This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
When pulling out from a stop, the car will occasionally stutter as if it is about to stall (hasn't stalled yet) and the engine almost shuts off. This has happened off and on for about a year. Currently have 60K miles on the car, guessing the issue began around 30-40K.
The day after 20K mile service (oil/filter change, fuel filter changed) and about 20 miles following a refueling, the engine stalled while idling at a traffic light. Would not restart and had to be towed to repair shop. Cause is unknown at this time.
At lower speeds (<40mph) under acceleration my 09 VW Jetta tdi hesitates and even stalls for a split second before accelerating again. It seems as if ignition or fuel supply is disrupted abruptly and completely for a split second. The problem exists when pulling out of a driveway (just beginning a drive) or after driving for an extended time frame. I assumed that it was caused by debris in the fuel filter. My car currently has over 40K miles and the problem has existed since the car was brand new and continues even now. Also, when taking off (especially with the A/C on) the car stalls very easily. It requires much more fuel than I have had with a manual transmission to keep from stalling out.
I recently purchased a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta tdi diesel car with a 6 speed manual transmission and 20,000 miles. I have notice that the car is extremely easy to stall when attempting to accelerate in first and second gears. It seems the injection timing may be too far advanced. I have driven lots of similar older model diesel cars in europe and elsewhere without any such problems. I do not know what to do to correct the problem. I have noticed that you must speed up significantly in first gear before shifting to second. The engine seems to be unable to lug at a low rpms.
Sometimes while accelerating in my 2009 VW Jetta tdi, the vehicle will not respond to input on the accelerator. Also while cresting a hill, you feel the engine miss.
- Rockford, IL, USA
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In April 2010, the car would not start. It was towed to the dealership. The problem was identified as a faulty fuel pump, which was replaced at no charge to us. In June 2010, while merging on to the interstate, the "engine fault" light flashed on and the warning "bell" started chiming. The car could not accelerate beyond 50 mph. I was able to get off the interstate and made it home safely. The car started fine the next day and had no acceleration/power issues when we drove it to the dealership. The codes were cleared, and the mechanics felt that the problem was caused by "gunk" in the diesel fuel, which had caused the fuel pressure sensor to malfunction.
Letter to the administrator from congressman on behalf of constituent expressing her concerns about the malfunction of the VW Jetta tdi diesel automobiles (reply to scottsdale, AZ office). 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. The consumer stated there was a growing concern about the high pressure fuel pumps on Volkswagen new clean diesel tdi vehicles. Vehicles are randomly suffering catastrophic fuel system failure that requires up to 10,000 in repairs. The consumer stated he experienced the exact failure as so many others have. The consumer was informed by VW that the failure resulted from contaminated fuel and they would not cover the cost. The consumer was informed, metal shavings were found in the fuel pump which indicated regular gas was placed in the vehicle. The consumer then produced all of the diesel receipts and then VW stated maybe it was bad gas that contained water.
I own a 2009 VW Jetta tdi with 22,000 miles on it. In the middle of may the engine emissions warning light came on and I immediately called the dealer who services the car. I took it in and was told the gas cap may have been mounted improperly. The light was off at that point the car was picked up. A week or so later the same light came on, then went off and was sporadic for a while. After a few weeks of this I took the car in again (mid June). After being in the shop now for six weeks the dealer has informed me that the problem is with the fuel system and that the fuel pump has failed.they say there is rust and other contamination in it and there must have been water in the system. VW has refused to cover it under the warranty. The cost of replacing the entire fuel system will be $8,000-$10,000. Having researched the issue online I have found that this is an often reported occurrence and a known problem with the 2009 Jetta tdis. It appears that VW is covering the problem in many cases but not in others. VW should be more responsible and admit this is a problem and cover the replacement of the systems. This problem is a point of discussion on numerous forums see forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?T=286380 I recommend that you research this issue. VW is trying to foist it off on the customers rather than taking responsibility for it. I may well need to file suit against the dealership to get this issue resolved.
Jetta tdi sedan 24000 miles. Engine stalled at the road with engine fault message from mfd. Glow plug started blinking. VW dealer said it's due to contaminated fuel. But all over the us people are facing this issue. VW is not yet recognizing this issue. Looks like a major failure in their fuel pump.
Gentlemen: My story takes longer to tell than 2,000 characters. Please contact me so I can tell you and document everything. [xxx] portion of [xxx] June 11, 2010 email to webmaster: "I purchased a new VW Jetta tdi diesel vehicle on June 3, 2009 from lithia Volkswagen in medford, Oregon. I was driving it home last December when suddenly the check engine trouble lights started flashing. The car died and would not start again. It had some 28,000 miles on it at the time. I live in the mountains in southern Oregon. I take many day trips into the mountains of Oregon and northern California, where no cell phone service is available. Fortunately at the time my car died I was in cell phone range and was able to call VW service who sent a tow truck to haul my car to the dealer in medford, about 1 hour away. My son was able to pick me up from along I-5 and take me home. Lithia took a week to get the vehicle back to me. They said the in-tank fuel pump had died." Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
While driving my vehicle, the glow plug light started to flash. I pulled over and checked the owner's manual. The manual said to bring the car a dealer for service. I contacted my dealer who said to bring it right in. Started driving on a highway at 50mph and approximately 5 miles later the car lost all power and shut down. The vacuum assist for the brakes and the elecro-mechanical steering system were under reduced levels of power. I merged to the far right and off to the side of the road as quickly and safely as possible. The car was towed to a local dealer 45 minutes later. That evening, I was told that there were metal chips in the fuel filter housing. I viewed these chips myself. The technician noted that the fuel removed from the system was in fact diesel, not gasoline. He also indicated that the fuel did not appear to be contaminated. I researched on the web that the VW tdi has been suffering unexpected high pressure fuel pump failures. When the hpfp fails, is sends metal through the entire fuel system. Today I received a repair estimate of $10,260. Vwof a is still determining if this is an item to be covered under the power train warranty.
Engine failed on 2009 VW Jetta tdi. Lost power on ca highway (unsafe). Car has been towed, dealer claims bad fuel/fuel contamination. Have been told that it is a high pressure fuel pump failure, an ongoing problem with 2009/2010 Jetta tdi cars.
Vehicle began leaking diesel fuel after 20,000 mile service at fletcher jones Volkswagen in Chicago, Illinois. I am a former automotive engineer, so fortunately I knew to take the car back quickly. Some owners may have continued to drive the car and it could have resulted in a fire. The dealer claims that the issue was a defective fuel filter. Hopefully VW of America is taking the matter seriously, though they do not really seem to care much about quality based on our experiences so far.
2009 Jetta sportwagon tdi under 8000 miles first long road trip - ga to pa and back. Returning home (about 9 hours away) and traveling on the interstate, first the flashing glow plugs indicator light comes on and then the check engine. The engine starting reducing in power as I made it the exit and couldn't keep highway speeds. When I got to the exit ramp and took my foot off the accelerator, the car stalled and was unable to be moved. After a tow to dealership the service department had enough time to take a look at the car before they closed. I was told the fuel pump was "shredded" - they found rust and metal fragments in the pump. The entire fuel system was replaced. It was covered under warranty. After doing some research online it seem like this is a recurring problem with the tdi engine.
Possible events leading up to the failure is once in a while when the car is off and parked the engine fan will come on running very high and the car smells. This occurred about 4 times in 4 months. Then in the 5th month of ownership, while driving 50 mph, I heard a beep, looked down at my dash and before I could finish reading the message the car died. The dash indicated something about get to a workshop, then the message disappeared and the coil light came on. I put my foot on the gas pedal and nothing happened. Thankgoodness no one was behind me or we would have been hit, I pushed the car to the shoulder of the road and called a tow truck. I was 80 miles from home and just minutes from getting on the main freeway. I was towed to the nearest VW dealer. It was a weekend so the service dept was closed. Monday I was told the entire fuel system went out and was going to be completely replaced. It was replaced. It's been 4 weeks since it was replaced and today when I drove 25 miles and parked my car, the engine fan came on running very high, and loud with the smell of burnt rubber and smoke coming from the hood. I called the dealer and will be taking it into the dealer next week, they are concerned with the smell.
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- Summerhill, PA, USA