What 639 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Hev

THERE'S A FUEL LEAK COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE (TDI) ENGINE THAT I CAN CONFIRM, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO SEE EXACTLY FROM WHAT PART. IT'S LEAKING ABOUT A THIRD TO A HALF CUP OF FUEL PER MIN. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. WAITING FOR RESULTS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10396947

ON FRIDAY, APRIL 15TH AT APPROX 10:30PM I WAS DRIVING MY 2011 VW JETTA TDI (WITH LESS THAN 1800 MILES ON IT) ON THE HIGHWAY APPROX 2 1/2 HOURS FROM HOME AND IT STALLED. I COASTED OFF TO THE SHOULDER AND WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. AFTER NEARLY 2 HOURS THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED THAT VW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SENT AND THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP WHICH WAS ABOUT 60 MILES AWAY FROM THE BREAKDOWN POINT. I HAD TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN A HOTEL IN A STRANGE AREA. ON MONDAY, APRIL 18TH THE DEALERSHIP STATED AN OUTSTANDING ELECTRICAL RECALL WAS THE PROBLEM. THEY CHANGED A WIRE HARNESS AND SOME FUSES AND THE CAR WAS READY FOR PICK UP. I DROVE 100 MILES TO RETRIEVE MY CAR ON APRIL 18TH. TODAY ON APRIL 19TH AFTER SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN AND WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST VW DEALERSHIP IN MY HOME TOWN. STILL WAITING FOR WAITING FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THEY ONLY HAVE 1 VW TECHNICIAN AND HE IS ON VACATION THROUGH FRIDAY APRIL 22ND. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10396846

REPEATED STALLING, ROUGH RUNNING AND LOSS OF POWER ON 2011 VW JETTA SPORTWAGON TDI W/DSG AUTO TRANSMISSION. MOST FUEL PURCHASED FROM SAME BP LOCATION. ALWAYS CONFIRM DIESEL BEFORE FUELING. PROBLEM ACROSS MULTIPLE FUELINGS. RECEIPTS FOR ALL FUEL PURCHASES WITH MILEAGE RECORDED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10396849

I HAVE A 2011 VW JETTA SEDAN, PURCHASED IN JANUARY OF 2011. I HAD A FUEL INJECTOR FAILURE, CAUSING DIESEL FUEL TO SPRAY WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF MY VEHICLE AND FUEL TO LEAK ONTO THE ROADWAY AS I WAS DRIVING. THERE WAS NO VEHICLE WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING ANY FAILURE OR LEAKAGE OTHER THAN A FUEL SMELL. WHEN I PARKED MY CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE MY HUSBAND NOTICED FUEL LEAKING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE AS THE VEHICLE AND I COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE AT ANY TIME. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10394021

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

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

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