Fuel pump 2 times.
Alternator 4 times.
Dropped valve once.
Head gasket once.
Driveshafts 4 times.
Right 1 time, left 1 time: wheel cylinders.
Back brakes failed 2 times.
Starter 3 times.
Vacuum pump 1 time.
Air conditioning quit 4 years ago - never got fixed.
Heater core busted 8 years ago - bypassed, never fixed.
Park brake cables froze up 1 time.
Glow plug heating circuit quit.
Previous owner caused him to sell to me, numerous general repairs... IE belts, hoses, batteries etc.
Still gets 30-40 mpg, starts first try every time, makes 86 mile round trip commute to work effortlessly 4 times a week, however since speed limits on US interstates were increased it is difficult to keep up in traffic. Made a rear mower attachement to mow my lawn. Am currently trying to purchase a new Caddy TDI pickup overseas to import home... Wish me luck. If the engine ever quits I will replace it or repair it at any cost.
566 thousand... is that a mistake? probably gets at least
10 mpg better than any diesel vehicle currently offered
in the usa, too! We've really made some progress, haven't we...
"we've really made some progress, haven't we?"
Well, let's see... the '81 Rabbit diesel 1.6 liter motor has all of 52 hp (and a 0-60 time of 18.8 seconds), and gets (according to owner) 30-40 mpg.
The 2005 Golf diesel 1.9 liter has 90 hp and EPA mileage ratings of 42 city/49 highway.
So, the newer car has almost twice the hp and gets much better mileage. Sorry to burst your "older is better" bubble, but that sure sounds like progress to me!
Actually MOST rabbit diesel owners will tell you that their actually median MPG is more like 50. As far as the new diesels go they are far less reliable and require much more maintenance as they are filled with technology. The old school diesels are super simple engines and are nearly bulletproof.
The newer diesel engines are also filled with more horsepower, thanks to all that technology. Nobody is going to buy a new fossil-fuel powered car that takes 20+ seconds to get to 60 mph, even if it does get 50 mpg.
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