What 399 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hev

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. Additionally, the transmission failed to shift gear while the RPM was revving. No warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V866000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

NHTSA ODI 11541171

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. The contact stated the vehicle failed to start while parked in a parking lot. The vehicle was left at the parking lot overnight and the following day the contact was able to start the vehicle; however, while driving to the residence the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that after 30 minutes she was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving to the residence. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11538341

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly shut off and began to roll backward causing a second vehicle to crash into the rear passenger side door. No injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was driven away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that after the vehicle was serviced under a manufacturer's campaign the vehicle had randomly shut off on several occasions and after restarting the engine the vehicle would operate as normal. No further information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failures but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 149,000.

NHTSA ODI 11531388

Timing Chain failure on highway nearly causing serious accident. VW will not cover repair. Timing Chain failure is a common issue on these cars and is a safety hazard.

NHTSA ODI 11523698

The car was driving fine then began to slow down on its own. I would press on the gas but it was not accelerating properly. The engine light came on and another light. The car just died and I was trying to get off the road and to a shoulder. Stuck on the road. Car was dead. I tried to move it. Then I went back to car and restarted it. It did start enough to get me off the road. I took it straight to the dealer and they said it would cost $10,000 to fix because it's a hybrid.They called it transmission troubles. It is in process of failing.

NHTSA ODI 11523393

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stopped with the Hybrid Propulsion System failure warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle turned off immediately. The vehicle was towed the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall pertaining to the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11510824

Car suddenly losses its power and stops, and I have to turn off the car and turn on again to drive. It happens in small roads and in highways that causes very dangerous situations. No check engine or issues shown.

NHTSA ODI 11507573

For the Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid 2013-2015 units, a safety recall 34J6 was issued to service transmission issues that caused powertrain failure. The problem is caused by hairline fractures in the accumulator that cause insufficient transmission oil pressure (my vehicle is showing codes that this is the case). Recently, my 2014 VW Jetta Hybrid has been experiencing issues as described by the 34J6 recall. My car would lose powertrain capabilities at stoplights or if i was slowing down. It would also occasionally stop and start when it was supposed to be idling. The dealership has confirmed that my accumulator is the issue,however, my VIN number is allegedly not affected by this recall. Can an investigation be put forth to determine if this recall can be extended to be more inclusive of VIN batches that it is affecting?

NHTSA ODI 11506106

The vehicle transmission will disengage while driving. Dealer stated entire transmission needed to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11500722

The vehicle will constantly try to switch from gas engine to electric mode while at a stop causing transmission issues. Code that show are as follow: P0841 and P17BF.

NHTSA ODI 11500369

Hello, Recently error codes P309D and 01314-013 were detected via a code reader. Translation of codes indicate Powertrain System and/or ABS ECM. The vehicle will lose power upon downshifting which requires the engine turned off and back on. Once the car reaches normal operating temperature, the issue does not occur. In addition, the Hybrid System is not available. The monitor indicates the battery is being charged. The battery will discharge power, but not to the engine. Not sure where it goes. Finally, the loss of the Hybrid System has resulted in a lower miles per gallon from 45mpg down to 29mpg. Vehicle is available to inspect. Loss of power puts me at risk. The issue has not been confirmed by an Independant source including dealer, police and insurance company. The vehicle has had transmission problems in the past. Loss of power and certain gears, specifically even gears and reverse.

NHTSA ODI 11497938

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the transmission inadvertently shifted to neutral(N). The contact pulled over, turned off and restarted the vehicle several times before the vehicle operated normally. The contact was able to drive home safely. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving 20 MPH. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic stated that the electronic gearbox mechatronic unit failed causing fuel to leak into the transmission. The electronic gearbox mechatronic unit and the transmission was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V866000 (Power Train); however, the manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 99,500.

NHTSA ODI 11477549

EPC light randomly comes on when driving ,car goes limp and I’ve came close to have 3 accidents.Had car checked out at Volkswagen dealership and they said no repairs were needed .The EPC continues to come on and off This is dangerous Occurs multiple times

NHTSA ODI 11469719