2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Complaints

MY 2013 JETTA HAS 37,000 MILES, JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. I DROVE TO MY DAUGHTERS AND PUT MY CAR IN PARK AND THE KEY WAS LOCKED IN THE IGNITION. I COULDNT TURN THE CAR OFF OR GET THE KEY OUT. I CALLED A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER AND ASKED IF THERE WAS A TRICK TO GETTING MY KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION SO I COULD TURN MY CAR OFF. THE LADY AT THE DEALER LAUGHED AND SAID YES THERE IS A TRICK ILL TRANSFER YOU TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE MAN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND HOW TO JIGGLE THE KEY AND TURN IT BACK AND FORTH AND SHOULD WORK. IT WORKED WHEN I GOT HOME. LAST NIGHT I WENT TO GROCERY STORE AND SAME THING MY CAR WOULDNT TURN OFF THE KEY WAS LOCKED. I TRIED THE METHOD THAT THE SERVICE MAN TOLD ME TO DO AND STILL WOULDNT TURN OFF. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO TURN MY CAR OFF AND THEY COULDNT. THEY SENT ME HOME WITH A RENTAL AND TOOK MY CAR INTO THE SERVICE GARAGE. FOR ALL I KNOW ITS STILL RUNNING. SO THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH VOLKSWAGEN AND THEY FAIL TO RECALL THIS IGNITION AND MAKE THE CAR OWNERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE PART AND THE LABOR TO INSTALL. THE IGNITION SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE.

THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS YEAR I HAVE NEEDED TO REPLACE MY HEADLIGHTS. THIS TIME EVEN THE REPLACEMENT HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS NO WORKING HEADLIGHTS. JUST THE HIGH BEAMS, PARK LIGHTS, DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WORK, BUT NOT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT AND MY VEHICLE IS HIGHLY MAINTAINED AND IN GREAT CONDITION. YET, I KEEP SUFFERING WITH THE SAME HEADLIGHT PROBLEM. I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S THE BULBS AND MY MECHANIC HAS EVEN TOLD ME IT'S A FAULT WITH THE MANUFACTURING OF THE VEHICLE.

I FIRST TOOK THIS CAR TO THE DEALER IN LATE 2015 TO REPORT AN UNUSUAL DRIVING CHARACTERISTIC I HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED IN OVER 40 YEARS OF DRIVING. WHEN INCHING FORWARD OR BACKWARDS IN THIS CAR, THERE IS A "JERKY" UNEXPECTED, TEMPORARY SURGING OF THE VEHICLE. THE EXPERIENCED VW MECHANIC ATTRIBUTED THIS TO A "DRY CLUTCH" THAT OPERATES MUCH LIKE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHEN SLIGHTLY RELEASING THE BRAKE TO MOVE SLOWLY EITHER FORWARD OR BACKWARDS, THE CAR HAS BEEN PROGRAMMED TO "RELEASE" THE CLUTCH AND MOVE FORWARD -- SINCE MOST OF THE TIME WHEN THE BRAKE IS RELEASED THAT IS WHAT THE DRIVER INTENDS. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE JUST RELEASING THE BRAKE TO INCH FORWARD OR BACKWARDS, AS WHEN PARKING, THE SUDDEN SURGE FEELS VERY UNEXPECTED AND DANGEROUS. IN AUGUST 2016, WE NOTICED A LARGE POOL FLUID UNDER THE FRONT OF THE CAR. AFTER DRIVING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE MECHATRONIC DRY CLUTCH UNIT HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE NEW MECHATRONICS UNIT WAS INSTALLED, UNDER WARRANTY AND WITHOUT ANY COST TO US, WE REALIZED TWO DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS NOT EXPERIENCED BEFORE: 1) THE DASHBOAD DISPLAYED THE GEAR THE CAR WAS IN FOR THE FIRST TIME, I.E., D1, D2 THROUGH D7. THAT FEATURE HAD SIMPLY NEVER WORKED BEFORE, UNBEKNOWST TO US AT THE TIME; 2) THE CAR DROVE WITH MORE POWER, AND IT APPEARS BETTER GAS MILEAGE AS WELL SO FAR. THE SERVICE REP MENTIONED THAT THE MECHANIC HAD TO SEE THE PHYSICAL MECHANTRONICS UNIT FIRST, BECAUSE IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL BY VIN # ALONE IF IT IS THE CORRECT PART. THE CONCLUSION I HAVE DRAWN IS THAT THE WRONG MECHATRONICS UNIT WAS INSTALLED ON OUR CAR ORIGINALLY, WHICH CAUSED NOT ONLY BAD DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS, BUT ALSO DID NOT REGISTER THE GEAR THE CAR WAS IN ON THE DASHBOARD READOUT. I HAVE A REMAINING QUESTION WHAT OTHER DAMAGE THIS CAUSED TO THE CAR, AND HOW VW INTENDS WILL HANDLE THAT IN THE FUTURE.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WAS LOW ON POWER AND THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT WAS FLASHING. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS EXACT THING HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND LET IT SET FOR A FEW MINUTES AND IT RESTARTED AND RAN FINE. WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO MAKE OUR WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, LUCKILY IT WAS NOT BUSY. ON JULY 31 THE SAME THING HAPPENED BUT THIS TIME THE CAR WAS STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION COMING OFF OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS TIME THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALONG WITH THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT WERE ON. ONCE WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY PROCEEDED TO INFORM ME THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED AND THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM MINUS THE TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO METAL SHAVINGS BEING IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THIS ISSUE WAS THAT NONE OF MY CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED AS THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION.

MY CAR DISPLAYS NO PROBLEMS ON THE DASH, THERE ARE NO LIGHTS ON BUT WHEN I AM DRIVING THE CAR STALLS AND SOMETIMES JUST SHUTS OFF LOCKING MY BRAKES AND STEERING. USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS GOING UNDER 20MPH. AFTER IT SHUTS OF I HAVE TO PUT IT IN PARK TO RESTART AND IT RESTARTS WITHOUT A PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO MORE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14E007000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,600.

MY WIFE MUST SIT ON AN EXTRA SEAT CUSHION IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. BUT WHEN SHE DOES THE AIR BAGS DEACTIVATE. SO AIR BAGS WON'T DEPLOY AROUND HER SEAT. DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO WAY TO SWITCH THE AIR BAGS ON. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS! THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO SWITCH THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS ON SO THEY WILL DEPLOY IF THERE IS IMPACT.

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH HIGH WIND, THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR PLASTIC PROTECTOR FELL OFF. THE AC UNIT NEEDED COMPLETE REPLACEMENT COSTING 1600 AND NOW THE IDEAL WHILE TURNING ON CAR IS VERY HIGH. SOUND ALMOST LIKE IT DID WHEN I HAD TO TAKE IT IN FOR THE ELECTRICAL RECALL IN THE LAST YEARS. DOORS ARE SQUEAK WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING. AND WHILE DRIVING A NOISE THAT SOUND LIKE CHAINS RATTLES THROUGH OUT THE CAR WHICH IS A VERY IRRITATING SOUND.

KEY STICKS IN IGNITION LOCK AND UNABLE TO REMOVE. WENT TO DEALER AND TOLD IT HAPPENS, NO RECALL, AND WILL COST OVER $400.00 TO FIX.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN SYSTEM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HORN SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER DID NOT SPECIFY WHAT CAUSED THE HORN SYSTEM TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.