so that makes it even more attractive than it might have been.
Pity that the CSX-S is gone, though.
Nice price for an interesting little luxo gas-sipper! Looks like I got lucky on Valentine’s Day.
The repairs on a VW will more than outweigh the fuel savings.
Yup. I’m getting to sell my po…. FANTASTIC Jetta VR6 to some very lucky owner, it’s going to be a fantastic day, errr sad day.
That’s the same car I used to have. A lot of parts that should never wear out or break wore out or broke.
Drop it like a hot potato and run like heck. I’d be easier to live with a used Hyundai Accent and the fuel economy difference wouldn’t be that huge. What does VW think they’re selling? Yugos? Hyundai Ponys? Chevy Vegas?
If Canada or your province has a Lemon-law, this car certainly sounded like a candidate.
One of the redeeming factors of MkIV diesels is that they sell for a relative premium. Dump it while it’s still worth something.
The CSX (or a used EL) wouldn’t be a bad choice as a replacement, either. On the other hand, if you can stand it and fuel economy matters, the deals on the second-gen Honda Insight are quite good right now and the car itself is testing out as one of the most reliable you can buy.
Imagine that. A hybrid more reliable than a diesel. Why, who would have thunk it? (sarc)
“Insight are quite good right now”
I would say Toyotas HSD has shown to be more reliable than Hondas IMA/CVT setup.
Honda has had a number of CVT failures. Toyota does not have a belt CVT but instead uses an ultra robust permanently engaged Orbital gearset.
Also Honda has had more battery issues. I think they use smaller batteries and overstress them.
I think the second-gen Insight and Civic Hybrid aren’t subject to the battery and transmission problems that afflicted the first generation models. I’d check CR, but I let my subscription lapse this month.
The new Insight hasn’t been on the market that long to really determine reliability improvements.
But the CVT issue is fundamental. A belt CVT is never going to be as reliable as the simple, permanently engaged Orbital gears that Toyota uses.
Battery issues were not just the old Insight, they extended into the Civic Hybrid as well and Honda had to change the programming of the in field Civic Hybrids to take it easier on the batteries.
Honda battery gremlins may have been licked, but Toyota HSD seems to have a more robust design and history than Honda IMA/CVT.
What a horror story.
My own experience with a 2003 TDI Golf was just as bad. In addition to the leaking sunroof drains, I had the window regulators break twice, a bad brake light switch that immobilized the car, a battery problem and probably dozens of other little things I have put out of my mind. The be-all-end-all was a blown head gasket. I had it repaired by a small shop and then, while driving it down the highway a month or two later, the car just quit on me.
I could have dragged it back to the shop, but enough was enough. I put it on craigslist for $3500 and the first guy who came to see it gave me $3200. Later he sent me an email and told me that the shop had probably bungled the repair. According to him, a valve had gone into a piston, then out the back (in bits and pieces of various sizes), destroying the turbo along the way. I guess I can’t blame that particular instance on VW, but in my mind its like a person who dies from a mistake a hospital makes while they were being treated for a gunshot wound.
The kicker is that although the car was 8 years old, I had put less than 26,000 miles on it. That’s too young to die in my book.
Whatever, I’m glad its gone. I’ll never buy another VW again.
Yes, it definitely sounds like the shop botched your head gasket (and subsequent timing belt reinstallation) repair. If you don’t have the valve timing correct within a very narrow range, and rotate the engine even slowly by hand (as you are supposed to do after installing the timing belt), you can easily bend a valve and not even know it. Car will start and run properly after that. The problem is, that slightly-bent valve is stressed every time it opens and closes and the stem will eventually break off some miles/months later, causing catastrophic engine damage (if you’re lucky, the block will still be usable afterwards). Proving the shop screwed up will be next to impossible.
I nineteenth the advice to sell it and run away! I have a dead 1996 Passat TDI in my driveway, currently awaiting injection pump seals that were done in a few years ago by ULSD. The engine on that car harkens back to the original VW diesels of the 70s/80s and is pretty robust (assuming one doesn’t screw up the valve timing), but the intermittent electrical problems on the rest of the car have frustrated me to the point of wanting to take the car out and shoot it full of holes. I wouldn’t recommend a VW to anybody, you’re far better off with a 90s Taurus or Mopar minivan, if you get my drift.
Gotta agree with everyone above: run, don’t walk away from this car. Once the electrical gremlins start, there’s no going back. Whatever you spend on gasoline will be offset by the lack of crippling repair bills.
VW can make all the cheap Corolla knock-offs they like: if they don’t cull the grifters and outright thieves from their dealer network, and start engineering some small measure of reliability, they’ll be as relevant to the US market as Peugeot.
I had a 2002 Golf TDI for several years and nothing broke, great car, wish I still had it. My best friend has an ’03 Jetta TDI (and a 125mi rt commute) approaching 270K miles, and the worst actual repairs (non-maintenance) have been a busted door handle and a $90 MAF. Maintenance has been brakes a couple times, struts twice, timing belts twice, one clutch at 250K. Oil changes every 10K. Another friend has an ’02 Jetta TDI Wagon with ~100K, that one needed a $90 MAF sensor too, and that is about it. I could go on and on. I guess Maine is just the blessed land for VWs. I would certainly have no issues with having another one. I will say we have one GREAT dealer in my area, and one not-so-great dealer. But isn’t that the way with all car makes? Our local Lexus dealer has a pretty crappy reputation, and they are supposed to be the end-all and be-all.
And does the fact that diesel costs a little more than premium really matter when the car gets 2X the mileage out of the same amount of fuel, and is nicer to drive. It’s all that lovely relaxed torque, you see. Shrug.
That’s a shame that you’ve had so many problems. If you’re interesting in either keeping it or selling it, head over to tdiclub.com and they can help you with either situation. Lots of knowledgeable people there. It’s how I’ve kept my 2003 Jetta TDI running mostly trouble free since it was new. VW quality is definitely hit or miss and it sounds like you have the unfortunate problem of getting a lemon.
The CSX is a neat car. Basically a Civic that has been “Cimmaron’d”, except that it’s not based on a POS 1982 Cavalier.
I bought a brand new Golf TDI back in 2001, and currently have 419,000 miles on it. I have had virtually no problems of any kind. I finally replaced the injection pump, nozzles and suspension parts (shocks, struts, ball joints, tie rod ends, etc) at around 350,000 mainly because I figured that after that many miles, they should probably be done. I’m still on my original clutch, turbo, engine (untouched), trans (untouched). Everything still works. Everything is still attached. The paint is still shiny. It doesn’t smoke, burn/use oil, and runs and drives like it should. It also still gets 50mpg. Other than normal maintenance done by the book, and not abusing or modding it, I’ve done nothing special to it.
VW quality does seem to be hit or miss, but I have to blame some of this on the owners and the dealers. VWs are very intolerant of missed and improper maintenance. The proper fluids and parts must be used. Timing belts must be done on time and done properly. I can’t tell you how many timing belt jobs I’ve seen bungled by both owners, corner repair shops, and the dealers. Many dealers and owners tend to use the wrong oil. Many owners mod the heck out of their cars, thinking they are smarter than VW engineers, and complain that they break. TDIs are not gas-n-go Hondas or Toyotas. They must be looked after properly. If they are, they can give many years and many thousands of miles of good service.
Agreed. My ’03 Jetta TDI is a young pup with only 190k miles on the original clutch. I just replaced the original brakes within the past 10,000 miles (since the last oil change) and the suspension at the last oil change.
Hey Guys,
Thanks for the inputs! Much appreciated. In case some were wondering, my TDI as described to Sajeev was all dealer maintained, from the day I got it. All liquids, inspections, changes and repairs were dealer done to date. Have not missed a single oil change…
I knew TDI’s were finicky on maintenance before I bought it thus stuck to the regimen. I found out afterwards that pre-PD TDI’s were a lot more reliable (in North America). I drove some one else’s 1999.5 TDI a while back for a bit and agreed with him that earlier VW’s were a lot better built (rattles, fit and finish, and general reliability wise).
Thinking of a replacement car now, probably another hatch. CSX don’t come in Hatches, eh ?
Being able to drive a VW TDI to a million miles or more is probably the romanticized goal of any diesel buyer. It’s unfortunate that Prius taxi owners seem to be the ones achieving that goal, but it’s definitely an automotive niche that VW shouldn’t abandon.
Thank you for saying it!! We all know, the Mk4 Golf/Jetta had a lot of issues, ok ok beat that dead horse. But honestly, almost every horror story I hear about them starts with “the dealership…”
It seems that if you stay away from the dealer and take care of your own car, you will do much better!
You’d think that a car company would at least know about some of these problems after making the same car for EIGHT (!) years. But that’s not how VW rolls.
Sajeev: What is going on here? Has VW ever known how to build automobiles? This sounds exactly like my 1986 GTI. Of course I hear GM is still having power door lock problems which I worked on in 1968.
I happen to like VWs, but the MKIV series makes me shudder. I owned two of them, and the parts guys at my local dealership now know me by my first name.
Sajeev is right – sell it to someone that absolutely HAS to have a diesel.
-ted
Finally, somebody said it.
In 1993-2000 I was working with alarm systems and I had a lot of customers
with Audi, VW and Mazda. The reliability of Japanese cars was superior.
Thetruthaboutcars should write more about reliability.
How long does turbo last? Is more reliable BMW diesel or petrol?
Is difference in reliability between BMW328i or BMW335i ?
Are Subaru 2.5 engine reliable? Who is behind the attacks on Toyota?
Give me the truth !
Put it up for sale on a place like http://www.tdiclub.com. You should be able to sell it for a good price to someone who is more familiar with TDIs and is willing to put up with their… quirks.
It’s strange. This thing is definitely a lemon and should be gotten rid of. That said, it’s not typical of most TDI’s. I’ve had two and neither gave me problems, both being Mk IV’s. One a Golf and my current Jetta.
Great Timing. I was just looking at the new VW 2012 Passat website and dreaming about getting one with the diesel.
We had a 2001 Golf GLS TDI. It was totaled by a teenager driving too fast in the rain. At the time we needed to replace it, I don’t think VW wast selling any TDIs… Probably a good thing, I remember it fondly but my mind is playing tricks on me!
If Ford, Honda, Toyota, Subaru or Hyundai would finally offer a passenger car with a diesel, I would be so happy. I miss the torque and the economy.
Problems:
Automatic transmission died around 40K miles (under warranty thankfully)
MAF sensor replacements
Peeling interior trim
The intake would clog up over time with diesel soot and oil from the EGR and need to be cleaned to restore performance.
Needed special diesel oils that meets obscure VW specs
Consumer reports is recommending the current diesel offerings from VW. Have they improved that much in 5 years?
The engines are more refined, there are more transmission options. The interiors look nicer except for the cheaper Jettas. Engineering as a whole package (long term reliability as an indicator for example) is largely unknown (which are my TDI’s problems).