What 639 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Hev

WHILE IN CAR WAS DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MIN AT LEAST AND NOTICED CAR WAS SMOKING. PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND POPPED THE HOOD TO CHECK WHY IT WAS SMOKING AND NOTICED VEHICLE WAS UNDER FIRE. CAR WAS PARKED PRIOR FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS.

NHTSA ODI 11180584

2011 VW JETTA TDI FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. AS CAR SLOWED DUE TO TRAFFIC, THE COIL (GLOW PLUG?) LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN CAR CAME TO COMPLETE STOP DUE TO TRAFFIC, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR STOPPED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR ME TO MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY DUE TO TRAFFIC CONGESTION SO I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. WAITING FOR CA HIGHWAY PATROL FOR HELP, TRAFFIC CLEARED AND I WAS SUBSEQUENTLY HIT BY A CAR MOVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS AND SUSTAINED INJURIES (RIBS, BACK AND NECK INJURIES, AND CONCUSSION) ONLINE, THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF OTHER VW CARS THAT EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME ISSUE (COIL/GLOW PLUG LIGHT, THEN ENGINE FAILURE). THIS HAPPENED TO ME ON A FREEWAY AND THE REAR-END COLLISION I WAS SUBJECTED TO DUE TO CAR FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. SINCE THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHER VW CARS, I BELIEVE THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED TO PREVENT FATALITIES. THANK YOU! *TR

NHTSA ODI 10911258

IGNITION SWITCH KEY LOCK SOLENOID (N376) PROBLEM. HELLO, MY WIFE'S 2011 JETTA HAS A MALFUNCTIONING IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER. PERHAPS THE IGNITION SWITCH KEY LOCK SOLENOID (N376)? NORMALLY THE KEY SHOULD BE LOCKED IN THE IGNITION WHILE THE CAR IS IN D(DRIVE). HOWEVER, THERE APPEARS TO BE A MALFUNCTION IN THE N376 (OR OTHER) WHICH DOES NOT ENGAGE THE LOCKING SOLENOID. THIS ALLOWS FOR THE KEY TO BE PULLED OUT WHILE IN D. SHE WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND PULL THE KEYS OUT OF THE CAR WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL IN D(DRIVE), GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND THE CAR ROLLED BACK AND HIT A PORSCHE. THANKFULLY THE CAR DID NOT RUN OVER A CHILD OR OTHER PERSON. FROM BRIEF RESEARCH I SEE THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE RECALLS ON SIMILAR ITEMS, HERE IS AN ARTICLE ON ONE THOUGH NOT SPECIFICALLY ON THE 2011 JETTA.

NHTSA ODI 10817217

I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR EARLIER THAT DAY (ABOUT 40 MILES) WITH NO PROBLEMS. I GOT HOME AT ABOUT 7:30PM AND PARKED THE CAR OUTSIDE OUR HOUSE. AT ABOUT 2AM, I HEARD A BEEPING CAR HORN. I LOOKED OUTSIDE AND SAW FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF OUR BEAUTIFUL 2011 JETTA SPORTWAGEN. I DIALED 911, THE CAR CONTINUED TO BURN UNTIL THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED AND PUT IT OUT. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. I'M ONLY HAPPY IT WASN'T PARKED INSIDE A GARAGE WHERE THE FIRE WOULD HAVE DESTROYED OUR HOUSE AS WELL. NO WORK HAD BEEN DONE ON THE CAR RECENTLY AND NO AFTERMARKET OPTIONS WERE INSTALLED. I HAVE ONLY ONE QUESTION - WHAT COULD CAUSE A COMPLETELY COLD CAR (NOT DRIVEN IN OVER 6 HOURS) TO SUDDENLY BURST INTO FLAME?? THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI 10670446

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THE EXHAUST TIP WAS EXTENDED BEYOND THE ORIGINAL LENGTH OF THE FACTORY-INSTALLED EXHAUST PIPES. AS A RESULT, THE EXHAUST PIPES BURNED A CHILD'S LEGS ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON ONE OCCASION BUT THE DEALER DID NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11E036000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: EXHAUST SYSTEM) AND CALLED THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE EXHAUST PIPE BY CAPPING THE TIPS OF THE PIPES PER THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

NHTSA ODI 10480177