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.
Car would not start in the mornings, then it would after sitting awhile. After a couple of weeks before scheduled maintenance, car wouldn't start. Got it to start again, but drove less than a mile and it stall on a busy bridge. Car started up again and then driver could not get it into 4th gear. Coasted in third gear, but when reaching a stoplight, the car stalled yet again. This time car needed to be towed. While starting the car's headlights were flickering and had problems getting enough gas to the necessary components. Dealer once again could not come up with issue...claiming that fuel pump pressure was in range. However, the car's problem can easily be bad pressure since it occurred every time in the morning while the car sat for more than 8 hours. Whether the dealer could do the necessary comparison test for this issue is questionable since it must have been sitting in the garage. The car is currently at another repair shop. We have no documentation at this point. Will provide when available.
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the vehicle reduced in speed and stalled without warning. The vehicle was unable to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the high pressure fuel pump failed as a result the fuel pump and the fuel system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 12,000.
When starting from a full stop in drive mode "D" I pressed the accelerator and the car responded with almost zero power to accelerate. It just rolled forward as though I wasn't pressing the accelerator at all moving 1 to 2 mph. After 5 seconds of pressing the accelerator and the RPM climbing slowly, it would achieve normal driving power. Even at speeds of 20-30mph the initial response upon hitting the accelerator was the same lagging response. Applying the gas pedal felt like starting from a stop with a manual transmission in 5th gear. I stopped the vehicle several times, even shutting off the car, without any change in the behavior during my 10 minute drive. After leaving the car off for half hour the problem didn't yet return.
Without warning, the engine shut down while driving down a busy road. Check engine and glow plug warning light came on. Was just able to coast to the shoulder of the road. Car would turn over, but engine would not start. Car towed to dealer. Was told there was a catastrophic failure of the high pressure fuel pump, and metal shards were found throughout the fuel system. VW replaced the entire fuel supply system (including fuel tank) and fuel injection system. I can provide list of parts, if needed.
2012 VW Jetta tdi sportwagon 10408 miles. Flashing glow plug light, and car would not go over 40 mph. Dealer replaced the fuel pressure gauge. Day after repair both the glow plug light and check engine light came on, would not go over 40 mph. Dealer then replaced the hpfpump per VW tech recommendations. Fuel (diesel) was checked on both repairs and not found to be faulty. A known issue with this car, though supposedly "fixed". my concerns are for additional failure, potentially leaving us stranded or on a freeway going 40mph.
- Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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First compliant number-10442730 I am reporting yet another occurrence with this car. I have had this car at the dealer several times for the same issue. The dealer fixed a check valve because the fuel rail pressure was too low. Approx. 1600 miles after it was fixed the car started to do the exact same thing shuttering and stalling. The car is now back at the dealership and they are telling me that it is the fuel that we are using in my car. They took a fuel sample and also drove the car 300 miles and can't find anything wrong with it. I do not want to drive this car any longer for fear of being in a wreck. The car has stalled on my 3 times in the past month. VW doesn't seem to think this is a big deal I have had this car for less than 6 months and the car has been in the shop several times I am paying for my car to sit in the shop! I want my money back. I will not know anything about there fuel sample test for three weeks.
48 hrs after driving off dealer lot, "diesel ' odor thru fan and idle at stop signs/lights, dealer notified told it would go away after broke in, continued w/O improvement, took to dealer, stated checked everything no problem, bring back may be animal or something blocking exahust (within days). Returned told seal was broke just under intake manifold, pics sent to Volkswagen, , called to check status only to be told "turbo cracked." 2 weeks later car picked up, stated all recalls performed prior to driving off lot Nov 26,2011, still havent been provided with documentation. Concerned for safety, as well as nausea associated with odor in cabin.
Upon entering an on-ramp and also accelerating around a turn, experienced no response to depression of gas pedal. Basically car had serious lag before taking off. Worried about safety issue when trying to get out of someone's way. Very unpredictable in occurrence and do not want to have a wreck. Also experienced "stuttering" around 30 mph as if vehicle did not know which gear to get into. This happens frequently and creates a physical shutter of vehicle felt by driver and passengers.
My wife was driving our 2012 Jetta tdi and it went into limp mode on the highway, losing nearly all power. We took it to the dealer and the problem had gone away. It occurred again the next day and we took it in again. They ended up replacing the high pressure fuel pump. My fuel pump did not fail catastrophically as others have, but it still failed. This is a systemic issue with common rail VW diesels and is something that I feel should be investigated further and a recall should be issued. I was lucky that my particular pump did not fail catastrophically and just supplied low fuel pressure and that I'm still under warranty, but complete loss of power at highway speeds seems to be a safety concern and VW should definitely issue a recall for this part.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Lemont, IL, USA