Very New Newbie Question

Odysseus · **Joined:** Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:48 pm **Posts:** 5

I'm considering getting a Liberty CRD. I was going to get a Jetta TDI but man, they seemed a lot like an overpriced high maintenance girlfriend and I'm not looking for that kind of a date.

How are the CRD's maintenance wise? Cost of maintenance? Are they reliable? What MPG can I expect? And last but not least, what is a fair price and what should I look for and ask when buying?

Thanks guys. Your guidance is much appreciated.

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 16, 2013 9:03 pm

SAMS NOOB GUIDE this will give you a well rounded idea of what exactly to expect.

Odysseus · **Joined:** Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:48 pm **Posts:** 5

Thanks.

Odysseus · **Joined:** Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:48 pm **Posts:** 5

How much are timing belts?

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 16, 2013 9:41 pm

The full job if done yourself is about 650 if done buy a dealer add about another 600 to it.

Odysseus · **Joined:** Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:48 pm **Posts:** 5

Thanks.

DOC4444 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 16, 2013 10:16 pm

If you are concerned about upkeep costs with a VW TDI, you should not possibly consider a KJ CRD.

You must have an intense devotion to its unique characteristics and be willing to spend a lot to enjoy them. Also, you need something else to drive while your CRD is down. Should never be your ONLY ride.

DOC

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

Its only my wife and I in our household and when neighbors ask why I own 4 vehicles, I tell them that Jeep CRD ownership requires a spare vehicle at all times. For me, its my wife's Grand Cherokee CRD that we have driven very little for the past 49 days trying to figure out what is wrong with my vehicle fuel system.

LMWatBullRun · **Posted:** Tue Apr 16, 2013 10:39 pm

DOC4444 wrote:

If you are concerned about upkeep costs with a VW TDI, you should not possibly consider a KJ CRD.

You must have an intense devotion to its unique characteristics and be willing to spend a lot to enjoy them. Also, you need something else to drive while your CRD is down. Should never be your ONLY ride.

DOC

What he said. Several guys here have sold their CRDs and bought VW TDIs FOR THE LOWER MAINTENANCE COSTS and IMPROVED uptime. :shock:

Although I will add that there are modifications which can significantly reduce the likelihood of downtime, none of them are stock. Supplemental filtration, ARP studs, and other things all help, but this is NOT a low maintenance vehicle. If you want that, buy a Honda Civic. Now, if you want superb performance and range in a 4wd offroad capable vehicle, and are willing to spend either time or money for that performance, and have a spare vehicle to use when this one is down, you are in the right place.

Odysseus · **Joined:** Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:48 pm **Posts:** 5

Thanks guys. I appreciated your honesty. Guess I'm back to the TDI forum, lol.

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

What's ironic is I went from a TDI to the CRD because I was tired of dropping off my TDI once a week for repairs that were luckily covered under warranty. When I hit the warranty, I got rid of the TDI thinking the CRD would be better. While the TDI had a lot of stupid little stuff break each week (brake switch, stereo issues, trim falling apart, heated seats almost catching on fire, seat frame buckling, premature interior fabric wear, DMF flywheel failure, premature rear brake pad wear, a rattle that took 2 years of repeated attempts to resolve, etc...etc... it was more reliable than my CRD.

VW's are POS, Jeep products are worse. I will never own a Jeep product again. Good luck in your quest for a new vehicle.

geordi · **Posted:** Thu Apr 18, 2013 1:26 am

Drewd wrote:

What's ironic is I went from a TDI to the CRD because I was tired of dropping off my TDI once a week for repairs that were luckily covered under warranty. When I hit the warranty, I got rid of the TDI thinking the CRD would be better. While the TDI had a lot of stupid little stuff break each week (brake switch, stereo issues, trim falling apart, heated seats almost catching on fire, seat frame buckling, premature interior fabric wear, DMF flywheel failure, premature rear brake pad wear, a rattle that took 2 years of repeated attempts to resolve, etc...etc... it was more reliable than my CRD.

VW's are POS, Jeep products are worse. I will never own a Jeep product again. Good luck in your quest for a new vehicle.

Interesting perspective, but I have a thought for you on your TDI experiences: Most of what you list is not mechanical failures. With the CRD... 99% of the failures WILL be mechanical in nature.

I am now on my second TDI, and beat the helll out of the first one. Didn't ever really have any mechanical problems with it, but yes, there were some trim issues. The TDI I have now is a German-built wagon, and is in fantastic mechanical condition for being 266,000 miles. The same trim issues (that dang rubber paint stuff) still exist, but all that is fixable easily, when compared against the CRD.

TJ2 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:06 am

Well, again I don't fit the mold. I've logged one trip to the mid-west, and two to SoCal (Death Valley, Mohave Desert) since the first of the year.

I'm at 107k miles with no major problems. In Death Valley, I went far beyond the 'safe' range for an unreliable vehicle. . . twice.

DD is an ALH series TDI. IMHO, it is the best engine/trans combo I've EVER owned as far as economy, reliability, and longevity.

Appears your mileage does definitely vary.

happy motoring

badassjeep · **Joined:** Tue May 10, 2011 9:18 am **Posts:** 66

I guess my mileage varies too.

My only two cars are the CRD and the TDI. I sold the Toyoda because of the problems I had with it (Prius).

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 18, 2013 6:11 pm

I have never met a TDI VW that I would drive from SC to Colorado to Utah wheel it hard in Utah from there to Vegas from Vegas to Huntington Beach California and from there back to SC with 5 hours in gas stops only. The only issue I had was a CCA clamp let go and not enough time in Utah.

naturist · **Posted:** Sun Apr 21, 2013 5:36 pm

I'm 65. I've had various Chevys, a Fiat, a Subaru, even a Ford Cortina, three VWs, and currently have a 92 Chevy Astro van, a 2001 VW Jetta TDI, and a 2005 Libby CRD. Of all the cars I've owned, the Libby has been the most expensive to keep on the road by far. We generally buy new and keep 'em 'till the wheels fall off. Which is close to where the Astro is now, btw.

Our 2001 TDI has also had a few issues, but has been much less expensive to maintain than the CRD. I, too, would recommend to the OP that if his choice is between the TDI and a CRD, go for the TDI.

geordi · **Posted:** Mon Apr 22, 2013 1:44 am

The ALH series of TDI motor seems to be the best design and longest-lasting of any of them. VW really got it right with those.

As it happens, my family is also the "drive it until the wheels fall off" type... But it would seem that in most cases, it becomes 'until some asshat CRASHES the wheels off' as that is how our last 2 vehicles (both Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUVs) died. The vehicles gave their lives to save ours - which is how it should be - but that doesn't change the fact that a perfectly operating vehicle was destroyed by someone's stupidity in both cases.

Our current fleet:

94 Chrysler T&C minivan - 240k miles, looks terrible, will be sold or used as last-resort cargo truck eventually.
97 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 - 255k miles, selling soon. Paint is not really sticking to the body anymore, systemic for this generation. Runs decently.
03 VW Jetta Wagon TDI with the auto. 268k miles, about to be taken apart for leaking water pump, leaking injection pump (just started today), upgrading nozzles, and auto trans valve body. Airbag assisted suspension and performance tune also coming soon.
06 Ford Escape Hybrid - Bought with insurance settlement from most recent Mariner crash. 141k miles, looks in fantastic shape... But original owner smoked. YUCK. Much Febreeze to be done, possibly replace headliner.
13 Chevy Equinox - bought new! Big bastage inside, still gets 31mpg at 75 on the highway. Not too bad!

No more Chryslers.

Leeann · **Joined:** Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:19 pm **Posts:** 523

geordi wrote:

06 Ford Escape Hybrid - Bought with insurance settlement from most recent Mariner crash. 141k miles, looks in fantastic shape... But original owner smoked. YUCK. Much Febreeze to be done, possibly replace headliner.

Off-topic, but get the citrus thing from Home Depot that absorbs scents (round, green or white top). Worked in my current Astro and is working really well in my Liberty - you almost can't smell the smoke any more and it was bad. Febreze didn't touch the smoke in the Astro and it wasn't half as bad as the Libby.

geordi · **Posted:** Tue Apr 23, 2013 6:29 pm

Good to know, thanks! I'll grab that next time I'm over in Home Depot... Probably will go today just for this. I think of that store as my second home.

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