Hello Scotty,

BACKGROUND

I live in Franklin, TN and I recently bought a used 2013 VW Jetta Sportswagon TDI, with 154K miles, as a starter car for my 15 year old son.  Before purchasing the vehicle, we had it checked out by Express Oil Changers ("presales safety check and inspection").  They pointed out a few things, like slow leaks from the oil pan and transmission case (not even dripping, but there was some leakage on the outside of the case.  We actually had an opportunity to look under the car while it was on the lift.  They appear to need gasket replacements, so I thought "no big deal". 

ISSUE

However, after getting it home and taking it out the next afternoon, we saw the check engine light come on.  So we threw a FixD device and got the following error codes:

• P0401: Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) flow insufficient detected.
• P2002: Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) efficiency below threshold.  

The next time we drove the car I think it performed an auto re-gen.  I'm not really sure how to tell, but we had only taken it out for a short drive with a couple of stops, but the fan stayed on for quite some time when we got home.  Anyway, the check engine light has not come back since (a couple days ago with only a few miles driven).  

QUESTIONS

1. Do you think this is just how the process works and that we do not have a serious problem with the emissions parts, or do you think it's just a matter of a few months before we're going to have to replace the DPF and other emissions equipment? 

2. If you believe this is a near term issue:

• is there something we can do to prolong the life of the system? 
• Is there an inexpensive way to resolve this? 

3. We paid $3800 for the car, which is otherwise, in good shape inside and out.  Is the replacement of the emissions equipment going to be worth it, on such a vehicle?

Thanks,

Big fan of the channel!

-Chris