I'm looking at an 02 and an 06 jetta tdi. I don't really know anything about the volkswagon diesels so i was wondering what some of the common problems are with these cars. They both have automatics. The 02 is a 5 speed and the 06 has a 6 speed. How durable are these transmissions.

 

'02 will be a Bosch VE pump based engine. Very reliable as long as timing belt services are done properly and timely. The auto with this engine is rather weak, so keep away from tunes or transmissions that have mileage well over 150k.

'06 will be the pumpe duse engine that uses cam driven injectors. These have issues with cam failures, so keep an eye on that (roughly a $1500 DIY job if done with proper parts). The auto with these is actually a DSG, which is not a real auto, but a servo controlled manual with dual clutches that are servo operated. The maintenance is higher on these, but they are fairly reliable and can handle power better than the older regular autos. One major difference you'll notice in driving is the DSG doesn't feel like a normal auto due to the initial clutch take up and gear changes, since mechanically it is a manual.

Hope that helps! Check out tdiclub.com for more info, and to find a guru in your area that can help with prepurchase inspection.

 

^Good post. I also have a 2000 Jetta with all the gizmos and parts that I'm trying to sell. PM me if you are interested.