Prius or Jetta TDI

[wellcraft192]

The major problem I have experienced in my ownership of a 2002 that got totaled after hitting a racoon with 175000 mile as well as my 2006 Prius at 75000 in the mechance seam to throw part at the car rather then really know how to fix it or diagnose it. If there are no codes to work from they can not understand simple procedure to check it out and fix it. I hit the racoon and there were no problems with the car. I checked it out drove the 75 move miles to work and then drove that same milage home when the symble of death come on as well as the hybrid over heat light. . I take the care to the dealer where they say the raidtor needs cleaning and also suggest replacing the themostat. I sat OK. I get a call that after the got the radiator out the found a kink in the coolant line to the hybrid cooler. Now they want to replace the hybrit cooler and that will be another 750. I ask how about the pump? and they say no problem there. Next day the call to ask if it is ok to replace the pump and the car will be ready THURSDAY. I said OK. Then on Thursday they call to say they are still having problems with the car and need to call the factory. Later that day my insurance company calls to say the car it totaled and the hybrid system is burnt up. These cars are to complicated for these mechanics and this is not the first time I was told to spent thousands to fix it. I need a car I can keep ten years at least and at this point I am going to buy the 2010 Jetta TDI. Good Solid basic mechanical systems. The hybrid is a great advance, but if they can not fix it and it gets totaled due to cost of parts what do you really save in the long run? Put a fork in me I am done!

[F8L]

Stop going to repair shops that hire Neanderthals.

[Indyking]

Sorry to hear about your experience. I went through a dilemma of buying a Prius or a Jetta TDI before, back on June when people here in this Chat helped me a lot in my decision of getting the Prius after several educative/productive and other not-so-nice discussions. Do I regret it? Yes and No.

No, because reliability of VW in the US is among the worst. I drive my Prius 40K/year and intend to do so for 4 years, ending up with a total of 160K miles before trading it by another car. I really doubt the Jetta would give me that much mileage trouble-free, the Prius is more likely to achieve it. We shall see. That had a huge influence in my decision, more so than MPG, because I do 98-99% hwy and the MPG for the Prius and Jetta TDI in that situation is comparable.

Yes, because as much as I like driving my Prius (it is a very fun car to drive) the rattle noises that emerged in my cabin after 3 months of use is a big disappointment. Dealers are not helpful and I’m afraid there is not much to be done about that. To me, rattle noises in a 25K car (that’s how much I paid for my Prius III) is unacceptable, but since I drive it a lot and I’m saving lots at the pump, I'm learning to survive it. The JBL sound system, while not great, is helping me on that difficult task. I must be strong...

[cwerdna]

Originally Posted by wellcraft192

the mechance seam to throw part at the car rather then really know how to fix it or diagnose it. If there are no codes to work from they can not understand simple procedure to check it out and fix it...
...
I need a car I can keep ten years at least and at this point I am going to buy the 2010 Jetta TDI. Good Solid basic mechanical systems. The hybrid is a great advance, but if they can not fix it and it gets totaled due to cost of parts what do you really save in the long run? Put a fork in me I am done!

Find another dealer. I can't speak to VW dealers around where you are, but I've heard the same complaints about VW dealers in general being parts throwers and it's not just a few of them.

Good luck with "Good Solid basic mechanical systems". The Jetta TDI apparently turns out to be a bit better in reliability than their gasoline counterparts but is significantly inferior to the Prius. See CR's reliability charts.

Although I don't trust JD Power very much, you can see how well they've done at 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) | J.D. Power and Associates.

[Rhino]

deleted

[qbee42]

Look for a late 1960's or early 1970's American made car. The mechanics you are using should be able to work with one of those.

Tom

[Sealawyer]

OK. Here's my 2-cents on the issue:

In 1998, I purchased a New Beetle. Over seven year period, I put well over 130K on the car. However, I was cursing my purchase well within the warranty period and beyond.

While the engine itself was sound (it was the gas engine), every other component seemed prone to failure. I replaced the electric cooling fans and air conditioner compressor 3 times. There were multiple failures of electronic components (i.e. switches and fuses). The auto window mechanism was actually recalled within three years of my ownership -- for which I was compensated by VW for my previous two replacements of this component. And, I even had to have the radio antenna harness replaced twice (truth is, I don't think they replaced it the first time).

Mind you, this list does not even include the premature deterioration of the hoses nor the catalytic converter...

And, yes, I was one of those who brought my car in for regular service-- first with the dealer, and then with a VW mechanic who I consider trustworthy. The car remained a problem child.

In late 2005, I bought my Prius. Before it was totaled a month ago by a lady who was probably "medicated" at the time, I had already put 90K an the vehicle, and accept for replacing the tires and paying for the usual oil change it never gave me a moment of grief.

So, when I had to replace my car, guess what I went with?

Now, admittedly my VW story may seem a bit extreme, but anecdotally, I've gotten similar tales from my friends who own, or still own, Passats and Jettas (both diesel and gas versions) -- because the problems aren't the engines...

Well, that's my take on the matter.

Good hunting!

[dogfriend]

There is (was) someone on PriusChat who used to have this in their signature:

The TDI is a great engine. Too bad it was attached to a Volkswagen.

[Indyking]

Originally Posted by dogfriend

There is (was) someone on PriusChat who used to have this in their signature:

The TDI is a great engine. Too bad it was attached to a Volkswagen.

Exactly! Do you know what the solution for that is? Get a TDI attached to an Audi. Yes, it is still a VW company, but with much better reliability in my brother's and friends experiences (I'm talking about 20 years of experience and 7-8 Audis in that period!). The new A3 TDI (what a beauty!) is cheaper than Prius V with NAV without the AT package... I wish that car was available back on June when I was desperate for a Fuel Efficient car for HWY trips...

[Indyking]

Originally Posted by cwerdna

See CR's reliability charts..

I'm gessing CR will have a huge black circle for Squeaks & Rattles in the 2010 Prius whenever it becomes available...

If not, it will just aggravate my frustation...