Cate (@crazykitchenknife) is a TikToker who drives a Volkswagen Jetta TDI. And she’s sick and tired of a recurring question she gets at the pump.
She vented her frustrations in a viral TikTok that’s accrued over 444,000 views.
“So I drive a Jetta stick shift TDI. For those of you who don’t know what that means — it means my car takes diesel,” she says. “Every time I’m filling up at the gas station, some guy, usually an older man, will come up to me and be like, ‘Do you know you’re putting diesel in your car?’”
Cate continues sarcastically, “Because you know I’m a dumb blonde and they think I’m just using the pretty green pump.”
She shares a response she had when a man “straight out of a Western film” assumed she was wrecking her car by putting in diesel. “Looks at me and goes, ‘Ma’am, do you know you’re putting diesel in your vehicle?’”
She recalls, “And I looked at him and I went, ‘Oh my goodness! I didn’t even realize I was doing that! Oh no!’”
Cate covers her mouth in fake surprise. Then she says, “And then I got in my car and drove away. And he was like, ‘Wait, how’d her car not break down?’”
Diesel car sales
According to Engine Tech Forum, the sale of diesel vehicles in the United States for Q3 2024 accounted for 1.1% of total new car sales. Compared to 2023, this number has dropped. The vast majority of new diesel vehicle sales in the U.S. are vans and trucks. Leading the pack is the Mercedes Sprinter—a utilitarian vehicle that’s been adopted by a wide range of industries.
Next, there’s the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Ford Transit, and Ram 1500. However, when it comes to sedans like the Cate’s Jetta TDI, no new sales have been made. And it’s not just sedans, either. Crossover SUVs, hatchbacks, sports cars, and diesel variants of popular vehicles just haven’t caught on in America.
So why the decline in diesel? The ACEA believes that other alternative fuel source vehicles, such as EVs and plug-in hybrid cars are grabbing some of this market share.
TDI’s gas mileage
It’s no secret that one of the biggest factors many drivers have when purchasing a car is fuel economy. Having to go to the pump less is always a good thing. And Volkswagen’s TDI vehicles offered an attractive solution to do just that. With a TDI, one could purchase a familiar vehicle from a familiar manufacturer.
Folks who purchased TDIs reported clocking in mileages that were over EPA estimates. Such as this forum user who said they were regularly squeezing 42-46 mpg on their diesel Jetta. Another clocked their average diesel fuel consumption rate at 41.1 mpg.
And according to Kelley Blue Book the Guinness Book of World Records title for best fuel economy in a non-hybrid car belongs to a Golf TDI.
VW’s TDI scandal
You might be wondering why aren’t there more VW turbo diesels on the road. The problem is that in 2015, the EPA says it found that Volkswagen had violated the United States Clean Air Act. The auto manufacturer was accused of installing software inside of its vehicles that significantly understated the amount of emissions from its vehicles. This software was installed in the 2009-2015 TDI model years.
In January of 2017, the auto brand agreed to shell out $2.8 billion for selling TDI cars equipped with these devices. While current Volkswagen diesel vehicles sold and registered on the road are fair game, new ones aren’t. And Volkswagen doesn’t seem like it’s interested in even offering diesel in the US again. That’s because the brand has purportedly said it cannot design a TDI that’ll comply with the EPA’s current emissions standards.
@craftykitchenknife ♬ original sound – Cate
TikTokers respond
For some people, seeing a diesel sedan is a rare sight. However, is that the reason why so many are quick to tell Cate what type of fuel she’s putting in her car?
Or is it because she’s a woman? One TikToker, named Jeff, seems to think that’s precisely the reason. “I’ve had a Jetta TDI for 7 years and no one had ever said a word, which proves your theory,” he wrote.
One female said she, too, receive diesel refueling grief. “We have a Golf TDI and a Diesel BMW and the amount of times this exact scenario has happened to me is unmeasurable,” she wrote.
This is an issue another woman in the comments section said she’s experienced. “My husband has a golf TDI. I’ve put fuel in it a handful of times and every single time it’s been something similar. One time when I told a guy it was a diesel he said ‘no it’s not,’” she said.
However, one man in the comments section said they’re no stranger to friendly diesel concerns as well. “I also drive a manual tdi Jetta I’m a guy but still always get reminded that I’m putting diesel in my car,” he said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Volkswagen via email and Cate via TikTok comment.
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