2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission wife wants a tdi wv bug. is this a ok car?

[VHolloway]

is there a vw tdi forum I guess I need to do some research on the car she wants to go with a used one

wv bug diesel?:-{}

 

[VHolloway]

how do these little cars hold up

i guess we will have two diesels the dodge and the wv she is looking at the 98 thru 2001 she wants something to zip around town in that is small and good on fuel

she thinks the truck is ok but its hard to do her shopping in

but she knows i will never let go of the big dodge diesel 4x4

I just dont know how the TDI vw diesel hold up

thanks#@$%!

 

[kentdiesel]

Fred's TDI Page. TDIClub.com. VW TDI Enthusiast Community

 

[NCovey]

Holloway, I have a 2000 Beetle TDI, that my wife was driving, and it has 150,000 miles on the clock. I had to do some neglected maintenance when we first got it with 138,000 on it, but we haven't had too many issues with it in the year and a half that we owned it. My wife drives 12 miles round trip to work everyday, and averages 40MPG. We also took it on a few trips out of state and averaged 47MPG running 75 MPH. I change the oil every 3,000 miles and don't notice any oil usage. It is fairly peppy for a 90hp motor, but it does get around quite well once you figure out it's powerband. She hates to sell it, because she likes it so much, but we bought a Dakota Quad cab to have more room. Hopefully this might answer a few of your questions on these cars. In our experience with these cars we give them a thumbs up-Nicholas

 

[VHolloway]

thanks we had a vw rabbit diesel 84 it had 350k when i sold it and the old man is still driving it to this day

man we should have kept that little car

 

[AFoulk]

I havn't owned any of their diesel powered vehicles, but I had a 01. 5 Passat with the V6/5spd. and loved it. Only thing is, while mechanically I never had a problem with it, I did have a few electrical gremlins that I never did fix. VW's seem to be rock solid mechanically, but electrically they aren't the greatest. I'd go for it though. With the cost of diesel these days, sometimes I wish I woulda got a VW diesel instead of the pickup. Or a suzuki samari and swap a vw diesel into it

 

[AlaskaDog]

I've had at least 8 vw's and never regreted a single one. Parents have an 87 jetta with 200,000 plus miles and keep telling me they'll get another when that one starts giving them trouble. The diesel bugs have a good rep up here and get great mileage. There are still diesel rabbits and rabbit trucks running around the US and especially Mexico. Bodies are rotting off but the motors just keep running.



The only negative I can share is that you have to look long and hard to find a good dealership. In repeated survey results over the last thirty years, vw dealerships have been rated as horrible or worse. Love the car, hate the dealer is what a lot of owners will tell you including me!

 

[Regcabguy]

2008 VW diesels.

April '08 marks the arrival of VW's next gen. diesels. Jettas in three trims will be available as well as a wagon. The diesel engine will have a added cost of $2,000. I'm looking to consider purchasing an "S" model(no worthless sunroof),6-speed wagon. It will retail for well under $25,000. This will be a 50 state vehicle. You can "Google 2008 VW diesels" for product reviews and articles. 2008 will be a unique year in that 2009+ usher in additional emission devices according to the report.

 

[VHolloway]

tdi forum has how to video on how to work on the engine we need that here

 

[swhalen]

VH:

i have owned an 01 golf for the last few years as the daily driver. my observations are: 1) over the last couple of years vw diesels are overpriced due to the supply/demand factor. the bugs seem to be the least overpriced, however. 2) you can't be afraid to work on them as the dealerships are invariably arrogant, incompetent and overpriced (as are the parts... . shop aftermarket). 3) these vehicles sit very low to the road and have an aluminum oil pan with a plastic skid plate. this is a recipe for disaster. if you check on the tdiclub forum there are countless threads of trashed engines due to oil pan destruction from road debris. buy an aftermarket aluminum skid plate. 4) the vw diesels have egr and ccv which leads to clogged intake manifolds. it is a relatively simple job to yank the intake and clean it (an afternoon job), but the dealers get big bucks for the job. 5) be sure to change the timing belt AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH (ROLLERS, WATER PUMP) at the specified interval. these are interference engines and a broken timing belt invariably results in major engine damage. if you buy a used vw factor in an immediate belt change when negotiating price or see proof that it has been done lately. the parts alone are around $300 and you will need additional special tools (can be rented) as well as the vagcom software to set the timing. 6) the 96/97 passats seem to have a history of electrical gremlins as they age. 7) try to verify the oil that was used by the previous owner (receipts??). only a few oils meet vw specs. 8) i read the tdiclub forum daily and the consensus among the gurus is to stay away from auto trannys. just relaying what i read in that remark, has nothing to do with my experience 9) there are a bunch of other common problems like window roller and brake lamp switch failures, but as we all know every brand has its quirks. 10) fwiw, i personally think the 99. 5-03 models are best. this has turned into a long-winded post, but i thought i'd give my 0. 02 to help you make a decision. i really enjoy my vw, and it is the 4th vw diesel i have owned over the years. good luck in your decision, steve whalen

 

[FATCAT]

The diesel bugs are fine, but these days with the huge price difference between gas and diesel and the premium price you will pay for a USED diesel bug ... your best bet is to go get a new Toyota Yaris for about $11,500.



The diesel advantage no longer exists due the Federal/State governments desire to eliminate them from the road.



If looking at a used diesel bug, do yourself a favor and spend a little more to go new with a high milage gaser.

 

[Uncle Dim]

Beware of VW quality.

Owned a beetle TDI for two years. Yes the mileage was great but the repairs and maintenance were horrible. A cracked intercooler housing required replacing the entire intercoller at a cost of $400 for just the parts. When it started running poor I took it in and had had the injection pump diagnosed as being "dirty" inside from the factory. Because it was 4K miles out of the 50K warranty VW of America wouldn't pay a dime for it. Sold it after the $2000 repair.

 

[DieselDoghouse]

ME want too! My wife wants a beetle to save fuel - only way I'll be seen in it is as a TDI. If you look at VW's performance record in recent SCORE races - they got it right. Their support Tauregs were faster and more rugged than other competition vehicles!!

 

[abranz]

I bought a 2000 Jetta TDI to save money on fuel which it did but was the most expensive car to keep running I've ever owned! By far! The electrical problems seemed minor until it came time to fix them. The immobilizer system cost me over $1200 which is their secuity system. It incorporates the special key, dash cluster, and multiple modules, none of which you or any mechanic can repair even if you have VAG-COM software. You must bring it to VW and they bend you over hard. I belonged to Freds TDI site and am a pretty good mechanic. Just don't think you are going to save any money. Buy a Honda/Toyota or something else which have proven track records regarding cost of ownership. Sorry so long, just wanted to warn you.

Anthony

 

[AFoulk]

also, i've heard word that Honda is coming out with a diesel Accord in the next year or 2, maybe you wanna wait it out for that.

 

[courierdog]

I have owned the following:

1990 Jetta TD - Zero problems 180,000 Km

2003 Jetta Wagon TDI - Electrical issues - Zero major problems 150,000 Km

2005 Jetta Wagon TDI - Zero problems 150,000 Km

Wife has a 2004 Bug TDI and loves it. - Zero problems 50,000 Km

the Key to VW is following the Maintenance Schedule

 

[jeepit]

My wife runs an 06 Jetta and so far 28000 miles of trouble free service and 47MPG. We are happy.

 

[Cummins724]

My brother owned 2 TDI Jettas, both got 50+ mpg although he got 60 on the highway on a trip to Jersey.

 

[ekroman]

VW Beetle

My daughter has a 2001 VW Beetle, gas engine. It was my wife's car until we got her a Passat in 2004. It's a very cute car, but they're notorious for electrical gremlins. At just over 70k miles, it's eaten 2 power window switches, a power window motor, a blinker relay, and a door handle.



Now, if you shop aftermarket, you can save 33% to 50% off dealer prices, and get the parts faster thru mail order than from the dealership.



The local dealer has been good to us, but the dealership where we bought the Bug, about 20 miles away, was horrific. They sent the car out the door with severely underinflated tires (under 20 lbs, I checked them when we got the car home!), and when they touched up a scratch they did on the front fender, it was the wrong color yellow.



Yes, you can save a lot of money in fuel with the VW TDI. If you can fix PW motors / switches, and do basic maintenance yourself, then it's a car worth considering. If you have to rely on the dealer to check your oil level, you'll definitely want to look elsewhere.



Eddie

 

[VHolloway]

check out Freds TDI page

nice site . the how to service / fix videos are real nice tuch

and as far as toyota and honda goes if they still had a diesel i would buy it i thank toyota stoped bringing diesel in to the us in 84 they had a nice toyota truck diesel would love to find the 4x4 toyota diesel truck but they are vary rare

i just love diesels