What 399 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hev

Auxiliary Heater, Part# 1KO 963 235 H, Melted at the grounding post, potentially damaging wiring harness. Fire started in driver side footwell on 11/5/2025. Included is a photo of where the fire originated from. Medium burning to hands, and smoke inhalation from my passenger.

NHTSA ODI 11697713

[XXX] driving on [XXX] , my car accelerated to almost redline without me pushing the pedal, I tried the brake only to find it didn't control the car., it died in the slow lane, no power anything. Eng lite was on, towed to my mechanic, he couldn't find why but the code said EGR, so he cleaned and replaced glow plugs, & regen'd the DPF to 0.. so I picked up the car, and a few days later, it did it again through a 4way stop. I called vw & was told to go to the dealer. Oakland VW inspected & said need new DPF $6K. Since the filter doesn't affect throttle, I declined, plus in 2022 on an extended warranty I went to dealer to have the filter replaced, instead they regen'd it & left the bad part in my car. Now the corporate Care Manager wants the DPF replaced for $6K b4 proceeding with any further testing to identify the source of the acceleration problem. The shop mgr, Joseph, was test driving & the car did take off and was not stoppable with the brakes. That was confirmed, yet VW of America is still in a holding pattern and cannot explain why this is happening. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM. The car takes off out of control unexpectedly, and the brakes won't stop the force forward. PLEASE help me, I cannot stress enough the danger this car puts me and others in, and it is my only vehicle. The dealer is trying but corporate is being difficult and are not interested in compromise. The DPF, emissions issues they have had, have nothing to do with the acceleration and they just refuse to move forward or discuss anything else. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11677411

My cars consumes oil like crazy. I'd say every week I am adding a quart to two quarts of oil. I would lose power while driving. Sometimes the car would just shut off And then it would take a few times to get it started. I was in the middle of driving when the car just completely shut off on me and it will not start at all. It will crank and sound like it's going to turn over but it won't. I've been told it's most likely a timing chain issue.

NHTSA ODI 11660169

I was driving down the Highway at 65 miles per hour when my vehicle suddenly appeared to go into neutral and I lost power in the middle lane and almost was rear-ended. I was able to move over to the side shoulder just gliding. The vehicle starts but while driving it the transmission suddenly appears to go into neutral. The symptoms are consistent with the Recall 34J6 but when I look up my VIN it does not show any pending recalls.

NHTSA ODI 11649963

I HAVE A 2014 JETTA HYBRID. MY CAR LOST POWER WHEN I TRIED TO USE IT. BROUGHT IT TO VW OF HAYWARD AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A FAULTY MECHATRON UNIT. WHICH I PAID FOR. I FOUND A RECALL ON THIS UNIT BUT FOR SOME REASON THE RECALL DIDN'T COVER MY VEHICLE. THAT ODD BECAUSE IT SAYS THAT 2013-2015 JETTA ARE BEING RECALL FOR MECHATRON FAILURES (RECALL CODE 34J6). ALL OF THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL WERE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE. I THINK MY CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY THE RECALL. I DON'T THINK I SHOUILD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR ($2400). THIS DEFECT WAS KNOWN BY VW AND IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO COVER THE COSTS.

NHTSA ODI 11648428

Oil consumption: My 2014 Jetta 1.8T SE is consuming oil at an excessive rate. This began at 30,000 miles and has been to the VW dealership numerous times ending without resolution.

NHTSA ODI 11640392

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating from 7th gear and failed to function as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with a mechatronic unit failure associated with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 113,500.

NHTSA ODI 11638356

During this summer (2024), I got a warning with three beeps then warning lights came on, went off for a several months, and now have come on and stayed on (ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE, AIRBAG, Tire Pressure). This has to be an issue with VW. There was close to 63,000 miles on the car at the time. Now there's only 64,000 miles on the car. The dealer service center couldn't really determine the cause but still quoted a repair of nearly $4,000.

NHTSA ODI 11629877

PTC Heater - Driver side footwell short / overheating Burning smell Climatronic temp set to warm Fan speed on or off Outside air temperature below 35deg fahrenheit Burning plastic and vapor starts filling the cabin within 10 seconds Fear of vehicular fire or related health effects from exposure. No warning codes or lights to indicate an issue.

NHTSA ODI 11628226

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving on the highway at approximately 50 MPH, the RMPs revved however the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact merged to the side of the road and noticed transmission fluid was leaking. The vehicle was restarted however failed to increase in speed. The vehicle was towed to the residence where an independent mechanic diagnosed that the vehicle was leaking transmission fluid from between the transmission and the engine. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number:13V568000 (POWER TRAIN) as a probable cause for failure. The approximate mileage at the time of failure was 190,000.

NHTSA ODI 11620466

HI, I bought this 2014 VW Jetta with 87,000 miles on it for $12,000 from Conicelli Motors in Conshohocken, PA- Nov 2021. I put $8000 down and had $4000 left to pay on it. I kept up with my oil changes and everything. By Oct 2023, I am being told the engine needs to be replaced. I have let this car sit in the parking lot, and I am still making payments on it. There is no way this car should need a complete motor replacement. From a few mechanics, the cost for a motor to be replaces is about $12000. That is what I paid for the car. Looking at all the 2014 VW Jetta engine recalls, I believe VW is the issue. I don't see a recall with my VIN number, but there should have been one.

NHTSA ODI 11607183

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The check engine warning light and the battery warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under warranty. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact made the dealer aware of the failure. The vehicle was currently at the dealer but was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,700.

NHTSA ODI 11595481

The transmission is regularly malfunctioning leaving the car jerking/stuttering when idling. At its worst, the car stopped working while I was driving (felt like it dropped into neutral). I had to stop in the middle of the road (in traffic) to stop and restart the car. I have taken the car to an official VW dealership/repair shop (Smith VW in Wilmington, DE) and was told the transmission would have to be replaced ($10k+ repair). I got a second opinion at AutoStream in Annapolis, MD and was told the same thing. It has not been inspected by police or insurance. The check engine light is now on, though not 100% of the time despite the issue being consistent.

NHTSA ODI 11592295

I am writing this complaint in recognition of the 34J6 recall for the 2013 - 2015 VW Jetta Hybrid. The vehicle has only 62K miles on it and the transmission suddenly failed. The vehicle was parked at an ice cream shop and after entering it to drive away, it would not move and a wrench came up on the dashboard. It was then towed to a VW dealer and they quoted approximately $20,000 for a new transmission. VW dealer also said this vehicle was not covered under the 34J6 recall, though the failure symptoms are exactly as outline in the NHTSA's repair and recall document. We also contacted VW corporate and they told me to request good will through the dealer. They offered to then fix the car for $11,000. That price is also ridiculous. We denied paying those costs and towed the car to a private residence where it is sitting in the garage. The VW dealer charged us $205.36 for diagnostics. Safety was put at risk, as the transmission suddenly failed without warning and could have caused a serious incident. I am writing this on behalf of a family member who owns the vehicle and I am taking care this vehicle's issues. I found multiple complaints of dealers doing this to customers, so I decided to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The recall should be expanded to all vehicles, there are only 7,000+ units, this is nothing for VW Ag. The only warning light that came up was a yellow wrench.

NHTSA ODI 11587353

Timing chain went bad. Car only has 70k miles on it. Auto shop said there should be a recall because so many of this model car have this issue. It’s a very expensive repair. My son is still making payments on the car and now has to pay $3400 to replace the timing belt. He was told that if he kept driving it the motor would be damaged. He loves the car but this is very disappointing of VW.

NHTSA ODI 11587554

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure and the contact was advised to take the vehicle to a dealer. The dealer confirmed the transmission failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11586442

WHAT HAPPENS IS MY CAR SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AFTER ME GETTING GAS SOMETIMES AND ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR. WHEN SHUTTING DOWN A QUICK FLASH OF BATTERY LIGHT SHOWS UP, NOW ENGINE LIGHT IS ON LONGER AND THE CAR POWER JUST SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN AS IF THE BATTERY IS DEAD NOTHING WORK BUT WITH A JUMP I WAS ABLE TO MOVE CAR AND WHEN I CUT IT OFF IT SHUT DOWN AGAIN THIS BEEN GOIN ON FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH ADVANCE AUTO TEST IT AND SAID IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY FUEL PUMP DON'T REMEMBER THE CODE BUT ENGINE KEEP COMING ON VERY OFTEN.

NHTSA ODI 11579775

The contact owned a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the son was driving at 46-47 MPH and turning left when another vehicle driving at 65-70 MPH crashed into the entire driver's side of the vehicle causing the vehicle to spin approximately 3 - 4 times before coming to a stop in the middle of the road. No air bags had deployed. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled by the insurance company. A police report was filed. The driver had received injuries to their right leg, however, no medical attention was sought. The dealer had not been contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11579350

My car died at McDonalds and we had to push it out of the way. I was on lunch with coworker. Then it started and on the way back to work the car just stopped. We did not get hit but we sure could have. I had to have my car towed to dealer with my triple A. They told me I needed a new transmission. After many calls and much haggling I decided to purchase a transmission if I could have the old transmission back. I am sure my car should be part of safety recall VW34J6 and NHTSA 19V866. There are so many of us that are NOT on the recall but have the same problem. My car only had 62,000 miles. And I still owed a loan on it.

NHTSA ODI 11575593

Power train/transmission Clutch to fail to engage, loss of drive power in low speed and while drive in highways

NHTSA ODI 11570641

Please attach this to the previous submission: 11565729 The dealer described it a "hole" where the seam sealer was skipped during production. If they warranty rust holes, why not manufacturing error holes? 12 year rust through warranty. Page 11. Coverage This limited warranty covers any repair or replacement of body sheet metal panels that have been perforated by rust from the inside out. Where to go for warranty service: This limited warranty will be honored by any authorized Volkswagen dealer in the United States, including its territories. If your Volkswagen model is brought to an authorized Volkswagen dealer outside the United States, including its territories, this limited warranty will not apply. Defects in material or workmanship will be corrected under the terms of the warranty for new Volkswagen vehicles in effect in that country (except Canada). When the warranty period begins: The limited warranty period begins on the date the vehicle is delivered to either the original purchaser or the original lessee. This Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perforation is automatically transferred without cost if the ownership of the vehicle changes within the warranty period. Free-of-charge repair Repairs under this limited warranty are made free of charge. An authorized Volkswagen dealer will repair the defective part or replace it with a new or remanufactured genuine Volkswagen part.

NHTSA ODI 11566433

[XXX] 10 year old VW Jetta that was always in the garage until last year when we moved. Now have a nauseating mildew smell throughout the interior. Finally found water under the front carpet. Then found this VW Tech Tip (above). Apparently a known manufacturing issue: "seam sealer Skip" is how they refer to it. Now it's out of warranty with only 52,000 mi and is an unsafe mildew/mold trap. The dealer says it may be $3,000 to fix. Removed driver side front fender, the entire interior and sent the carpet and padding to be ozoned. See pic. Most seam sealer around hinges and A pillar are all painted the body color. This pic shows where it was "skipped" during the build. The dealer repaired the driver side last week without painting (why it's black). Then they strangely stated that they'd like to remove the passenger side fender as well to look for "more holes". They know what's going on. This is a well-known problem. VW customer service said they won't offer any assistance since it's out of warranty. I did own it while under warranty, but never noticed since it was garaged. Do I have any recourse since it's an admitted manufacturing problem? Thanks for your consideration. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11565729

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. The contact stated that while his sister was driving from a complete stop, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was unaware if there were any warning lights illuminated. The contact's sister was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that he connected an OBD reader to the vehicle and retrieved diagnostic trouble codes related to the transmission and hydraulic pump play protection failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed to determine if it could be covered under Volkswagen Campaign Number: 34J6(Mechatronic Accumulator Housing). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under Volkswagen Campaign Number: 34J6. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11565040

Visibility was impaired when defroster failed to clear windshield and heater was not working on 12/16/2022. I took vehicle to Hayward Volkswagen on 04/04/2023 and was told heater core needs to be replaced. This is a known problem to Volkswagen; there's a warranty recall on the 2014 Passatt with the same heater core. I have found numerous complaints on line with the same Jetta heater complaint. The 2014 Jetta i own has approximately 88,000 miles, mechanically sound car which i am unable to drive in winter months. Feeling frustrated, I did contact VW "helpline" on 01/05/2024, they were no help, not even to negotiate price.

NHTSA ODI 11563878

I was on lunch brake, going through a McDonalds drive thru, the car just shut off. I had to have it pushed out of drive thru. After several tries it did start again but shut off in the middle of traffic. I couldn’t shift it. I had to have it towed. VW dealer said I needed a new transmission at 62,000 miles. Then I read about the recall and knew that’s what was the matter with my car. The trouble is my car is not on the recall list. It’s the same with many of us who bought jetta hybrids. So I am out $15,000. The only transmission that can be used is the one on the recall.

NHTSA ODI 11559376