[Diesel4Ever]

A co-worker is upgrading to a new Subaru and wants to sell his 2014 Cruze Diesel.

He is offering it to me for the same price Carmax offered him, which is $8K. He is the 2nd owner and it currently has about 50K miles.

He knows I like VW diesels, currently own a 2003 Jetta and Golf TDI 5MT which is why he offered me the car.

He says it has an issue with hesitation and bucking and says it was from an ECU flash the dealer did. Other than that, it is G2G he says.

Is the 2014 cruze diesel a good car? I honestly know nothing about these cars, however it has leather and it pretty nice inside. It seems like a good deal if it doesn't have any issues.

Is it worth selling my 2003 Jetta TDI with 275K that averages 44.4 MPG to get this car?

Is there anything I should be looking out for, like a "Red Flag" with these cars that would be a deal killer?

TIA

 

[boraz]

buy the car and spend $1500 deleting the emissions, then youre good to go.

im 100,000 miles and lifetime 42.7 mpg

be aware timing belt needs to be done at 100k miles

for $10k, id be looking at a 2014 volt as well

 

[Rivergoer]

A co-worker is upgrading to a new Subaru and wants to sell his 2014 Cruze Diesel.

He is offering it to me for the same price Carmax offered him, which is $8K. He is the 2nd owner and it currently has about 50K miles.

He knows I like VW diesels, currently own a 2003 Jetta and Golf TDI 5MT which is why he offered me the car.

He says it has an issue with hesitation and bucking and says it was from an ECU flash the dealer did. Other than that, it is G2G he says.

Is the 2014 cruze diesel a good car? I honestly know nothing about these cars, however it has leather and it pretty nice inside. It seems like a good deal if it doesn't have any issues.

Is it worth selling my 2003 Jetta TDI with 275K that averages 44.4 MPG to get this car?

Is there anything I should be looking out for, like a "Red Flag" with these cars that would be a deal killer?

TIA

Depends.

What shape is your 03 in?
Are you still happy with it?
What’s your reason for considering the switch?

The advantage of your VW is no emissions systems to deal with. The Cruze diesel is a great car (love mine) but some here have reported chronic issues with EGR, DPF, O2 sensors, etc...all emissions related. The motor is pretty solid and is about 10% more fuel efficient than the TDI.

However your older TDI doesn’t have all the emissions BS. Something to consider.

On the other hand, many here report no major problems with the Cruze diesel emissions systems. So there’s that.....

Bottom line, if you do a decent amount of highway driving and you’re looking for an upgrade the Gen 1 Cruze diesel will probably work well. Just be sure to do your diligence (check service records, CarFax, etc) to see if any history of repair issues.

The price seems fair but make sure you’re not buying someone else’s problem.

 

[LiveTrash]

I second what @Rivergoer posted. If you're pleased with your Jetta, I'd stick with it just to keep away from the unknown. But if you're looking for a nice ride and something comfortable, which I find the Cruze is very comfortable, then go for it! But I can't compare it to the Jetta as I've never had one.

I run the highway to and from work every day and it's been great. I had my EGR seize up once back when I was doing a lot of unexpected city driving with it. A lot of soot built up on it and caused the vehicle to not start. Luckily it was at a shop as it just had an oil change done and they had the tools to remove, clean and re-install it. It was at the dealer the following week and they put in a revised EGR Valve part to replace the existing under warranty. Other than that, my DEF tank heater went bad and they also replaced the entire tank and heater with a revised part, also under warranty. Knock on wood, no issues with the sensors yet. I'm at 54,000 miles currently.

I drive lightly with this car, putting it to the floor every now and then just to let it know who's boss and keep the exhaust blown clean, etc. I average about 50mpg with my light city and highway mix and when on the highway, it'll spike up to 65mpg or more just cruising along. It'll perform its regens about every 680 miles unless it isn't able to complete a full regen while on the highway, then it's a bit less. A tank of DEF has been lasting me 12,500 miles easily which seems to be a lot more than the Gen2 drivers are reporting.

Any more questions, feel free to post away and we'll chime in.

 

[Diesel4Ever]

Depends.

What shape is your 03 in?
Are you still happy with it?
What’s your reason for considering the switch?

The advantage of your VW is no emissions systems to deal with. The Cruze diesel is a great car (love mine) but some here have reported chronic issues with EGR, DPF, O2 sensors, etc...all emissions related. The motor is pretty solid and is about 10% more fuel efficient than the TDI.

However your older TDI doesn’t have all the emissions BS. Something to consider.

On the other hand, many here report no major problems with the Cruze diesel emissions systems. So there’s that.....

Bottom line, if you do a decent amount of highway driving and you’re looking for an upgrade the Gen 1 Cruze diesel will probably work well. Just be sure to do your diligence (check service records, CarFax, etc) to see if any history of repair issues.

The price seems fair but make sure you’re not buying someone else’s problem.

Hi thanks for the reply.

I have 2 ‘03 TDIs. I’m keeping the Golf. The Jetta is the one I’m considering selling if I get the Cruze.

Mechanically the Jetta is in great shape. It has lots of newer parts. I got it from the original owner who took good care of it. Doesn’t leak at all and is pretty tight however it’s 16 years old and approaching 300k miles and I don’t know what’s down the road.

I just don’t want to get a POS to replace it with. Does the $1500 delete kit include the exhaust and software ?

 

[boraz]

Hi thanks for the reply.

I have 2 ‘03 TDIs. I’m keeping the Golf. The Jetta is the one I’m considering selling if I get the Cruze.

Mechanically the Jetta is in great shape. It has lots of newer parts. I got it from the original owner who took good care of it. Doesn’t leak at all and is pretty tight however it’s 16 years old and approaching 300k miles and I don’t know what’s down the road.

I just don’t want to get a POS to replace it with. Does the $1500 delete kit include the exhaust and software ?

delete is downpipe and software

 

[Rivergoer]

Hi thanks for the reply.

I have 2 ‘03 TDIs. I’m keeping the Golf. The Jetta is the one I’m considering selling if I get the Cruze.

Mechanically the Jetta is in great shape. It has lots of newer parts. I got it from the original owner who took good care of it. Doesn’t leak at all and is pretty tight however it’s 16 years old and approaching 300k miles and I don’t know what’s down the road.

I just don’t want to get a POS to replace it with. Does the $1500 delete kit include the exhaust and software ?

Yep. Downpipe (replaces DPF) plus tuner/software. There’s an optional EGR delete blocking plate as well, but not required (EGR is disabled).

More here:

How to: DPF, DEF removal and downpipe/egr delete/oz...

I took the time to do a full writeup on this mod. I’d like to give a specific shoutout to sparspangled6.0 and Aaron/VA for their contributions and most of the photos I utilized for this writeup. This project is not necessarily a beginner project and I’d suggest if you have no mechanical...

www.cruzetalk.com

 

[therealhip_1340]

Get rid of the egr. If it's dirty it will still leak.....

 

[Poje]

If you do alot of highway driving, nothing is better then a Cruze diesel, unless you have an EV and you stay in your range.

I have 2 of them, a 2014 and 2015, so i know what im talking about, lol. I would suggest like the others to do the Fleece tune + delete, it's worth it.

Btw the diesel isnt only the engine, it's better then a Cruze of that generation in every way. It's between a Buick Verano and a Cruze. It's not as agile as your Golf or Jetta, but its more confortable and quieter on the highway.

 

[oreo382]

A co-worker is upgrading to a new Subaru and wants to sell his 2014 Cruze Diesel.

He is offering it to me for the same price Carmax offered him, which is $8K. He is the 2nd owner and it currently has about 50K miles.

He knows I like VW diesels, currently own a 2003 Jetta and Golf TDI 5MT which is why he offered me the car.

He says it has an issue with hesitation and bucking and says it was from an ECU flash the dealer did. Other than that, it is G2G he says.

Is the 2014 cruze diesel a good car? I honestly know nothing about these cars, however it has leather and it pretty nice inside. It seems like a good deal if it doesn't have any issues.

Is it worth selling my 2003 Jetta TDI with 275K that averages 44.4 MPG to get this car?

Is there anything I should be looking out for, like a "Red Flag" with these cars that would be a deal killer?

TIA

Cold start the car(first morning start,doesn't have to be winter),let it run for 10 seconds and then put it in gear (with the brake on). If it stumbles and misses,idle fluctuates then you have carbon build up on your valves.The hesitation and bucking is not a good sign.When exactly does it do this,when first started or after being warmed up?How was the car used,lots of highway or mostly around town?If around town then not a good sign.A delete will eliminate that in the future but if they're already caked up then a delete will do nothing.If the car was mostly highway(as Boraz's) then the delete is the way to go.Mine was flashed by the dealer and didn,t hesitate and buck.Mine only gradually became worse as the miles increased.At 40,000 miles mine was to the ponit that the dealer pulled the head to get it reconditioned,a $2500 warranty job(would have been $3500 if out of warranty).

 

[Diesel4Ever]

Cold start the car(first morning start,doesn't have to be winter),let it run for 10 seconds and then put it in gear (with the brake on). If it stumbles and misses,idle fluctuates then you have carbon build up on your valves.The hesitation and bucking is not a good sign.When exactly does it do this,when first started or after being warmed up?How was the car used,lots of highway or mostly around town?If around town then not a good sign.A delete will eliminate that in the future but if they're already caked up then a delete will do nothing.If the car was mostly highway(as Boraz's) then the delete is the way to go.Mine was flashed by the dealer and didn,t hesitate and buck.Mine only gradually became worse as the miles increased.At 40,000 miles mine was to the ponit that the dealer pulled the head to get it reconditioned,a $2500 warranty job(would have been $3500 if out of warranty).

I haven’t driven it yet so can’t say exactly how bad the hesitation and bucking it is. He mentioned it to me and I was thinking it may be an issue with the EGR valve or maybe the VGT actuator.

Is it common for these cars to get carbon buildup on the valves? It’s common with modern DI gas engines which need to get walnut blasting on the valves, but I’ve never heard of it being an issue on a Diesel.

 

[boraz]

I haven’t driven it yet so can’t say exactly how bad the hesitation and bucking it is. He mentioned it to me and I was thinking it may be an issue with the EGR valve or maybe the VGT actuator.

Is it common for these cars to get carbon buildup on the valves? It’s common with modern DI gas engines which need to get walnut blasting on the valves, but I’ve never heard of it being an issue on a Diesel.

he's the only one on the forum to report that issue....so far...

but plenty of us have removed the egr for cleaning, either to remedy an issue or to prevent upcoming issue....the egrs are all gummed up, so common sense says the intake isnt exactly pristine

some of the bucking/hesitation can be trans related....lots complain aboot the way the trans acts...ive not driven their cars, mine absolutely has hesitation, bucking i dont think so....are all the shifts smooth like butter? no...are they rough? no...

the delete 100% removes the trans hesitation, foot on pedal and gone instantly....

the delete COULD cause an issue with plugging up the scr down the road, one has 50,000 miles since delete and still is fine, others have clogged scrs even before the delete....all depends how the car was driven and what was wrong with it

 

[oreo382]

he's the only one on the forum to report that issue....so far...

but plenty of us have removed the egr for cleaning, either to remedy an issue or to prevent upcoming issue....the egrs are all gummed up, so common sense says the intake isnt exactly pristine

some of the bucking/hesitation can be trans related....lots complain aboot the way the trans acts...ive not driven their cars, mine absolutely has hesitation, bucking i dont think so....are all the shifts smooth like butter? no...are they rough? no...

the delete 100% removes the trans hesitation, foot on pedal and gone instantly....

the delete COULD cause an issue with plugging up the scr down the road, one has 50,000 miles since delete and still is fine, others have clogged scrs even before the delete....all depends how the car was driven and what was wrong with it

I live in Winnipeg,very cold in the winter.Short tripping in the winter sped things up with me.There is a post somewhere with a guy showing pics of his throttle body at 80,000 miles.Its completely caked with carbon to the point of almost being completely choked off.Not sure of the driving history.He says no driveability issues? So maybe the TB can be severely caboned with highway driving hence clean intake valves? I don't know,but seeing that pic made me wonder what the rest of the intake tract was like.As I said Boraz,you drive a LOT of highway which is probably why your and others are ok. I just think if considering to buy one find out what the driving history is and if all or mostly city I would steer clear.

 

[boraz]

I live in Winnipeg,very cold in the winter.Short tripping in the winter sped things up with me.There is a post somewhere with a guy showing pics of his throttle body at 80,000 miles.Its completely caked with carbon to the point of almost being completely choked off.Not sure of the driving history.He says no driveability issues? So maybe the TB can be severely caboned with highway driving hence clean intake valves? I don't know,but seeing that pic made me wonder what the rest of the intake tract was like.As I said Boraz,you drive a LOT of highway which is probably why your and others are ok. I just think if considering to buy one find out what the driving history is and if all or mostly city I would steer clear.

yeah im 70+ % hwy, and <5% idle time, so when the dealer said my dpf was full and needed a new one i was like, go pound sand....theres no way....fix the def tank thats under warranty and gimme the car back

it still was in countdown mode, i drove it home gear or two under to keep temp up so it might regen, and 50km before the really slow limp mode, she cleared up and drove it another 4000 kms since then no issues before i put the delete in.

dunno if the dealer was a schister, or what, but my car didnt need the $3000 in repairs they said it did

 

[jblackburn]

Might just be the EGR system on the CTD in need of cleaning. It's pretty common.

They're a lot nicer cars to spend time in than the MKIV Jetta IMO.

 

[MRO1791]

$8K seems like a good deal, the hesitation is normal on a stock car, but there are ways to fix that, tunes, deletes, or some combination of the 2. The bucking is pretty typical during a regen event for the DPF, and not just on the Cruze CTD, my Dodge Cummins did this also. It seems to have more to do with the ECM pushing up the EGTs, which involves a strange mix of lower boost pressure, post injection and some other odd parameters. It's also almost certain with those mile you have some crud formation on the intake, provided it is not too bad, it can be cleaned on car without pulling the head (if you are creative), but I second the idea of a delete if you really want to avoid such problems (I'm considering it for mine when it's out of power-train warranty, which is 5/60K on this car). Now, that said, at the miles this car has, if not done already, it is due for a transmission fluid change (ignore the BS about "lifetime fill", and see the severe duty schedule where there is a change out). There is a great how-to here on this site to walk you through that process.

So in summary, I'd say you should certainly consider buying that car at that price, is seems like a good deal.

 

[Diesel4Ever]

I decided to buy the Cruze. I liked the way it drove and the interior was nice. The "bucking" was minor and under light throttle. It was barely noticeable really.

Overall it was in good condition with a few imperfections that will need to be fixed. It does not have GPS though which is disappointing. I will need to install an aftermarket unit.

Does Fleece still do delete tunes for this Car? I couldn't find anything on their website.

Who has the best software? Not interested in max power, want better efficiency, reliability, etc..

 

[Toolman]

I decided to buy the Cruze. I liked the way it drove and the interior was nice. The "bucking" was minor and under light throttle. It was barely noticeable really.

Overall it was in good condition with a few imperfections that will need to be fixed. It does not have GPS though which is disappointing. I will need to install an aftermarket unit.

Does Fleece still do delete tunes for this Car? I couldn't find anything on their website.

Who has the best software? Not interested in max power, want better efficiency, reliability, etc..

I think the Fleece tune is under Oz Tuners now. You can get everything that you need at www.puredieselpower.com

 

[Toolman]

You wont regret it I have a 2014 diesel and love it.

 

[Plomaman]

A co-worker is upgrading to a new Subaru and wants to sell his 2014 Cruze Diesel.

He is offering it to me for the same price Carmax offered him, which is $8K. He is the 2nd owner and it currently has about 50K miles.

He knows I like VW diesels, currently own a 2003 Jetta and Golf TDI 5MT which is why he offered me the car.

He says it has an issue with hesitation and bucking and says it was from an ECU flash the dealer did. Other than that, it is G2G he says.

Is the 2014 cruze diesel a good car? I honestly know nothing about these cars, however it has leather and it pretty nice inside. It seems like a good deal if it doesn't have any issues.

Is it worth selling my 2003 Jetta TDI with 275K that averages 44.4 MPG to get this car?

Is there anything I should be looking out for, like a "Red Flag" with these cars that would be a deal killer?

TIA

I own a 2014 Cruze diesel. You should know that if there are any problems causing higher diesel emissions with the car, the computer will start to limit the top speed unless/until the problem is fixed. It can limit your speed down to 15mph! The bucking problem is probably caused by sludge build up in the carb intake caused by the egr. Just pull the intake off of the carb and hold the butterfly valve open with a screwdriver. I use an old toothbrush and a flashlight and pull the sludge out of the carb intake. Carb cleaner helps too. My Cruze diesel used to sputter bad but this stopped it completely.