CarComplaints.com Notes: VW updated the Jetta's interior and added new features like backup cameras to certain trims. Time will tell if these adjustments start falling apart.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
40,219 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta electrical problems

electrical problem

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2013 Volkswagen Jetta Owner Comments (Page 6 of 7)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #40

May 212017

Jetta

  • 45,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My car was parked and I could not get the key out of the ignition. The steering column was not locked. I had to wiggle the key a bunch to get it out. Once I got the key out of the ignition it was very hot. This happened four times in one day.

- Parkland, FL, USA

problem #39

May 172016

Jetta

  • 43,000 miles
While parked, key gets stuck on ignition and while trying to turn of the engine. There is also major resistance when trying to turn the key to the "on" position to start the car. A few times it took more than 20 min of trying in order to successfully turn off the engine and remove the key, although turning off the car does not mean the key will not be stuck.

- Riverside, CA, USA

problem #38

Apr 132017

Jetta

  • miles
Key gets stuck in ignition when turning off the engine. This will be the 3rd time the ignition housing has had to be replaced in the last 3 years. The last time it happened I had to leave my car running in the driveway overnight.

- Watsonville, CA, USA

problem #37

Feb 052017

Jetta

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The wiper motor and the fluid washer pump are ill engineered and have a tendency to burn out very quickly. Both the wiper motor and fluid washer pump on my Jetta have to be replaced at a cost of approximately $1,000. This is not acceptable in a car that is less than 4 years old, and under 58,000 miles. Either the design of the systems is poor, or VW is using inferior parts that quickly are obsolete. It is not safe to have cars that wiper motors burn out that quickly (and without notice) and it is also not safe to have fluid pumps that wear out that quickly. It affects visibility and driving safety.

- Edmonds, WA, USA

problem #36

Dec 022016

Jetta

  • miles
Ignition key will not turn car off. Only way to shut it off with force applied to the key...went to dealer thought it was the key, but other key did same thing. Ignition switch may be faulty.

- Meridian, ID, USA

problem #35

Aug 132016

Jetta

  • 57,900 miles
When I try to turn off my car the key gets stuck in the ignition switch. This has been happening for months. As many people that ice seen with this issue this needs to be a recall or buy baking the vehicles.

- Havelock, NC, USA

problem #34

Oct 242016

Jetta

  • 22,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought a new 2013 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5L SE. We purchased this car as a third vehicle for my two teenage children to use. My son was home from college and used it to commute to a daily internship during the summer of 2016 when he noticed that on two occasions it lost power on the highway while he was traveling 60 miles per hour. That fall I took my daughter to do her drivers test in the Jetta. It lost power twice en-route to the facility and lost power an additional three times while I drove it home. I took it to the dealer a few days later and it lost power several times on the way. I complained to dick dean (the dealer we bought it from) and to Volkswagen on multiple occasions. I told them that this situation threatened the safety of my two children. The dealer claims that they couldn't get the car to mimic the complaint. Dick dean and Volkswagen offered me a few thousands dollars off on a new Jetta. I took the offer because of the safety factor of my children. I think it is the height of irresponsibility of both organizations for not standing behind their product given the serious nature of this complaint. When I researched this issue I found numerous other customers with the same complaint about the 3013 Jetta. I am shocked that this company is allowed to get away with this kind of behavior, forcing a customer to pay for a new car when there is a serious safety issue involved. This car had around 20,000 miles on it at the time and was still under extended warranty!

- Chesterfield, MO, USA

problem #33

Jan 082017

Jetta

  • 36,000 miles
Horn works intermittently, causing a safety issue if it is unavailable while driving. Horn works 1 day (via steering wheel and alarm/lock activation), but does not the next day. This has been occurring on my vehicle for 2-3 months.

- Mckinney, TX, USA

problem #32

Nov 122016

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 74,000 miles
Ignition would not turn off resulting in having to leave the car running for an extended period of time. Features built in to the car did not permit me to lock the car while the key was in ignition. The car had to be left running with no way to lock the car to prevent theft or children from accessing the car. Vehicle was stationary.

- Scottsville, VA, USA

problem #31

Dec 012016

Jetta

  • miles
Can not remove key from ignition. Extremely difficult.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #30

Oct 012016

Jetta 5-cyl

  • 52,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- San Clemente, CA, USA

problem #29

Sep 052016

Jetta

  • 79,000 miles
2013 Jetta SE with 79K on it and the key is stuck in the ignition - it's at the dealer now and I'm sure from what I've read it's going to be rather costly to fix a problem that VW is aware of and not willing to recall. I have had many cars and never encountered anything like this - absurd.

- Agoura Hills, CA, USA

problem #28

Jun 112016

Jetta

  • miles
Ignition switch will not release the key can not turn off engine( three times the weekend of 6 11 2016)

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #27

May 132016

Jetta

  • 51,200 miles
Key gets stuck at times and cannot turn the car off. The steerlock keeps the key from operating. This happens when the car is stationary.there is no way to stop the motor when this happens. This was repaired on 5/16/2016 with part #5C6-905-841

- Goldcanyon, AZ, USA

problem #26

Apr 012016

Jetta

  • miles
Takata recall" after I got my last recall fixed that day when I got into my car my locks in my car started to lock by them selves continuously. When I got back to work I called them and they had me go back to the VW dealership where they looked at it wasn't for sure why this was happening and tell me to bring it back at a later date so they can look at it. It it stop doing it again for a while until it got raining and humid. It seems like it gets this way when it's rainy and humid! the door locks continue to click as if I'm pressing them myself to unlock/lock the doors. I read one of the recalls on the airbag electrical recall and was wondering if was tied into that?

- Hahira, GA, USA

problem #25

Nov 182015

Jetta

  • 40,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving approximately 45 mph, the horn failed to sound. The failure occurred intermittently and became permanent over a period of time. The failure was not related to the fuse box. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

- Stoneridge, NY, USA

problem #24

Oct 152013

Jetta

  • 24,796 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that when the ignition was turned to the on position, the vehicle failed to start. When the ignition was turned to the off position and back to the on position, the engine started and stalled. The engine restarted after 20 minutes. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was moisture in the inner cooling system and it needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred six months later. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,796.

- Sheffield, VT, USA

problem #23

Dec 232015

Jetta

  • 43,323 miles
My car was parked. I was checking oil and fluids when I noticed that there was battery acid corrosion throughout the engine compartment. It was on the battery box, radiator hose, master cylinder and on the wire to the battery. The battery connectors and battery posts are clean with no corrosion.

- Ontario, CA, USA

problem #22

Nov 202015

Jetta

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle spontaneously ignited into flames. The failure happened without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle had an abnormal odor prior to the fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the exterior headlights were the cause of the fire. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

- Mooresville, NC, USA

problem #21

Oct 252014

Jetta

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the ignition switch failed to turn and release the key. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering column failed not allowing the key to be release and will needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

- Ft Worth, TX, USA

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