30th Aug 2006, 08:06

I had the turbo go out on my 01 Jetta TDI. I took it in for repair at one dealer and they said it needed a whole new turbo, so I took it to another dealer and they told me it was an oxygen sensor that was covered under warranty. I think some of these repair shops don't know what's going on sometimes.

31st Aug 2006, 11:26

In highway diesels, turbo's often last 750k miles or more, and in the local delivery trucks (Isuzu, etc.) they last 300k. Not making excuses for TDI's, but turbo's are subject to a lot of heat, and the oil inside can cook if you drive the car hard then park it. This leaves deposits that hurt lubrication. Let the engine cool down for a minute or two by slower driving or idling, especially if you drive it to a location right off the freeway or at the top of a hill, or you just drive it hard.

15th May 2007, 13:44

I own a 2003 Golf TDI and have replaced 8 (yes, 8) mass air flow sensors and am currently replacing my second glow plug in four months. The dealership tells me that these are NOT known issues and that they are unrelated; however judging from the posts here, I fail to agree.

I have owned 4 VWs over 21 years and will NOT be buying another.

16th May 2007, 01:12

The mass air flow sensor is a common problem with the Volkswagen TDI's, you should ask your mechanic to fit one from Pierburg instead of the standard Bosch that Volkswagen uses and the problem will not come again.

However I don't think a Volkswagen dealer will want to fit a Pierburg, they make good money on the Bosch ones.

The windows falling down is another common problem that almost every Volkswagen owner will suffer eventually. This is because the mechanism to hold the window is made with cheap plastic clips, there is a modification available to replace those plastic clips with iron clips.

The breaking glove box is another common problem, it's just not solid you have to be more careful with it.

The turbo breaking down is a common problem with every small block high BHP turbodiesel engine, however it seems to be a lot more common with the Volkswagen TDI's.

When the engine is cold you should accelerate slowly and don't go above 2500rpm. When you accelerated a lot or drive at high speed, the turbo will be extremely hot. You should let your turbo cool down before switching the engine off, to do this let it run idle for about 30 seconds.

If you follow those 2 rules you should reach the 200k miles easily without an expensive turbo replacement.

6th Jul 2007, 12:35

I've religiously followed the maintenance schedule for my TDI and haven't had any major mechanical problems. 130k miles and counting.

3rd Sep 2007, 01:59

I have Polo Classic 2001 1.9TDI

This is my first and my last VW. In just 3 months, my glow plugs died, air flow sensor died, electro-motors for both windows died, some other electronic died which caused my car to turn-off each time I stop on crossroad, so I spent a lot money to get it to work properly.

And when I finished fixing all that, starting yesterday engine can't go over 2500rpm for first 5 minutes, and after that the car goes bad, not as I am used to. So I think that Turbo is broken (because it makes funny sound too). So never never again VW. I was fool to spend so much money for such a crap, instead of buying Toyota or something other.

11th Sep 2007, 17:43

I have a 1997 VW Beetle TDI. I have only owned VWs since I was a kid, and there are some things you should just know.

One is that the turbo going bad is actually just a sensor that cost about $160.00. Every VW dealer will tell you otherwise.

Also the door locks break very easily on every VW; it is a part that should have been recalled years ago.

VW make their cars in Mexico and Germany. If you buy a car that was made in Mexico, you are going to have problems... you need to buy the ones made in Germany.

VW engines last for almost ever; that's what you're paying for when you buy one. Not the door locks or the window cables.

A real VW lover knows what the problems are and how to fix them, and it's never the engine.

My cars are like the energizer bunny. They just keep going and going... so go buy a turbo sensor and have a nice day.

21st Dec 2007, 15:19

I have had a Volkswagen TDI for 7 years now. I have experienced some of the problems such as the waste gate, glove box hinge, and a few others. Some of this learning about diesel's is going to be new to most Americans. In Europe, many cars that we have here are available in diesel like the Chrysler 300. Soon we will all be looking for these high MPG cars if gas goes any higher. The glove box I can live with; the mass air flow sensor was an 80 dollar part and about 20 minutes of my time. Glow plugs are the spark plugs in this car and are easier and more accessible than any other car out there. If you want to save money, you are going to have to become somewhat handy or able to check things by computer, before you submit to a mechanic and his prices. There are known problems with this car, but I wouldn't trade it for a gas job, (especially if you commute a great distance like I do, about 50 miles one way). Any car will require the timing belt to be changed at some point. Those are the jobs we pay people to do.

29th Jan 2008, 14:15

2000 TDI's do not have a "wastegate", it's a VNT type turbo. What happens is carbon builds up in the vane section of the turbo and causes them to stick. This usually happens because the car is being babied, and the carbon is not getting burnt out like it should be.

As for the MAF problem... That is just ridiculous, I swear they steadily degrade from the day they are installed. There is no excuse for it. Volkswagen should give them out for free.

18th Feb 2008, 13:18

I currently own a 2000 VW JETTA TDI bought it brand new, and it has just over 380,000km on it. I have to agree with you all. I had my window clips replaced, but that was a recall, free of charge. I have had to replace the air flow sensor once, but have had to fix the "check engine light" many times. The glove box hinge is made of plastic, and mine snapped many yrs ago, but didn't bother fixing it. They say that the extreme cold is what caused it.

I decided not to fix the check engine light, and just put black tape over it, so I don't see it while I'm driving. It has been like that for 1.5 years and no problems. For the most part, I am happy with it... great mileage 61 miles/gallon anywhere from 1000-1200km per tank depending how hard I drive it.

It is true, the Jetta is made in Brazil, Mexico or Germany. The ones made in Germany are more likely better built, but is very difficult to find. I do my oil changes every 15,000km because most of my driving is highway, but for the most I am happy with it, considering maintenance costs are high.