Used Volkswagen TDI reliability?

[Quickdraw22]

I'm looking at picking up a 2000-2008 VW TDI powered car (Preferably Jetta, but I'd take a beetle ). I'll only be buying one with a manual transmission.

How's the reliability with these cars? Do they have any huge mechanical flaws? Any mileages that need to be worried about?

Thanks guys!!

-Dave

 

[SVTFreak]

My best friend has one. I'll find out year. Jetta. There is a serious flaw in metallurgy in the balance shaft gears that require a very in depth job to repair. We did his ourselves. Took 2 12 hour days and we are both mechanically inclined and no stranger motors. I don't remember what a shop charges that he said, but was well into the thousands.

Vw reliability is kinda like jumbo shrimp, military intelligence, smart democrat, etc.

 

[kcinnick]

I had a 2000 Jetta 1.8t when I was in college, the car fell apart around the motor. It had electrical gremlins from hell, the second the warranty went out I bought a Toyota.

 

[USMC-Deano]

Volks diesels are pretty dang good. I wouldn't recommend buying a gasoline powered VW, but the TDIs are very strong cars.

 

[504BigNasty]

My brother had a TDI Bug and it has been a great car.

 

[Suburbazine]

TDI generally suffers from electrical bugs and rotting turbo cold side piping. Not bad cars if you don't mind the price of diesel, availability and cost of occasional repairs.

 

[jimdana1942]

Frien of mine had a VW, new Bug. Trouble galore.

 

[BillnLA]

Do some reading on this site. www/tdiclub.com Lots of information on different TDI engines and some of the ones to avoid. Oh just so you know, I have a 2011 TDI Jetta with 33k miles in a year. Not the first problem, except keeping the foot off the go pedal. Really a blast to drive. Torque hits max at about 1900 RPM and stays there until close to 4000 rpm. These diesel engines have similar maintenance issues that gas overhead cam engines do, i.e., timing belts and such. Good luck with whatever you decide to get!

 

[kcinnick]

Oh, and the transmissions in some model years can't handle the torque of the TDI's, so just do your research first.

 

[moe24]

Just get a Mitsubishi EVO you'll be happy

 

[W1nds0rF0x]

I just got a Jetta TDI this past Monday. Derf has an older one that flipped a timing belt and he bought it needing head work. The research I did shows the diesels easily going 300K miles.

 

[slowkoop]

I bought my fiance a 06 jetta tdi a couple of years ago with low miles. The motors are a beast it had a piston that was falling apart and ran like there was nothing wrong. As far as electronics its all put together in Mexico, for the trouble I'm having with it I will not buy another one. Mainly electrical, the wipers just randomly stopped and started again. The cooling fans are also a big problem on the 05-09 tdi's. They start to go out and always seems to be right outside of warranty.

 

[themcfarland]

the manual transmission is the only way to go, the cold side on turbo like was said, the front ends on the TDI are weak.. I would also not want one that was chipped..