change your mind?

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Silverado12
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Just read about a long term test of the 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI.

Surprisingly to me, it was almost completely trouble free. This is not in line with my personal experiences and with what I hear on this forum.

Maybe they need to go another 40k miles. They did say you need about 80k miles for the diesel to pay for itself versus the gas engine...



Since you're a Chrysler guy, I had to post this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMfB70VtsP0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPEM-_b3eu8


Actually Chrysler has the fewest vehicles in our rather large stable. All our fleet vehicles are GM, mostly GMC with a couple of Chevys. But we have a little of everything if you include my extended family.

But I would never exclude Mopar. Looking at a new Ram Monday...

 

[supton]

I'm sure the DSG is nice, but high repair costs scare me. I took the gamble on my '04 TDI, and I think it's been ok. Merely ok. I knew going in that maintance costs would be higher; but that would be offset by the fuel savings. What has been a pain all these years is driving hours to get a good mechanic though--it's good now that I'm doing more of the work myself. But conventional wisdom here indicates that it's no economy car, not with all the repairs its needed to reach its miles. Personally I don't feel lucky enough to roll the dice a second time on VW.

But it's been a nice ride when nothing was broken...

Knock on wood: 250miles left to hit 300kmiles!

 

[Fleetmon]

I can't speak to the TDI (although I'm thinking of getting one this Spring as a second commuter) but our X5d DEF usage isn't much at all. The BMW X5 tank is large enough to go 11k to 12k miles with no issues although I top ours off every 5500 miles when I change the engine oil. Adding DEF is a piece of cake and as already pointed out, no emission checks in Pa.

The only issue I have the outrageous price of diesel in Pa...I fuel up in Maryland in order to save about $0.20 per gallon. It's not too big of a concern to me though and we average 28mpg at 70MPH.....in an SUV!

 

[supton]

What is the DEF cost/mile compared to depreciation/mile or fuel cost/mile?

 

[Fleetmon]

For me, DEF is less than $0.01 per mile and fuel is right around $0.13 per mile so I would figure, on the generous side, $0.14 per mile fuel/DEF.

There is much cheaper DEF available but I use BMW DEF exclusively. I use more fluid in the winter compared to summer but the cost is still not extreme.

 

[Cujet]

My VW diesel DSG experience was criminally bad. However, from what I understand, many of the issues have been worked out and the diesels/DSG's are quite good now.

 

[sciphi]

I wanted to get a VW TDI really badly when I purchased my Cruze. But buying a 2011 or 2012 VW Jetta TDI with a known flaky HPFP, no dealer within an hour for the first few years of ownership, and diesel prices being well over $4/gallon along my commute kiboshed that idea. Diesel has moderated in price, but still $0.25/gallon more than premium, and $0.50/gallon more than RUG around here. I'd consider a Passat TDI, but after seeing how skimpy the powertrain warranty coverage is without purchasing a extension, I'll pass.

 

[Cujet]

Just a quick note: My Jetta TDI DSG had a 2 year/24,000 mile diesel emissions warranty! The rest of the car had a 3/36 warranty and the powertrain warr was 60/60,000.

Guess what failed at low miles and had refused coverage?

1) The EGR cooler, $1500
2) The O2 sensor, (a wideband unit) $735
3) The anti shudder valve $450

 

[wtd]

I'm not a diesel fan even though they usually get better mileage and power than their gas counterparts. The higher prices for diesel fuel as well as the higher prices for parts and repairs are what keep me in the gas arena.

Wayne

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
Just a quick note: My Jetta TDI DSG had a 2 year/24,000 mile diesel emissions warranty! The rest of the car had a 3/36 warranty and the powertrain warr was 60/60,000.

Guess what failed at low miles and had refused coverage?

1) The EGR cooler, $1500
2) The O2 sensor, (a wideband unit) $735
3) The anti shudder valve $450


Were these failures within the 3/36 warranty? How could they be denied??

 

[Fleetmon]

Typically, dealers deny warranty for what they consider fuel-related problems....clogged/failed EGR systems, fuel injectors, sensors, etc. The problem is usually compounded by "technicians" not being properly trained/skilled in diesel troubleshooting/maintenance.

Once you find a competent diesel repair facility (a feat in itself), a person should stick by it loyally while they own a diesel. Me? I do all of my own work, including the rare occasion when I've been denied a warranty repair. I do keep meticulous records of my maintenance and I keep fuel receipts for a minimum of six months (I usually only purchase fuel at three location unless I'm traveling and then only purchase fuel at well-used facilities).

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
Just a quick note: My Jetta TDI DSG had a 2 year/24,000 mile diesel emissions warranty! The rest of the car had a 3/36 warranty and the powertrain warr was 60/60,000.

Guess what failed at low miles and had refused coverage?

1) The EGR cooler, $1500
2) The O2 sensor, (a wideband unit) $735
3) The anti shudder valve $450

Wow. I thought the EPA had laws requiring an 80,000 mile warranty on smog equipment.

Anyway, what I find with VW cars is that country of origin makes all the difference. The ratio of MKIV Jettas to B5/B5.5 Passats is about 4:3, but based on what you see in repair shops, it would seem like there were 10 MKIV Jettas for every B5/B5.5 Passats. Most MKIV Jettas came from Mexico, most B5/B5.5 Passats came from Germany.

80,000 miles of use is not enough time to determine how good a car is. At 80,000 miles, my dad's 2007 Pontiac G6 wasn't too bad, but close to 100,000 miles, the interior is now completely falling apart.

 

[mikefxu]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
Just a quick note: My Jetta TDI DSG had a 2 year/24,000 mile diesel emissions warranty! The rest of the car had a 3/36 warranty and the powertrain warr was 60/60,000.

Guess what failed at low miles and had refused coverage?

1) The EGR cooler, $1500
2) The O2 sensor, (a wideband unit) $735
3) The anti shudder valve $450

When you buying another one?

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: Cujet
Just a quick note: My Jetta TDI DSG had a 2 year/24,000 mile diesel emissions warranty! The rest of the car had a 3/36 warranty and the powertrain warr was 60/60,000.

Guess what failed at low miles and had refused coverage?

1) The EGR cooler, $1500
2) The O2 sensor, (a wideband unit) $735
3) The anti shudder valve $450


Were these failures within the 3/36 warranty? How could they be denied??


Yes, they were within the 3/36 period and yes they were denied based on the diesel engine. There is a disclaimer that states the diesel engine has a different set of warranty conditions. 2/24 was the diesel emissions warr on my TDI.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted By: mikefxu
Originally Posted By: Cujet
Just a quick note: My Jetta TDI DSG had a 2 year/24,000 mile diesel emissions warranty! The rest of the car had a 3/36 warranty and the powertrain warr was 60/60,000.

Guess what failed at low miles and had refused coverage?

1) The EGR cooler, $1500
2) The O2 sensor, (a wideband unit) $735
3) The anti shudder valve $450

When you buying another one?


Hahahaha, actually, I kind of like the new ones..... But I won't do that again. I'll purchase a hybwid made by a reputable company when I need a high MPG car.

 

[rjundi]

We have an excellent VW dealer locally. Great owner who lives in my neighborhood. People really like the cars who buy from there even with the occasional dud. The new VW tdi's(Wagon, Jetta, Passat) are wildy popular around here even with upper income people. They all seem really happy.

I hear all the horrible things about dealerships however not here.

My wife/I are considering a SportWagen in the 2015 model, not the old school <=2014 when it becomes used.