# 2018 Tiguan long term reliability?



## BfloTiguan (Feb 5, 2018)

My lease is quickly coming to an end, turn in date is 1/31/21 and for the life of me I can't find another car to get into. Additionally, leasing another 2021 Tiguan SEL seems far more expensive than buying the one I currently have. Residual on my car is ~19.8k. I put a lot of miles on my car, 15/k a year.

Even if I get a dealer to offload a new car at a very good price ~31k or so for a SEL AWD, the residuals are closer to 53%. Easily 420+/Month. Much worse than the current 280/Month I'm currently paying. Buying the car would put me at closer to $430/Month for 48 months. Makes more sense to buy it at that point. At least I get equity that way. My other option is a CX5 that will be 2500+ out of pocket to get into. 

However every google search I do about "2018 Tiguan reliability" or "Should I buy a 2018 Tiguan" is giving concerning answers, especially since it's the first model year of the MQB model. 

Do any of you have any long term purchase regret? Anything I should know about? I'm pretty strict on maintenance so I'm hoping that allows me to easily get to 120k/mi.


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## sp4c3m4nsp1ff17 (Feb 6, 2008)

The only concern I've had since buying my '18 was the B pillar rattle, which was fixed by the dealer. 

Most of the 2.0t motors VW has made over the past decade have some pretty serious issues, such as cam followers, oil pumps, timing chain tensioners, rear main seals, etc. This Budack cycle engine in the Tig hasnt been around quite long enough to see if VW has fixed these problems or not.

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## EVANGELIONHD (May 9, 2012)

After a long time thinking and evaluating pros and cons, we pulled the trigger on keeping our 2018 also, the pro factors on my case was the equity we already had on the car, and the relation of the used price of a similar car-mileage, our residual was 3.5k below market value, the fact that we know its been taken care of, other than the sluggish acceleration from stop there are minor things to complain about.

At the same time we jumped into a Subaru Ascent as the new car and yes they are day and night cars/brands, we test drove the Atlas but inside was identical to the tiguan so much that made the extra space seem wasted, we tested pathfinder and highlander.

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## Drin logu (May 19, 2017)

BfloTiguan said:


> My lease is quickly coming to an end, turn in date is 1/31/21 and for the life of me I can't find another car to get into. Additionally, leasing another 2021 Tiguan SEL seems far more expensive than buying the one I currently have. Residual on my car is ~19.8k. I put a lot of miles on my car, 15/k a year.
> 
> Even if I get a dealer to offload a new car at a very good price ~31k or so for a SEL AWD, the residuals are closer to 53%. Easily 420+/Month. Much worse than the current 280/Month I'm currently paying. Buying the car would put me at closer to $430/Month for 48 months. Makes more sense to buy it at that point. At least I get equity that way. My other option is a CX5 that will be 2500+ out of pocket to get into.
> 
> ...


I will be returning my sel on the same day haha 
Minus the roof leaks in the beginning i think its a really relible car


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## BfloTiguan (Feb 5, 2018)

EVANGELIONHD said:


> After a long time thinking and evaluating pros and cons, we pulled the trigger on keeping our 2018 also, the pro factors on my case was the equity we already had on the car, and the relation of the used price of a similar car-mileage, our residual was 3.5k below market value, the fact that we know its been taken care of, other than the sluggish acceleration from stop there are minor things to complain about.


This is the same logic I'm using to justify it. New tires, well maintained and low residual. 



Drin logu said:


> I will be returning my sel on the same day haha
> Minus the roof leaks in the beginning i think its a really relible car


What are you getting into instead?


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## EVANGELIONHD (May 9, 2012)

Oh almost forgot.. the warranty still have 3 years left, vs new models only come with 4 years I think no longer 6

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## Remzac (Nov 25, 2007)

With persistent proper service one can get more than 300k on a Volkswagen.
I have. Yes, vehicles, maintained are reliable. Good choice. I have had 1st edition Volkswagens like a 1978 Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel, 1985 Volkswagen Golf Diesel, a 2000 Golf TDI, 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, and a 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI. All were excellent.
Miss my 2015 Golf TDI. Oh well I do enjoy my 2019 Tiguan.
Take care.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

You might have a caveat there @Remzac - looks like all previous vehicles were diesels which should have better engine longevity. (?)


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## mxfriedland (May 14, 2020)

The MQB platform is designed pretty well, the third-gen of the ea888 (or chain timed VW motors) has progressed throughout the years and I would expect the long term reliability to be better than the previous motors. That being said, it's a VW so stuff will inevitably break.


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## smg64ct203 (Jan 26, 2003)

I traded in my 2018 Tiguan Sel, I bought it new and maintained it very well. It just had 37,000 miles on it. It was the biggest pile of junk and I just threw in the towel. The hesitation really did it for me, but I had so many other problems with it. I bought a new 2020 Honda Passport Touring and have been very happy with it. I have 4,000 miles on it and the Tiguan didn’t make it that far without a trip to the dealer. The good news is that I got 22,500 for it on a trade, it was in showroom new condition. The newer Tiguan loaners they gave me were better as far as the hesitation, but I got a good deal and a six cylinder engine that is so fast and smooth.


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## 4MotionMongrel (Apr 7, 2006)

I hate to say it but I don't think I'll ever buy another 2.0 liter VW. Had to many problems. Bought mine used with 119k on the clock and the balance shaft started eating itself shortly there after. Had to rebuild it to the tune of $6k (I'm not quite mechanically inclined enough to do it myself so a shop did it). Drove great, just had too many issues. My little brothers 2016 GTI just went in the shop with a burnt valve at 85k miles! It's a good thing he opted into the extended warranty but he's without wheels until it gets sorted. My 2007 Passat with the 3.6 liter VR6 however has been nothing but an angel to me. Plenty of power and growl to go along with it. Anytime VW wants to make another VR-powered 4Motion car or wagon, I'm in, just not an SUV guy, too heavy. Anyway, my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth.


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## Drin logu (May 19, 2017)

BfloTiguan said:


> This is the same logic I'm using to justify it. New tires, well maintained and low residual.
> 
> 
> 
> What are you getting into instead?


I was actually thinking of getting a sel premium r line with 30k miles, my tiguan is a sel cause I couldn’t wait for the sel premium r line but i had that i would keep it.


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## Inpd (Nov 30, 2020)

BfloTiguan said:


> My lease is quickly coming to an end, turn in date is 1/31/21 and for the life of me I can't find another car to get into. Additionally, leasing another 2021 Tiguan SEL seems far more expensive than buying the one I currently have. Residual on my car is ~19.8k. I put a lot of miles on my car, 15/k a year.
> 
> Even if I get a dealer to offload a new car at a very good price ~31k or so for a SEL AWD, the residuals are closer to 53%. Easily 420+/Month. Much worse than the current 280/Month I'm currently paying. Buying the car would put me at closer to $430/Month for 48 months. Makes more sense to buy it at that point. At least I get equity that way. My other option is a CX5 that will be 2500+ out of pocket to get into.
> 
> ...


As a new owner I can't comment on reliability. But I can say that in CA we are now seeing $6-$7K off asking price fo 2020's. They may all be gone, but check it out. The only down side is that white and silver seemed to be the only colors available.


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## socialD (Sep 19, 2011)

Chose to turn in our 2018. Only time it had to go to the dealer was for the moonroof ambient lighting recall(one visit to disable, then another to re-enable). In a normal year I may have bought it out and rode it out at least through the remaining warranty. But with all the covid restrictions and working from home full time it just didn't make sense to buy it out just to let it depreciate sitting in the garage. Only had 16k on it in 3 years. Just getting by with our 2008 Element at least until there's some return of normalcy.

Strangely it seems problems are more common on the newer models than the early 2018s.


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## mcd6184 (Jan 25, 2020)

I'm currently in the buyback system with VW on my 2018 SE. And having a similar discussion on: Keeping it even with it's past issues, replacing with another VW if VW offers, or cashing out if VW offers and moving to another brand.

I do think I am the outlier on the major issues I've had, the thing that even has me considering another VW is the dealerships in the Minneapolis area have been 100% great from start to finish and that is something that I value so much more than I ever did before this experience.

You can read more here:
Ugh


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## kirk_augustin (Jul 21, 2012)

Whenever I read about someone leasing, I have to wonder what they could have been thinking?
Leasing costs almost twice as much as actually owning.

Hesitation is also foolish. The cause is almost always retarded ignition timing, which is usually due to the owner foolishly running low octane fuel. Premium costs a little bit more, but since the high compression preignition goes away with premium, you get far better mileage and no hesitation. It costs much less to run premium.

And 120k miles is when the engine is just finally broken in. I got 400k miles on my 1988 Golf GTI, and it never used a single quart of oil. I finally dumped it because the seats were all worn out and the exhaust was rusted out.

But if anyone has an automatic and it has engine coolant running into it, immediately disconnect the coolant lines. Engine coolant is over 200 degrees these days, and way too hot for an automatic transaxle. I ran my Tiptronic to an add on oil cooler and it shifts much better now.


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## tomo6666 (May 27, 2014)

BfloTiguan said:


> My lease is quickly coming to an end, turn in date is 1/31/21 and for the life of me I can't find another car to get into. Additionally, leasing another 2021 Tiguan SEL seems far more expensive than buying the one I currently have. Residual on my car is ~19.8k. I put a lot of miles on my car, 15/k a year.
> 
> Even if I get a dealer to offload a new car at a very good price ~31k or so for a SEL AWD, the residuals are closer to 53%. Easily 420+/Month. Much worse than the current 280/Month I'm currently paying. Buying the car would put me at closer to $430/Month for 48 months. Makes more sense to buy it at that point. At least I get equity that way. My other option is a CX5 that will be 2500+ out of pocket to get into.
> 
> ...


I believe, 2018 has longer, factory warranty. I would keep until warranty expires.


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## brianbgw (Mar 29, 2011)

kirk_augustin said:


> Whenever I read about someone leasing, I have to wonder what they could have been thinking?
> Leasing costs almost twice as much as actually owning.
> 
> Hesitation is also foolish. The cause is almost always retarded ignition timing, which is usually due to the owner foolishly running low octane fuel. Premium costs a little bit more, but since the high compression preignition goes away with premium, you get far better mileage and no hesitation. It costs much less to run premium.
> ...


Uhhh no. This is a well documented software/calibration issue, not a fuel issue. Running premium in an engine rated for regular does nothing for you. Coolant lines running to the trans should definitely remain in place...the engineers designed it to run at that operating temperature. This is all bad advice. 


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## EVANGELIONHD (May 9, 2012)

kirk_augustin said:


> Whenever I read about someone leasing, I have to wonder what they could have been thinking?
> Leasing costs almost twice as much as actually owning.
> 
> Hesitation is also foolish. The cause is almost always retarded ignition timing, which is usually due to the owner foolishly running low octane fuel. Premium costs a little bit more, but since the high compression preignition goes away with premium, you get far better mileage and no hesitation. It costs much less to run premium.
> ...


Here is somebody that does not own an mqb tiguan

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## Drin logu (May 19, 2017)

kirk_augustin said:


> Whenever I read about someone leasing, I have to wonder what they could have been thinking?
> Leasing costs almost twice as much as actually owning.
> 
> Hesitation is also foolish. The cause is almost always retarded ignition timing, which is usually due to the owner foolishly running low octane fuel. Premium costs a little bit more, but since the high compression preignition goes away with premium, you get far better mileage and no hesitation. It costs much less to run premium.
> ...


Huh?


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## Primodub (Mar 19, 2017)

BfloTiguan said:


> My lease is quickly coming to an end, turn in date is 1/31/21 and for the life of me I can't find another car to get into. Additionally, leasing another 2021 Tiguan SEL seems far more expensive than buying the one I currently have. Residual on my car is ~19.8k. I put a lot of miles on my car, 15/k a year.
> 
> Even if I get a dealer to offload a new car at a very good price ~31k or so for a SEL AWD, the residuals are closer to 53%. Easily 420+/Month. Much worse than the current 280/Month I'm currently paying. Buying the car would put me at closer to $430/Month for 48 months. Makes more sense to buy it at that point. At least I get equity that way. My other option is a CX5 that will be 2500+ out of pocket to get into.
> 
> ...


Last year, I was looking to replace my 14 Passat. I drive 30k miles per year and it had accumulated 170k. From previous experience, that is the point where strange and expensive things start going bad on VW's. This was my 3rd Passat in a row. All had heater core issues. By chance, I found myself at a Mazda dealer and test drove a Mazda 6 with the 2.5T. I wound up buying an '18 with 8k for a very reasonable price.

If you are considering the CX5, here are some comparisons:

Interior - At the higher trim levels, Mazda is as good or better than any VW and many Audis.
Options - You definitely get more "bang for your buck" with the Mazda.
Engine - This is why I bought the 6. 250HP and 300 ft-lb of torque puts a smile on your face. (but it is not as refined as VAG products and sounds more like a Subaru)
Transmission - Mazda only offers a 6-spped auto. No DSG. It shifts well but I would prefer another gear or 2.
Reliability - I have never had a _major_ problem with any of the VAG cars I have owned (2 GTI's, 4 Passats, 2 Jettas, an A4 and a Q5) but lots of stupid stuff broke (plastic water pump impeller, intake manifolds, PCV valves, heater cores...). Mazda supposedly is the new reliability king since they split from Ford
Infotainment - Mazda has a newer version of their UI - the older version is somewhat clunky compared to VAG products.
Tuning - There is no VAGCOM equivalent and no one is selling ECU mods for the current generation of Mazdas.
The main reason I switched from the Passat is that it was essentially unchanged from 2012 and only came with the 174 hp motor. I considered a Tig, but I was concerned about reliability.
Best of luck with your decision.


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## schagaphonic (Aug 24, 2008)

A few of thoughts on considering the CX-5 over the Tiguan as I've owned both:

Both the ease of use and connectivity of the infotainment have been much better on my '19 Tig vs my previous '16 CX5. The new CX5 still has this "command wheel" and a non-touch screen display which I find to be very awkward and distracting compared to the Tiguan.
If you get into the mountains or high altitude driving the Tiguan has significantly more passing power available unless you're looking at the turbo CX5.
The Tiguan also gets my nod for driver comfort over long drives, esp. compared to any trim levels on the CX5 lower than the GT. My previous CX-5/GT trim had good seats though. I had to rent a "Sport" trimmed CX5 (2018) and it's comfort was not acceptable.
Fewer blind spots on the Tiguan at both A pillars and C pillars makes it feel safer for outward vision.
Reliability has been excellent for my Tiguan (2019 with 55K miles.) That was the deciding factor in not choosing another CX5 as the expensive HID headlights were burning out (flickering one and the other completely out.) The CX5 was out of warranty and costs $1500 each for parts and labor to replace these lights which I didn't do. Dealer support for any VW service has also been better here in Denver vs Mazda.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

The number of recalls is concerning. While it's great that they are owning up to these issues, the sheer number is pretty big IMO. For example, when I first joined the forum, I saw the "Spring Recall" thread, and thought "geez, do they do recalls every season?"

At this point, I'm aware of:

The aforementioned recall for springs
Pano roof lighting recall
Pano roof leaking recall
Transmission/Throttle programming recall
plus some older ones I wasn't privy to until recently:

Reverse lights recall
Lower ball joint recall
Engine support bolts recall
Incorrect driver airbag installed recall
No-warning-when-key-left-in-ignition recall
plus some non-recall issues:

b-pillar rattle
headlights deemed too dim and upgraded in future models

plus issues in my case:

door sill lighting failure (IMO, pretty minor)
passenger seat tilt handle falling off (IMO, pretty minor but embarrassing)
HVAC making grinding noise as though the servo/motor back there is stripping the cogs off a gear (brutal)

So, while I suspect current year models have the bugs sorted out, I'm still a bit concerned about long-term reliability.


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## socialD (Sep 19, 2011)

phlegm said:


> The number of recalls is concerning. While it's great that they are owning up to these issues, the sheer number is pretty big IMO. For example, when I first joined the forum, I saw the "Spring Recall" thread, and thought "geez, do they do recalls every season?"
> 
> At this point, I'm aware of:
> 
> ...


Our early build 2018 was only subject to the pano roof lighting recall. It seems like problems are increasing with later years rather than decreasing.


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## Remzac (Nov 25, 2007)

Have you taken the time to read up on Mazda forums about problems on the CX-5?
It's interesting. Lots of owner issues. Anything manufactured will not be perfect.
Owning some Japanese vehicles I find that they were slow to admit that there were issues. Like Honda recently on thier turbo engines over fuelling in a cold start in winter. Filled the engine crank case with gasoline. They only extended warranty 2 years. Anyway I will end that line of typing. Everyone has issues.


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## BfloTiguan (Feb 5, 2018)

kirk_augustin said:


> Whenever I read about someone leasing, I have to wonder what they could have been thinking?
> Leasing costs almost twice as much as actually owning.
> 
> Hesitation is also foolish. The cause is almost always retarded ignition timing, which is usually due to the owner foolishly running low octane fuel. Premium costs a little bit more, but since the high compression preignition goes away with premium, you get far better mileage and no hesitation. It costs much less to run premium.
> ...


Twice as much as owning? How is a total lease worth $11,300 equal to 2x that of a $35000 car? A 35k loan is 610/mo for 5 years. I paid 280/month x 35mo and 1500 due at signing. 

Leasing is simply agreeing to pay for a % of the depreciation at an expected rate. Most of the times the car is under the value of the residual anyway.


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## herkguy (Jan 11, 2006)

BfloTiguan said:


> Twice as much as owning? How is a total lease worth $11,300 equal to 2x that of a $35000 car? A 35k loan is 610/mo for 5 years. I paid 280/month x 35mo and 1500 due at signing.
> 
> Leasing is simply agreeing to pay for a % of the depreciation at an expected rate. Most of the times the car is under the value of the residual anyway.


That is a good deal for an SEL, $11300 for 3 years of driving.
Did you have any taxes or registration fees? How many miles can you put on it?

They both have pros and cons, for me I drive a lot and the miles hit on a lease was usually to much. I also like to modify my rides, no one makes a car that I wouldn’t play with, well maybe a Bentley, but I wont be getting one of those anytime soon...lol

A lease is great if you like to swap rides every 2 or 3 years. Then you can try new stuff and not be locked in, not that you can’t trade a car in after a couple years.

Owning allows for some residual vs just renting. Like a house vs apartment but how you take care of it can really impact value.
Also some leases come with mx paid so you just buy insurance and gas and everything with the car is under warranty or mx contract, simplifies it

Both have their own merits and every owner has their own needs..

As far as reliability..forgot what the thread was about for a minute.
I think they are pretty solid over all.
Vw is very responsive with some of the recalls and then there are always a few the things we scratch our heads on why they won’t fix it. Overall I have been very happy with my VWs since 2003.
I did own one 2002 Jetta and liked it a lot but it was that older Mk4 technology that was just so so.
VW has been a leader in technology and safety for many years but others have caught up in last 5 years and some manufacturers have made some features standard where VW used to be that way and now makes you pay for those extras.
I have not had a single major issue on last 8 VWs except my turbo on 13TDI, but VW covered it and extended warranty on it, pretty good if you ask me for the hundreds of thousands of miles complied amongst them.


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## BfloTiguan (Feb 5, 2018)

herkguy said:


> That is a good deal for an SEL, $11300 for 3 years of driving.
> Did you have any taxes or registration fees? How many miles can you put on it?
> 
> They both have pros and cons, for me I drive a lot and the miles hit on a lease was usually to much. I also like to modify my rides, no one makes a car that I wouldn’t play with, well maybe a Bentley, but I wont be getting one of those anytime soon...lol



Yea, that's with the tax, doc and dealer fees. 36mo/15k a year. It was a really good deal and not one that I'm going to reproduce easily. The dealer needed to sell a car that night so he made it happen.

The main thing i like about leasing is the reliability. However, as you said you lose out on all the equity and you're paying strictly for depreciation. 

Thanks all for the input, I've decided to not purchase the car. However still trying to decide on what to get. The toyota venza is looking really nice.


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## Nonnee R. (Jan 14, 2021)

Remzac said:


> With persistent proper service one can get more than 300k on a Volkswagen.
> I have. Yes, vehicles, maintained are reliable. Good choice. I have had 1st edition Volkswagens like a 1978 Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel, 1985 Volkswagen Golf Diesel, a 2000 Golf TDI, 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, and a 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI. All were excellent.
> Miss my 2015 Golf TDI. Oh well I do enjoy my 2019 Tiguan.
> Take care.


We have loved every diesel that we've owned. I drive the 2019 Atlas, but hubby drives the 2015 TDI Golf Sportwagon, and our daughter has the second TDI Sportwagon. Never mind that she totaled her original 2015 TDI Golf Sportwagon, it saved her life. Even after the "fix", we still get 46-50 mpg on the highway.


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## the wolf (Jul 4, 2001)

My 2018 is holding up great with regular maintenance which so far has been 2 oil changes and rear brakes replaced at 53,000 km. Had the ECU update installed and it's definitely how it should have come from the factory. Looking forward to Unitronic upgrade this spring. My 2001 Jetta 1.8t needs some work but still starts up after sitting in my garage for a week or two and has 367,000 km on the original turbo.


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## cahrens (Jun 5, 2018)

Man, you guys with the rattling b-pillar problem are lucky. I thought everyone was having mechanical issues. I'm beginning to think that mine's a lemon. I've lived with so many quirks with my Tiguan.


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## twiggs462 (Mar 20, 2007)

Remzac said:


> With persistent proper service one can get more than 300k on a Volkswagen.
> I have. Yes, vehicles, maintained are reliable. Good choice. I have had 1st edition Volkswagens like a 1978 Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel, 1985 Volkswagen Golf Diesel, a 2000 Golf TDI, 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, and a 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI. All were excellent.
> Miss my 2015 Golf TDI. Oh well I do enjoy my 2019 Tiguan.
> Take care.


Funny you mention this. I have a 2004 VW Jetta Wagon 2.0 Gas engine... no joke got it to 350K before selling it because the fuel pump went. It was getting on its last leg but I beat that car and loved it the same. Completely stock and was rock solid. Loved it to death.

I now have a 2018 SEL and plan to baby the heck out of it. I am sure I can get 350K on it as well with the proper maintenence.


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