VW Captures Diesel Car of the Year and Diesel Car Mfr of the Year at New York Show

I can't imagine VW getting any award for a Diesel vehicle given the horror stories of early fuel injection pump failures that take out the ENTIRE fuel system and requiring a complete system replacement due to metal fragment contamination from the fuel pump. Many thousands of dollars in cost, and it happens right after the warranty expires.

Are Fuel Pump Failures Sidelining Volkswagen's Diesel Engines?

 

They're also having problems with a valve in the exhaust system that jams up and icing intercoolers.

 

Winning is easy when you are the only competitor.

 

With all the complaints against VW, you would think they were headed toward bankruptcy. Somehow they seem to be doing quite well. Somehow there is a different perception on this board, than most owners.

 

This is a side effect of modern cars being so reliable that a small failure rate in a brand of cars becomes the end of the world.

 

VW has less complaints in Europe, given less autogearboxes share.
Turbodiesel engines give some trouble, but competition (also Toyota) does not make much better.
The perception (good/bad) goes much beyond PC!

 

From the article linked to by Dark:
"An investigation from the NHTSA, opened in February 2011 affecting 2009-2010 Golf and Jetta TDIs, reported 160 incidents where owners had stalling incidents. But in the same report, VW said it told dealerships that "fuel system damage incurred by use of fuel not complying to ASTM-D-975 Grade 2 S15 (B5 or less biodiesel content) standards will not be covered under warranty." Furthermore, VW said it had 121 reports of customers admitting mis-fueling their cars, which probably means people putting in regular unleaded instead of diesel."

So, there is some element of the 1990s Audi and more recent Toyota "unintended acceleration" issues--a fair number of the cases seem to be user error, if you can believe VW's response.
Now it may be that the consequences of user error in fueling diesels are worse than they used to be--I'm new to diesel so I don't know. It also may be that VW was using crappy pumps, more subject to failure after this error.

There's also the problem that they are rated for B5--5% biodiesel--and it seems to be harder and harder to get that--even in Europe it's getting tough to find less than B7.

As with ethanol in gasoline, the manufacturers will probably have to build their diesel cars to tolerate more "non-ideal" fuel. Course, that's easy for me to say, since I don't have to go out and do it.


Of course, when Dark asks about why VW gets an award for diesels with these problems, it's probably a rhetorical question. But I will belabor the obvious anyway:
Whenever fans vote, it's a popularity contest. VW sells more diesel cars than anyone, so . . .

 

Congratulations VW! The Passat came in at #8 in March sales which is better than #10:

1. Toyota Prius Liftback 13868
2. Toyota Camry Hybrid 4461
3. Toyota Prius C 4026
4. Jetta Diesel 3653
5. Toyota Prius V 3460
6. Fusion Hybrid 3417
7. Ford C-Max Hybrid 3275
8. Passat Diesel 3237

Keep that up and you'll come close to the 'Prius c' and 'Camry hybrid.' <GRINS>

Bob Wilson