Page 11 of 11 · complaints 501–518 of 518

2013 Volkswagen Jetta complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2013 record →

Service Brakes
Filed Sep 9, 20132,186 milesCA

WHEN DRIVING MY JETTA IN "S" (SPORT SELECTION ON THE TRANSMISSION) ON A SURFACE STREET I CAME TO A RED LIGHT. I STARTED BRAKING AND THE BRAKES FELT SPONGY AND UNRESPONSIVE. I TRIED PRESSING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MORE FORCE BUT WAS NOT GETTING MUCH BRAKING RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE TOOK A VERY LONG DISTANCE TO RESPOND COMPARED TO ITS RESPONSE TIME WHEN IN "D" (DRIVE SELECTION ON THE TRANSMISSION). LUCKY I AM AN EARLY BARKER AND THERE WAS NOT A CAR IN FRONT OF ME SO THE VEHICLE ONLY WENT INTO THE INTERSECTION A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE IT STOPPED. WHEN FINALLY AT A STOP I KEPT STEADY PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF BEING AT A COMPLETE STOP I NOTICED THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS SINKING TOWARDS THE FLOOR BOARD. IT FELT LIKE IT DOES WHEN YOU ARE BLEEDING AIR OUT OF THE LINES. WHILE AT THE STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL SANK FURTHER, AT FIRST SLOWLY, AND THEN WITH ONE FINAL QUICK MOVEMENT THE BRAKE PEDAL SANK COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR BOARD OF THE CAR. THE ONLY TIME I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF BRAKE ACTIVITY IS WITH OLDER CARS WHEN ONE IS PERFORMING THE TASK OF BLEEDING THE BRAKES. IF I HAD BEEN TAPPED FROM BEHIND THE CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN SENT INTO THE INTERSECTION. DURING THIS INCIDENT I NOTICED THAT THE TACHOMETER WAS RUNNING AT 900 RPM EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS AT A "COMPLETE", OR BETTER STATED, THE BRAKE WAS PRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, WITH NO ADDITIONAL BRAKING PRESSURE AVAILABLE. I FEEL VERY UNSURE AND UNSAFE WHEN I GO TO USE MY BRAKES AND HAVE TO ALLOW SEVERAL EXTRA C

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Sep 3, 201319 milesCA

I CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THE ISSUE OUTLINED IN COMPLAINT NUMBER [XXX]PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C (B)(6)., UNSAFE ACCELERATOR LAG GAS PEDAL DELAY NO RESPONSE, FROM MY VW JETTA. I AM TRYING TO GET A COPY OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN, TSB#01-13-14, NHTSA#10052336. EDMUNDS DIRECTS YOU TO ALL DATA DIY, ALLDATA.COM, TO GET TSBS. ALL DATADIY DOES NOT HAVE MY VEHICLE, 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA, IN THEIR DROP DOWN LIST AND AS YOU WILL SEE IN THE ATTACHED EMAIL "THEY DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN THERE DATABASE YET". SO I ASKED THEM FOR THE TSB 01-13-14, AKA NHTSA ID 10052336, FROM THE 2012 JETTA DATABASE, SINCE THIS TSB# SEEMS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH MOST 2008-2013 MODELS OF VW JETTA, GOLF, RABBIT, BEETLE, EOS, CC, PASSAT, GTI, R32, TIGUAN, TOUAREG AND THE 2011 TOUAREG HYBRID. ACCORDING TO THE EMAIL REPLY FROM ALLDATADIY THERE IS NO SUCH SERVICE BULLETIN. WHEN DO THEY SYNC WITH YOUR SYSTEM? SHOULDN'T THEY HAVE THIS SERVICE BULLETIN. ATTACHED EMAIL: FROM ALLDATA SUPPORT FOR LOG ID:15679419 1 MESSAGE [email protected] <[email protected]> TUE, SEP 3, 2013 AT 1:30 PM TO: [XXX] REFERRING TO OUR CALL LOG ID:15679419 THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING ALLDATADIY.COM UNFORTUNATELY, THE INFORMATION YOU REQUESTED IS NOT AVAILABLE IN OUR DATABASE. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED. THANK YOU, ALLDATADIY SUPPORT TEAM *********************************************************

Engine
Filed Sep 3, 20133,000 milesIL

THIS PAST MAY, WE BOUGHT A VW JETTA GLI AT JENNINGS VOLKSWAGEN (GLENVIEW, IL) FOR OUR SONS LAST YEAR OF COLLEGE. THE CAR LOOKED GREAT AND HE LOVED IT. AT ABOUT 1000 MILES, WHILE HE WAS DRIVING WITH HIS FRIENDS, THE CAR HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND A SUDDEN ENGINE SHUTDOWN. LUCKILY, HE WAS CROSSING A PARKING LOT SO HE WAITED UNTIL IT RESTARTED. WE MADE NO BIG DEAL OF IT AND TOOK IT TO JENNINGS WHERE THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING. THEN, JUST LAST WEEK, AT 3000 MILES, THE SAME HAPPENED WHILE HE WAS DRIVING WITH OUR DAUGHTER IN THE CAR ON WEST LAKE AVENUE. THIS TIME, WE WERE CONCERNED, SINCE THIS HAPPENED DURING RUSH HOUR IN A CONGESTED STREET. WE WORRIED NOW, SINCE THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAD HAPPENED. OUR SON DRIVES TO THE CITY ON A DAILY BASIS TO ATTEND SCHOOL AND HE TAKES THE HIGHWAY. WHAT IF THAT HAD HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY AND A TRUCK HAD BEEN BEHIND HIM? IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. WE DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE HAS BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT IN AUSTRALIA WITH ANOTHER VW, WITH THE SAME TYPE OF TRANSMISSION, EXPERIENCING SUDDEN ENGINE SHUTDOWN ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL OF CERTAIN OF THESE CARS IN CHINA, JAPAN, AND AUSTRALIA FOR SIMILAR ISSUES SO WE ARE REALLY CONCERNED. OUR SON TOOK THE CAR TO JENNINGS AGAIN, AND WAS SENT HOME WITH A RENTAL CAR WHILE THEY LOOKED INTO THE ISSUE. THEY APPARENTLY DID VARIOUS DRIVING AND MECHANICAL TESTS AND COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE SCENARIO, SINCE APPARENTLY THE CARS COMPUTER HAD NOT REGISTERED ANY OF THE FAILURE

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 28, 20132,170 milesCA

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE EXPERIENCES AS OUTLINED IN COMPLAINT ID 10535696. I HAVE AN OPEN CASE WITH VW CORP, CASE NUMBER 130565794. I HAVE ASKED FOR THE NHTSA SERVICE BULLETIN 100552336, SERVICE TO BE PERFORMED ON MY CAR, AS I CONTINUE TO HAVE NEAR ACCIDENT MISSES DUE TO THE MISFIRE (WHICH HAPPENS WHEN THE AC IS ON) AND THE NON-RESPONSIVE GAS PETAL (WHEN THE AC IS OFF). VW CORP IS TRYING NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR SERVICE BULLETIN AND REFUSES TO PERFORM THE SERVICE TO MY CAR. THEY STATED THAT THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THE CONTENTS OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN. I HAVE INFORMED THEM AND HAVE DOCUMENTED ON MY SERVICE INVOICE THE SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER AND MY COMPLAINT NUMBER. SO IF THEY WERE NOT AWARE BEFORE, THEY ARE NOW, BUT STILL DENY ME THE SERVICE OUTLINED IN YOUR SERVICE BULLETIN ID 100552336. THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR IN THEIR POSSESSION SINCE THE 23RD, THIS IS MY SECOND VISIT AND I NOW HAVE A CASE OPEN WITH VW CORP (SEE CASE NUMBER ABOVE). I CONTINUE TO BE UNABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE IN EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY DRIVING SITUATIONS. *TT

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 28, 20132,170 milesCA

THIS IS AN UPDATE TO COMPLAINT NUMBER 10537724 THE SERVICE BULLETIN ID IS 01-13-14 THE NHTSA ID NUMBER IS 10052336 I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY CONFUSION. COMPLAINT NUMBER 10537724 SHOULD READ USING THE ABOVE SERVICE BULLETIN ID AND NHTSA ID NUMBER. *TT

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Aug 28, 201313,000 milesIL

MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY STALLED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL BETWEEN SOME CONSTRUCTION CONES BEFORE IT LOST POWER COMPLETELY. UPON TOWING TO A DEALER, I WAS TOLD THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. VW WARRANTY WILL COVER ALL DAMAGE, BUT IT IS CONSIDERABLE. ALL FUEL INJECTORS, PUMPS, LINES ETC WILL BE REPLACED. I SOON LEARNED FROM FRIENDS THAT THIS HAPPENED TO THEIR TDI MODEL VEHICLES AS WELL. ALL INFORMATION THAT I FIND DATES TO 2011, BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. I AM VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHERE I FILL UP AND STILL EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE. IN SPITE OF BEING ASSURED BY THE VW MECHANIC THAT MY CAR WILL BE "PERFECT," I FEEL THAT I NEED TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT. *TT

Power Train
Filed Aug 25, 201390 milesWA

MY VEHICLE WHEN ENTERING TRAFFIC HAS A DELAY OF 1-2 SECONDS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. WHEN I AM TRYING TO GET ON/OFF A HIGHWAY AND THAT DELAY HAPPENS, THE TRAFFIC HAS TO SLOW TO KEEP FROM HITTING ME AS BY THE TIME IT HAPPENS THEN SURGES, IT IS TOO LATE TO STOP. MY SPEED NEEDLE WAS SO INACCURATE AND BOUNCED SO MUCH I GOT A SPEEDING TICKET. IT WAS 14 MPH OFF. THEY REPLACED THE CLUSTER, BUT NOW BOTH THE TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER BOUNCE ENOUGH TO NOT BE SURE YOUR SPEED. ELECTRONIC FAN STAYED ON FOR THE ENTIRE 90 MINUTES I WAS IN A COFFEE SHOP AFTER DRIVING ONLY 5 MILES AND HAD BEEN RUNNING AC. AC WHEN NOT ON FULL FAN WILL HAVE PERIODS OF HOT AND HUMID LIKE THE SYSTEM TEMPORARILY SHUTS DOWN, AND OF COURSE, THE CAR HOPS AND SURGES AT SLOW SPEEDS IN ADDITION AS YOU ARE DECELERATING WITH THE FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, IT WILL JERK YOU DOWN AS IT SHIFTS DOWN. *TR

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 16, 201345 milesCA

I WAS TRYING TO MERGE ONTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AND WHEN I PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. IT CREATED AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHERE I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES AND LET THE TRAFFIC PASS BY, THEN PUT THE CAR IN MANUAL SHIFT SO THAT I COULD ACCELERATE ENOUGH TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC. THE INABILITY TO CONTROL THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE HAPPENS USUALLY AROUND SPEEDS OF 40 MILES AN HOUR. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE CAR WILL BE IN 6 GEAR AT VERY LOW SPEEDS AND FAILS TO DOWN SHIFT WHEN THE GAS IS PRESSED. THIS RESULTS IN A LOSE OF POWER AND DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE IN EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. *TR

Engine
Filed Jul 13, 201311,000 milesFL

WE WERE TRAVELING IN CENTER LANE ON I-75 IN FL DOING 70 MPH. DASH LIGHT INDICATOR SHOWED DOUBLE CIRCLE ERROR LIGHT. ENGINE QUIT AND CAR LOST ALL POWER. COASTED TO BREAKDOWN LANE. *TR

Power Train
Filed Jun 15, 20132,900 milesTX

ENGAGING VEHICLE INTO FIRST FROM A STOP,WOULD NOT GO,IT WAS STUCK IN REVERSE FOR A MINUTE. FINALLY WENT INTO FIRST AFTER PLAYING WITH THE SHIFTER AND GETTING IT UNSTUCK. NEW CAR,VOLKSWAGEN IS PATHETIC. *TR

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Jun 13, 2013100 milesOH

APPROACHED TRAFFIC LIGHT (WHICH WAS RED). WHEN LIGHT CHANGED, ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. NO POWER FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS, THEN ACCELERATED THROUGH THE LIGHT AND ALL WAS NORMAL. NOW HAVE ABOUT 1500 MILES ON THE CAR AND SIMILAR SITUATIONS HAVE OCCURRED. ESTIMATED THAT WE HAD ABOUT 15 REPEATS OF THIS PROBLEM. DEALER FOUND NO CODES AND COULD NOT REPEAT THE PROBLEM. DEALER SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL A CODE WAS RECORDED BEFORE THEY COULD DO ANYTHING. PROBLEM OCCURRED TWICE WITH A COLD ENGINE AND THE REST OF THE TIME WHEN THE ENGINE WAS THOROUGHLY WARMED UP. FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. WE COULD MAKE A LEFT TURN INTO APPROACHING TRAFFIC AND BE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION.. AM AFRAID TO HAVE MY WIFE DRIVE THE CAR. *TR

Fuel System, Diesel
Filed May 29, 20135,500 milesCA

THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER WHILE IN MOTION AND I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROADWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE TDI (DIESEL) FUEL SYSTEM HAD A COMPLETE FAILURE AND IMPLODED INTO MANY VERY SMALL METAL PARTS. VW IS REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM, BUT NOT THE ENGINE. I BELIEVE METAL IN THE FUEL LINES IS CAUSE FOR A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT AS THEY CANNOT PROVE THE CONTAMINATION WAS LIMITED TO THE FUEL LINES. THE CAR IS LESS THAN 4 MONTHS OLD AND HAS 5500 MILES TOTAL. *TR

Engine
Filed May 23, 20131,700 milesCA

JETTA HYBRID. LOSS OF TRACTION WHILE ASCENDING STEEP DRIVEWAY. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE EVEN WITH ANOTHER HYBRID. *TR

Power Train
Filed Apr 22, 2013NY

A TWO WEEK OLD 2013 VW JETTA BECAME STUCK IN REVERSE AFTER BEING IN PARK AND THEN I TRIED TO PUT IT IN DRIVE IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF AN EXTREMELY BUSY STREET IN BROOKLYN, NY. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FROM REVERSE AND HAD TO BE TOWED AWAY. I HEARD FROM OTHERS THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY IT IS NOT A REGISTERED RECALL WITH NHTSA AND WHY I HAD TO EXPERIENCE A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION FOR A KNOWN DEFECT. I AM NOT SURE IT WILL BE FIXED AS IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE VW SERVICE CENTER. *TR

Engine
Filed Apr 17, 2013231 milesCA

BASED UPON MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND OTHER OWNERS COMMENTS FOUND ON THE THE WEB, THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH VARIOUS EXHAUST LEAKS ON LATE MODEL JETTA TDI'S WHICH ALLOWS DANGEROUS DIESEL SULFUR FUMES TO ENTER THE CABIN. *TR

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Mar 22, 2013255 milesSC

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER BUYING THIS NEW VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT HUNDREDS OF FOGGY LOOKING SPOTS WOULD APPEAR IN THE REAR WINDSHIELD AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY. WHEN THESE SPOTS APPEAR IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE OUT OF THIS WINDSHIELD OR INTO IT . THIS USUALLY HAPPENS AROUND DAWN AND AROUND DUSK THOUGH IT HAS HAPPENED AT OTHER TIMES OF THE DAY ALSO. I HAVE PURSUED HAVING THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED BY CONTACTING THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES ONLY TO BE TOLD IT IS BECAUSE OF THE WINDOW BEING POLARIZED AND THAT THE WINDOW IS UP TO MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS. PRETTY MUCH THEY HAVE TOLD ME, TOO BAD THAT'S THE WAY IT IS. I HAVE EXPRESSED TO THE DEALER AND TO VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU CAN NOT SEE OUT OF OR IN THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD WHEN THESE FOGGY SPOTS ARE THERE. AFTER MONTHS OF TRYING TO GET THEM TO AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM THEY FINALLY SENT AN EXECUTIVE DOWN TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. THEIR LAST TIME I HEARD FROM THEM, THEY SAID THEY WOULD TINT THE REAR WINDSHIELD SO THAT I WOULDN'T SEE THE PROBLEM. TO ME THIS DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE. IF YOU TRY TO COVER UP THE PROBLEM YOU DO NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO COVER UP A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AND IGNORING SAFETY ISSUES. I DON'T KNOW WHO TO TALK TO OR WHERE TO GO FROM HERE WITH THIS PROBLEM. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH I AM GETTING NOWHERE WITH THEM. I AM READING ABOUT OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS IN VW FORUMS ON THE INTERNET AND AM SURE THERE MUST BE OTHER COMPLAI

Power Train
Filed Dec 22, 2012350 milesOH

DSG TRANSMISSION ISSUES: WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN ACROSS TRAFFIC, I COASTED UP TO THE LIGHT WHEN IT WAS MY TURN, THEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR HAD NO POWER. IT CROSSED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AT APPROXIMATELY 1 TO 2 MPH. IT TOOK 5 TO 10 SECONDS FOR THE POWER TO RETURN. IT FELT LIKE IF YOU ARE DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND HAVE THE CAR IN 4TH OR 5TH GEAR WHEN TRYING TO START MOVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT QUITE A FEW INTERSECTIONS. ALSO IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS ACCELERATING THEN HAD TO RELEASE THE ACCELERATOR DUE TO A VEHICLE SLOWING IN FRONT OF ME, I RE ENGAGED THE ACCELERATOR AND THERE WAS NO POWER FOR 5 TO 10 SECONDS. *TR

Power Train
Filed Oct 18, 2012110 milesTX

WE JUST BOUGHT A NEW 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTS WAGON WITH DIESEL TDI ENGINE AND DSG TRANSMISSION. DRIVING THE CAR HOME FROM THE DEALER THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 110 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY TELL ME THAT THE MECHATRONIC UNIT HAS FAILED. THE SYMPTOM OF THE FAILURE WAS THAT THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL WITH NO NOTICE AND THE CAR HAD SEVERALLY REDUCED POWER AVAILABLE (LESS THAN 10 MPH). RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SHOWS THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS BEFORE. IT SEEMS VERY SERIOUS TO ME TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS FAIL ON A BRAND NEW VEHICLE. *TR

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta → · Every Jetta year → · How the figures are calculated →