Purchased a "pre-owned certified" 2006 Volkswagen Jetta after hitting 90,000 miles the catalytic converter and cv boot need to be replaced.

- South Milwaukee, WI, USA

The oil pan in the above mentioned vechile that I own had to be changed due to a design problem. The manufacturer had put a aluminum pan with a steel bolt. The steel bolt over the years corroded the pan necessiating a replacement of the pan. Fitzgerald automall (410-224-3480) in annapolis md replaced the pan free of labor but charged me for the oil pan. They did inform me that it was a design problem that VW has since rectified in the newer models and that I had to contact the manufacturer for reimbursement. When I contacted VW, they refused to reimburse me stating that the vehicle was not under warranty. They informed it was under their discretion to rectify the defect in newer models and were not responsible for older models. In my opinion VW should reimburse me and also recall all their vehicles with this issue to be addressed appropriately. Please contact me at the above address if something can be done about this or not.[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Edgewater, MD, USA

We were driving in a residential neighbor hood at about 25mph and the car suddenly stopped accelerating as if the car was in neutral. Luckily, we were able to pull over and park. The car went into fail safe mode (which I now know). About 5 different error lights were on as well as the gear lights flashing. Put the car in park and shut off the engine, let it rest and then proceeded to restart with the same engine error. The car wouldn't reverse or go over 2nd gear. I can't even imagine if this happened on the freeway it has been serviced regularly at my local VW dealer on time and is now out of warranty. Prior to this specific engine failure, I have had numerous problem with my gli, from interior, electrical, to the turbo. I started having problems very early on with this car, some were covered by the warranty and some were not. Incredibly disappointed in the quality of my gli all around.

- La Mesa, CA, USA

The dual mass flywheel ( dmf ) failed at 90,801 miles.

- Fort Collins, CO, USA

Dual mass flywheel(dmf) detached itself, causing enormous damage to the transmission(dsg).initially, I have to replace dmf, then crankshaft positioning sensor, crankshaft seal and bearing.this repair cost me $1,700. After taking a closer look at the car, the mechanic found out that, because of the damagesdmf has caused to the transmission, the transmission is now leaking oil.a pieces of the dmf cut into the casing of the transmission and created a number of holes.as a result of all this, the mechanic suggested, as my only solution, to rebuilt transmission, which cost an additional $ $3,300. VW of America, denied any reimbursement, because warranty expired in January 2011.they can not explain why dmf faild.they just lost one customer.

- River Edge, NJ, USA

This vehicle is a 2006 turbo diesel VW Jetta. I was driving on the highway when engine failed, no warning lights. Experienced loss of power, rough idling, valve train noise and transmission noise. Had vehicle towed to certified mechanic. Mechanic found complete loss of compression on one piston and scored lifters. Also dual mass flywheel was making loud noise and needs to be replaced. Volkswagen dealership quoted est 1800 dollars for parts and labor for flywheel and certified mechanic recommends rebuilt engine for appx 5000 dollars plus labor to install. Estimate will be complete next week. Total will est around 9 to 10,000 dollars for towing, inspecting vehicle to find issues, parts and labor. Spoke with Volkswagen of America consumer advocate who offered us $750 off a new VW. This vehicle has been well cared for with appropriate oil changes using VW approved oil. Most of the mileage was obtained as highway miles.

- Stevensville, MI, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta tdi. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, he noticed that the engine was vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and they advised him that the flywheel failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was replaced for the flywheel. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Johnson City, TN, USA

I was informed by niello Volkswagen when I took my car in to be serviced for 2 recalls that I had a major oil leak. I then brought my vehicle in to sacramento european on 2/1/12 for an oil change and to find out what was the cause of my oil leak. I was informed by them that I did not have an oil leak, but a transmission leak. They stated that there was a technical service bulletin out that this is a known problem that the seal that joins the 2 transmission components is leaking. Clearly since there is a service bulletin out that this is a known problem, the transmissions that they have in these Volkswagen cars are defective and need to be replaced. My transmission is slipping when it shifts into second and third gears and also when I brake.

- Folsom, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta. When the contact started the vehicle, she heard a noise similar to something moving inside the engine after the vehicle began violently shaking and jerking. When she attempted to place the vehicle into gear, the engine rpms would also increase. The vehicle was carefully driven to a private mechanic who informed the contact that the dual mass fly wheel had a hole in it which caused the metal to fracture the bell housing and damage the transmission. The mechanic replaced the fly wheel and informed her to replace the transmission. The manufacturer was aware of the failure. The current and failure mileage was 67,000.

- Manitowoc, WI, USA

Bought new VW Jetta sedan on 08/17/06. On 05/13/10 took the car to the dealer because of car decelerating while driving I.e. dropping in seconds from 60 miles to 20 miles. It was taken to the dealer multiple times for the same problem. Dealer answer "unable to replicate problem" until warranty of four years expired. The problem continues even after the carbon accumulated on the throttle was cleaned and the fuel pump was replaced. Due to unsafe to drive, requested for the dealer to buy the car back as a lemon. The dealer refuses because the four yr warranty is over. Other problems experienced with this vehicle during this period: Air bags lights going off, air bag cover falling off, trunk opening on its own while driving, rain water leaking inside the lining of the car, screws coming off a door panel, doors falling off the hinges, emergency switch falling inside panel, fuel cap not locking, recalls. Dealer recommending to replace the steering wheel column for 2,340.

- Colton, CA, USA

The transmission is slipping between 3 and 4 gear and between 4 and 5 gear.

- Calimesa, CA, USA

At 64K miles, the check engine light came on and my engine started struggling to drive even at a snails pace. The timing chain was the issue and was replaced for approximately $2500. Approximately 10 months later, the engine light came on again, same issue. Once again, it was replaced (this time under warranty).

- Toronto, PA, USA

The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle, there was a loud rattling noise coming from the hood area. The contact researched and found that the dual mass fly wheel could possibly be defective. The dealer was made aware of the defect, but did not diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 91,000 and the current mileage was 94,000.

- Sunbury, NC, USA

Originally purchased in 2007. Complained about the car - when shifting it would excel and jerk after shifting. Then as time went on I would be driving and the Jetta would hesitate as if a fuel was not getting to the engine. I took my car in for regular oil changes and regular maintenance. I live in a rural area and drive just highway miles and have approx. 121,000 miles on it. I purchased this VW as I anticipated it to last a lot longer than a regular vehicle. When I took it in for the last oil change and the intermittent hesitation was really bad I was told it would cost me anywhere from $7500 to $8000 to fix. And I still owed $9000! I asked if it was covered under the warranty. Of course the warranty expired in July...but nothing was found all the previous times I had brought my car in for service. And VW's regional rep and hq was contacted and both were apologetic that VW could do nothing about fixing my car. Looking at the internet - I found that nationwide and up to Canada other individuals with less mileage have had the same issue and individuals were seeking arbitration against VW. I understand VW does not have a recall or anything considering this is a recurring problem. All they can offer is $1000 to buy another VW!!! their nerve! totally dishearten with VW.

- Los Lunas , NM, USA

The engine in our 2006 tdi dsg began to exhibit rough idling. At a certain point it became evident something was wrong. The vehicle has always been serviced by a VW dealership at the specified intervals (I call them the $400 oil changes). I could hear what sounded like an intake valve popping and could feel a pulsation in the turbo intake hose. I checked on some of the forums and was shocked to learn of the early camshaft failure problem common to the pd engines. It seems that VW narrowed up the intake and exhaust cam lobes by about 30% to make room for the injector lobe, and tried to compensate for this inadequate design by mandating "special" oil (which I can only hope our dealer used each time the oil was changed). It turns out though, that a critical can wear additive in this oil, zddp, in sufficient quantities can cause early failure of the catalytic converter (an item which has a longer warranty period than the engine). It seems that the zddp only exists in sufficient quantity in VW "special" oil to get through the engine warranty period, while at the same time protecting the converter from warranty failure. I bought an after market cam kit and installed it myself, saving nearly $3000 in the process. Since then we've put another 60K miles, using mobil td truck 5W40 oil... so far so good. I think this whole situation is disgraceful at best and VW should be responsible for all pd camshaft failures to a period significantly longer than the 80,000 km warranty. The primary reason we paid 32K for a compact sedan was the reputed longevity of the diesel engine. This failure, along with the dual mass flywheel fiasco has made our purchase of this silver colored lemon anything but a good investment. Until VW faces up to their moral responsibilities in this matter I would caution anyone considering this make of vehicle.

- Baddeck, 00, USA

I took my 2006 VW Jetta tdi, 5 sp, 40K miles to the VW dealership for its 40K service on 5/27/11. After the service was completed, I started the car and noticed it was running very rough (the car wasn't running rough when I dropped it off for service). My service rep took the car back to the service technician who checked all the filters and re-bled the fuel filter to remove any air bubbles that may have been trapped, which did not fix the issue. The service technician took the cover off the engine and identified the that the camshaft is wearing. Maintenance on this car is completed every 5K miles and serviced by the dealership it was purchased from.

- Mesa, AZ, USA

VW has changed the diesel engines (tdi) starting with approximate year 2004 until 2007, when they stopped selling tdi to meet emission requirements. To save money and licensing fees to Bosch they have changed from common rail system made by Bosch (feeds the diesel fuel to engine with very high pressure) to VW system called tdi pd: Pump duse (or pump-nozzle injection). To accommodate the injectors inside the engine, they have changed the specs and dimensions of many parts, including the camshaft. The camshaft inside this engine has the added role to drive the pd lifters, apart from valve lifting and closing. I own this type of car VW Jetta 2006 tdi, and the camshaft wore off at 80,000 miles, and yes it was out of warranty and it costs $3000. Apart from the costs, which accrues to aprox $3000 per 50,000 to 80,000 miles rendering this car a liability cost to the owners (a long term owner will have the price of car doubled by added bills to change the camshafts many times. This impacts drastically financially many families depending on this car), without the possibility to fix it permanently and for once. I have changed the camshaft and now at 115000 miles it starts to shows signs of wear, like last time. Not changing gears in time, car is shaking. The effect gets worse, until when the camshaft lobes wears off more, and results in valves not opening and closing in right sequence and time, and engine will stall, like mine did on my street. As well I was on highway and car will not operate and respond to acceleration pedal input, maximum pedal input was giving only 40mph, exposing me to a stampede of cars from behind in a dangerous situation unable to control the car. I have explained the situation to VW and they deny any: Wrongdoing, design flaw, fault or liability. According to tdiclub.com there is up to 20% failure of the engines via camshaft wear of lobes. I trust you will investigate and request VW to address:safety+financial impact to tdi pd owners.

- Barrie, On, L4m 6r3 Canada, 00, USA

Vibrating noise was heard from motor at idle and would stop under acceleration. Stopped vehicle and motor rattled loud. Turned motor off and it would not start. Broken springs were noted laying on undercover.

- Westminster, MD, USA

At 83,000 miles our Volkswagen Jetta tdi 2006 utterly failed with a cam shaft and lifters failure. This is a well known problem with the Jetta. - VW refused to acknowledge it. Within 3000 miles of the repair the turbo was completely destroyed - most likely from metal fragments in the oil from the cam lifter problem. They did nothing to clean the system with the first repair - which clearly led to the complete failure of the engine on the second repair. Again VW refuses to acknowledge the problem.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

Check engine light codes P0302/P2293 intake camshaft, cam follower, high pressure fuel pump, low pressure fuel sensor, air intake hose, sparks plugs.

- Vicksburg, MS, USA