Volkswagen Repair: repair costs, worst case scenario, vw jetta

Question
how much labor time would be required to change out an oil pan in a 2004 VW Jetta Wagon TDI?

Answer
Hi Peggy;
I don't know exactly.  However, I think just the oil pan replacement pays 2.5 hours, just for the pan, and there is another protective oil pan shield that needs to installed, too, and that can pay either 0.5 hrs, or 1.5 hours depending on whether there was one there before.  If the old one had no shield, the extra hour is to install the special factory grommets to eliminate the possibility of a rattle after the installation is complete.  Because, when the engine is running, it vibrates, so there are "isolators" installed to reduce the potential for the rattle that might result otherwise.  Peggy, there is one other possibility, too.
The TDI engines, with the engine code of "ALH," or "BEW," (and I think yours is the "BEW") came from the factory with an aluminum oil pan.  Aluminum has a great advantage in reducing heat, and reducing oil related failures...ie., if the oil doesn't get as hot, it doesn't breakdown as fast.  However, aluminum has a disadvantage in that it is brittle, and can crack if it is hit.  So, Volkswagen engineers designed a "hybrid" pan of mostly aluminum(for the cooling properties), but with a bottom made of steel, for the resiliency.  I think they still recommended a thick steel "pan shield," though for even the "hybrid" style pan.  It sounds like you feel taken advantage of.  Were you?  Total labor costs should have been based on(worst case scenario) of 1.5 for the pan shield(even with fabrication time), and 2.5 for the actual labor to install the pan....so, 4 hours tops!  Since all of the Jetta Wagons were built in Germany...Wolfsburg, in fact, they ALL came with the oil pan shield, and the fastener locations should already have been there for the thicker steel "pan shield."  I hope this helps you a little, Peggy, and I'm very sorry if you were taken advantage of in any way.  I do my utmost to tell the truth.  I endeavor always to remember that without customers...I would have NO JOB!  I rely on my reputation, and I protect it.  In as much as I volunteer my time here, on this forum, when I could be out making money on another personal job, I suppose I feel sometimes like I'm being taken advantage of, too, but I keep answering questions for nice people like you because my higher power said..."Do unto others as you have them do unto you."  Good luck, Peggy, and feel free to post a follow up.  Let me know what happened.