What 639 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Hev

CAR WAS HEATED UP TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE DURING A ROUTINE 15 MILE DRIVE. CAR WAS THEN SHUT OFF FOR ROUGHLY AN HOUR AND THEN BEGAN ANOTHER 15 MILE DRIVE TO THE GROCERY STORE. IT SAT IN THE SUN AT THE STORE FOR ALMOST AN HOUR BEFORE IT WAS STARTED. UPON LEAVING THE PARKING LOT OF THE STORE, THE CAR COMPLETELY STALLED WHILE IN 2ND GEAR AT APPROXIMATELY 2,400 RPMS UNDER LIGHT ACCELERATION. THE CAR WOULD HAVE STOPPED IF MY WIFE WOULDN'T HAVE PUSHED THE CLUTCH IN AND HEADED FOR THE SHOULDER. UPON TURNING THE KEY ALL THE WAY AND BACK ON TO START (SEVERAL TIMES), THE ENGINE WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START. ABOUT THE FOURTH KEY CYCLE THE MOTOR FIRED AND PRODUCED A TON OF WHITE SMOKE. NO DASH LIGHTS CAME ON BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER THIS INCIDENT. CAR STALLED AND WAS ALMOST REARENDED BY A SEMI TRUCK IN A 25 MPH ZONE WHERE THERE IS BASICALLY NO SHOULDER. 2011 JETTA SPORTSWAGEN TDI, 6 SPD MANUAL TRANSMISSION WITH 11,500 MILES ON IT. HAS HAD TWO OIL CHANGES FROM THE DEALERSHIP OTHERWISE NO OTHER MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN PERFORMED ON THE CAR EXCEPT CHECKING THE TIRES AND ROTATING THEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10386773

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND HAD TO BE PUSHED INTO A PARKING LOT. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE DID NOT RECUR. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 280.

NHTSA ODI 10382925

FROM TIME TO TIME, WHEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE (ENTERING HIGHWAY VIA ON RAMP, CLIMBING MODERATE HILL OR GRADE, PASSING SLOWER VEHICLE) THERE IS INITIALLY NO ACCELERATION, THEN A SUDDEN SURGE OF POWER CAUSING AN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION.

NHTSA ODI 10382408

2011 VW DIESEL JETTA SIX SPEED MANUAL. THE COMPUTER IS PROGRAMMED TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AT ABOUT 750 RPM THIS NUMBER APPEARS TO BE ARBITRARY OR POSSIBLY PICKED FOR SOME FUEL ECONOMY TRADEOFF. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS CAUSES SOME VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS IN TRAFFIC. NORMALLY A DIESEL CAN BE BROUGHT DOWN TO NEARLY ZERO AND STILL POWER UP AND OUT OF A STOP. GAS ENGINES ARE NOT SO GOOD AT THIS BUT TO SOME EXTENT THIS IS AN ENGINE CONDITION THAT SHOULD BE ANTICIPATED AND SUCCESSFULLY RECOVERED FROM. VW HAS TAKEN THE OTHER ROAD. IF ONE DOES NOT REV THE ENGINE EXCESSIVELY, EVEN ON VERY SLIGHT INCLINES, THE COMPUTER LETS YOU GET ABOUT TEN FEET INTO THE INTERSECTION AND TURNS THE ENGINE OFF. THE GUY BEHIND YOU HAS TO SLAM ON HIS BREAKS IF HE IS LOOKING (YOUR BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OFF BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT USING THEM TO STOP.) OR IF HE IS LOOKING AT HIS LEFT TURN LANE, HIS PHONE OR WHATEVER, POW. OR YOU GET HALF INTO AN INTERSECTION CROSSING FROM THE STOP SIGN AND GET DROPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD UNTIL YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE EVOLUTION OF EVENTS ALLOWING A RESTART. RESTART EVOLUTION ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO THE DANGER AS IT TAKES SO LONG. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS EXCLUSIVELY FOR 40 LICENSED DRIVING YEARS AND A FEW YEARS PRIOR TO THAT ON THE FARM. ONE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DRIVE WITH ONE'S HEEL ON THE TOP OF THE GAS PEDAL, BUT OVER-REVVING THE ENGINE IS THE ONLY WAY TO SAFELY START OUT FROM A STOP SIGN. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE GOTTEN PAST THE ENGINEERS. UNLESS OF COURSE THEY ARE NOT GUYS WHO ENJOY DRIVING. EVEN THE DEALER'S MASTER MECHANICS ARE PUZZLED THAT THEY STALL IT EVERY TIME THEY TRY TO DRIVE IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10381187

NEW CAR MANUAL TRANSMISSION, CAR STALLS OUT AT LOW SPEEDS ON SNOW COVERED ROADS. RPM'S 1400 - 2000 CAN STOP PROBLEM IF TRACTION CONTROL IS DISABLED. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUALS FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND IT IS NOT OPERATOR ERROR IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL AND COMPUTER SYSTEM - IT DIES IN TRAFFIC AND REQUIRES THE KEY TO BE TURNED ALL THE WAY OFF AND THEN BACK ON TO GET THE CAR STARTED. TAKING THE RPM'S UP TO 2500 AVOIDS THE PROBLEM - BUT THIS WILL CERTAINLY WEAR OUT THE CLUTCH. DEALER FEELS IT IS JUST A SENSITIVE CLUTCH - I NOW HAVE 600 MILES ON THE CAR AND HAVE TO DISABLE TRACTION CONTROL TO STOP THE STALLING AT START UPS AND LOW SPEED SHIFTING.

NHTSA ODI 10381952

2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI. CONSUMER STATES THAT ENGINE STALLS. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED STALLING OCCURRED 18 DAYS AFTER TAKING POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA ODI 10375892

WHILE ACCELERATING NORMALLY FROM A STOP SIGN IN SPORT MODE (SPORT MODE FOR RESPONSIVENESS, NOT A DRAG RACE), THE CAR JERKED WHILE SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. IT WAS A HALF SECOND HESITATION BUT NOTICEABLY LOST POWER AND RECOVERED BUT NOTICEABLE ENOUGH FOR ME TO REPORT IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10374089

1 RECENTLY PURCHASED A (2011) VW JETTA AT "CHAPMAN VOLKSWAGEN" IN TUCSON, ARIZONA.IT SEEMED TO RUN WELL THE FIRST DAY I DROVE IT,BUT ON THE SECOND DAY OF PURCHASE I MADE U-TURN TO PROCEED ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND IT MYSTERIOUSLY DECELERATED. I PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AS I WAS GOING ONTO THE ON-RAMP AND NOTICED THAT THE LOW FUEL LIGHT WAS LIT. WHAT STUCK ME AS BEING MOST PECULIAR WAS THAT THE REGULAR FUEL GAUGE WAS READING NEARLY HALF FULL. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL AND THE GAUGE RETURNED TO NORMAL FUNCTIONING, BUT IT LEFT ME WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS WONDERING IF OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES HAD SIMILAR ISSUES AND IF THEY WERE RESOLVED. THE REPRESENTATIVES AT THE DEALERSHIP ARE NOT RETURNING MY CALLS AND HAVE OFFERED NO EXPLANATION FOR THE INCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10368180

MY NEW 2011 VW JETTA SPORTSWAGEN DECELERATED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE LOST MOST OF ITS POWER AND THE CAR COULD ONLY GO AT ABOUT 30 MPH. THE CAR REGAINED ALL ITS POWER AFTER THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. I CONSIDER THIS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 10368811

MY 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI HAD IT'S FUEL PUMP FAIL LEAVING MY WIFE AND CHILD STRANDED. THE CAR WAS STARTED AND SUDDENLY LOST POWER ON THE ROADWAY. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. PUMP FAILURE WAS CATASTROPHIC SENDING METAL SHARDS THROUGHOUT THE FUEL SYSTEM (TANK, FUEL LINES, FILTERS, ETC.) THIS HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED BY MANY OTHERS WITH THIS ENGINE (BACK TO 2009). AS OF YET THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL BY VW. VW IS CURRENTLY TESTING MY FUEL AND HAS ORDERED PARTS FOR REPAIR. THE REPLACEMENT PART WILL BE THE SAME PART # AS THE ONE THAT FAILED. MOST PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN WHILE OUT ON THE ROAD, ESSENTIALLY STRANDING THEM IN A DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT. I LOVE MY CAR, BUT I WANT IT TO BE SAFE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10365805

I BOUGHT A NEW VW JETTA 2011, ON 11/11/10 NEXT DAY I FELT A PROBLEM WHEN BRAKING. THE DEALER SAID THE BRAKE DRUMS WERE DAMAGE, IT WAS A FACTORY DEFECT. NOW I FEEL UNSAFE AND DISAPPOINTED DRIVING IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10365866

TWICE THE CAR GOES INTO REVERSE IN ALL SIX GEARS. IT HAPPENS WHEN I TRY TO COME OUT OF A FULL STOP. IT HAPPENS ON FLAT GROUND. THE FIRST TIME IT SEEMED TO FIX ITSELF AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF MY FIDDLING, BUT I CAN'T SEE WHAT I DID TO MAKE IT WORK. I HAD STOPPED QUITE A FEW TIMES BETWEEN ONE TIME AND ANOTHER AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY WELL. THE TIME BETWEEN THE FIRST INCIDENT AND THE SECOND WAS 13 DAYS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10363830

THIS IS AN ADDENDUM TO COMPLAINT ODI# 10362604 AND REFERENCES 6 ADDITIONAL "GLOWPLUG" WARNING LIGHT ODI COMPLAINTS FILED FOR THE 2009 MODEL YEAR. (THE 3 REFERENCES IN THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINT WERE ONLY FOR THE 2010 MODEL YEAR.). THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL TO 9 OTHER VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI INCIDENTS THAT ARE SIMILAR OR IDENTICAL TO MY OWN. BASED ON THESE MULTIPLE REPORTS, THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION BUT THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS HAZARDOUS AND COSTLY DEFECT FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS. ADDITIONAL ODI COMPLAINT NUMBERS: 10356900, 10355519, 10354353, 10315932, 10297692, 10295191. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10362799

18 DAYS AND 400 ODOMETER MILES AFTER PURCHASING MY 2011 JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI, THE 'GLOWLIGHT' WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE 'GLOWLIGHT' BEGAN TO BLINK, THEN THE 'CATALYTIC' WARNING LIGHT ALSO BEGAN BLINKING. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP THE SAME DAY. AFTER (REMOTE) DIAGNOSTIC ASSISTANCE FROM THE MANUFACTURER, DEALER REPORTED THAT THE 'CRANK SENSOR' NEEDED REPLACING. AFTER 2 DAYS, THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS NOT THE 'CRANK SENSOR' AFTER ALL. DAYS LATER, A MANUFACTURER'S REP INSPECTED THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP AND DETERMINED THAT AN ONBOARD COMPUTER WAS THE PROBLEM, AND THAT ONE WOULD ARRIVE FROM GERMANY IN 10 TO 14 DAYS. DEALER LATER REVISED THAT TIME ESTIMATE TO 35 DAYS. IF DEALER'S ESTIMATE IS CORRECT, MY NEW CAR WILL HAVE BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR WELL OVER 40 DAYS. NOTE: U.S. DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION DATABASE SHOWS AT LEAST 3 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOR 2010 JETTA TDI'S. SEE ODI ID # 10359939, 10359434, 10353544. SO WHY HASN'T VOLKSWAGEN CORRECTED THIS KNOWN PROBLEM? *TR

NHTSA ODI 10362604