Looking at a CRD can I trust it?

kjjet · **Posted:** Sat Nov 24, 2012 11:26 pm

Unless you can't see yourself without one and can be without it while your working on it. RUN! Buy a proven VW TDI!

geordi · **Posted:** Sun Nov 25, 2012 12:00 am

kjjet wrote:

Unless you can't see yourself without one and can be without it while your working on it. RUN! Buy a proven VW TDI!

This.

You will be without it multiple times while you are waiting for parts to arrive, sometimes for weeks. This has happened to me several times. As for needing the 4wd in the winter, I don't disagree that you *might* need it, but that isn't a guarantee. I went through "snowmageddon" in central Virginia without ever actually needing the 4wd. What I really needed was good snow tires.
The only mishap I had with the CRD happened WITH the 4wd engaged... And I still wound up in a snowdrift because the front tires were highway tread and too thin on tread. As soon as I put good tires, the performance change was amazing. I got two more of the same and had them studded... And suddenly the winter didn't seem so exciting anymore.

A Jetta TDI can be lifted 2 inches to offer a nice bit of ground clearance, and an aluminum skid plate will offer ultimate protection from roadway hazards. The strongest positive for them however: 45+ mpg. The actual mileage of the CRD will struggle to find 30, and average more like 25mpg. With the commute you are describing, that adds up to a LOT of fuel, and with the CRD, you also would have to factor in the cost of a rental for the times when it WILL be disabled and waiting for parts. I'm a big fan of what the CRD could have been... Unfortunately, it is still a Chrysler product, and that is a critical flaw.

In 5 years of ownership, I was without it for fully 12 MONTHS of downtime. It blew two motors while I was being maniacal about the maintenance, where I drove my first TDI (2001) for 150k miles like I stole it, and was rarely down for repairs and never severe. I spent $15k on the Jeep... And another $14,000 on repairs including just ONE of the two motors it destroyed. I was NOT going to give it a THIRD motor to blow, because after putting a total of $28,000 into it, I was not going to up that number to $36,000 and give it another 4 months of being without it.

The CRD is not a reliable vehicle. Would I buy another one for a toy / project / towing vehicle? Maybe. If I was very very very very drunk and it was cheap. But as a primary vehicle? Not a good idea.

kjjet · **Posted:** Sun Nov 25, 2012 12:35 am

geordi wrote:

kjjet wrote:

Unless you can't see yourself without one and can be without it while your working on it. RUN! Buy a proven VW TDI!

This.

You will be without it multiple times while you are waiting for parts to arrive, sometimes for weeks. This has happened to me several times. As for needing the 4wd in the winter, I don't disagree that you *might* need it, but that isn't a guarantee. I went through "snowmageddon" in central Virginia without ever actually needing the 4wd. What I really needed was good snow tires.
The only mishap I had with the CRD happened WITH the 4wd engaged... And I still wound up in a snowdrift because the front tires were highway tread and too thin on tread. As soon as I put good tires, the performance change was amazing. I got two more of the same and had them studded... And suddenly the winter didn't seem so exciting anymore.

A Jetta TDI can be lifted 2 inches to offer a nice bit of ground clearance, and an aluminum skid plate will offer ultimate protection from roadway hazards. The strongest positive for them however: 45+ mpg. The actual mileage of the CRD will struggle to find 30, and average more like 25mpg. With the commute you are describing, that adds up to a LOT of fuel, and with the CRD, you also would have to factor in the cost of a rental for the times when it WILL be disabled and waiting for parts. I'm a big fan of what the CRD could have been... Unfortunately, it is still a Chrysler product, and that is a critical flaw.

In 5 years of ownership, I was without it for fully 12 MONTHS of downtime. It blew two motors while I was being maniacal about the maintenance, where I drove my first TDI (2001) for 150k miles like I stole it, and was rarely down for repairs and never severe. I spent $15k on the Jeep... And another $14,000 on repairs including just ONE of the two motors it destroyed. I was NOT going to give it a THIRD motor to blow, because after putting a total of $28,000 into it, I was not going to up that number to $36,000 and give it another 4 months of being without it.

The CRD is not a reliable vehicle. Would I buy another one for a toy / project / towing vehicle? Maybe. If I was very very very very drunk and it was cheap. But as a primary vehicle? Not a good idea.

THIS IS A TRUE STATEMENT!

Drewd · **Joined:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:24 pm **Posts:** 902

Yes, there was a missing "if'.....the replacement keyboard on my laptop is obviously a china factory reject....the keys randomly work andif I tye too fast words an lettersare often missin.

Looking at a CRD can I trust it?

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