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U.S. public vehicle records

Volkswagen JETTA HYBRID problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

101 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

76,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2013 to 2016 model years. Data snapshot: . 89 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 69 of 101 complaints (68.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Transmission and shifting6160.4%
Engine operation2423.8%
Braking behavior1413.9%
Electrical and battery issues87.9%
Steering behavior33.0%
Fuel system concerns11.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Power Train
69
Engine
18
Electrical System
12
Service Brakes
10
Fuel/Propulsion System
6
Vehicle Speed Control
5
Air Bags
3
Power Train:Automatic Transmission
2
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Power Train69
Engine18
Electrical System12
Service Brakes10
Fuel/Propulsion System6
Vehicle Speed Control5
Air Bags3
Power Train:Automatic Transmission2

Power Train: 69; Engine: 18; Electrical System: 12; Service Brakes: 10; Fuel/Propulsion System: 6; Vehicle Speed Control: 5; Air Bags: 3; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
13
25,000 to 49,999
11
50,000 to 74,999
18
75,000 to 99,999
21
100,000 to 149,999
25
150,000 and above
1
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00013
25,000 to 49,99911
50,000 to 74,99918
75,000 to 99,99921
100,000 to 149,99925
150,000 and above1

Under 25,000: 13; 25,000 to 49,999: 11; 50,000 to 74,999: 18; 75,000 to 99,999: 21; 100,000 to 149,999: 25; 150,000 and above: 1

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (25). 12 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2013
3
2014
6
2015
4
2016
6
2017
7
2018
27
2019
12
2020
1
2021
12
2022
14
2023
5
2024
3
2025
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20133
20146
20154
20166
20177
201827
201912
20201
202112
202214
20235
20243
20251

2013: 3; 2014: 6; 2015: 4; 2016: 6; 2017: 7; 2018: 27; 2019: 12; 2020: 1; 2021: 12; 2022: 14; 2023: 5; 2024: 3; 2025: 1

Pattern summary

Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 61 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 24 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 14 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10556252 · 2013-12-16 (December 16, 2013)

ACCORDING TO THIS RECALL: SAFETY RECALL 34F6/4V 7-SPEED DSG AUTO TRANSMISSION W/TIPTRONIC (DQ-200 DIRECT-SHIFT GEARBOX) 2013-2014 MODEL YEAR VOLKSWAGEN JETTA HYBRID MY VEHICLE IS AFFECTED, BUT WHEN I CONTACTED MY VW DEALERSHIP AND VW CUSTOMER CARE, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS RECALL, BUT NO ONE AT VW WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10556252 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10578477 · 2014-04-09 (April 9, 2014)

AFTER FIRST STARTING THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES OR LESS, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS AT A FULL STOP, ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE HESITATES FOR A LEAST 3 TO 5 SECONDS MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE THE ENGINE ENGAGES AND THE VEHICLE STARTS TO MOVE FORWARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON AT LEAST 7 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND THE DEALER HAS INDICATED THAT THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM ALTHOUGH MULTIPLE INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THE SAME DSG TRANSMISSION ON 2014 VW JETTA DIESEL MODELS. IT FELT LIKE A CHOPPY STUTTER. IT WAS WORSE WHEN …

Owner-reported narrative. 250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10578477 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10662906 · 2014-12-08 (December 8, 2014)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND RESTARTED SHORTLY AFTER. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V568000 (POWER TRAIN). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000. UPDATED 01/09/15*LJ UPDATED 01/21/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10662906 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10788614 · 2015-11-05 (November 5, 2015)

AT 45 MILES PER HOUR ON A FOUR LANE STREET THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. THE CAR CONTINUED TO FUNCTION ON LITHIUM ION BATTERY WITH EPC AND BATTERY ICONS LIT, UNTIL THE CHARGE WENT TO ZERO AND ALL ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDING GAUGES CEASED. THE CAR WAS DEAD BUT ROLLING. I HAD A QUARTER MILE WITH NO TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME TO STOP, LUCKILY I DID 15 FEET BEFORE A RED LIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION. AFTER MISSING TWO LIGHTS I WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND DRIVE WITH DIMINISHED PERFORMANCE (LITTLE POWER) TO MY DEALERSHIP THAT WAS 1 MILE AWAY. THIS IS NOT HOW MY SERV…

Owner-reported narrative. 20,301 miles reported. Look up ODI 10788614 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10537296 · 2013-08-26 (August 26, 2013)

HELLO, THE BRAKES ON THE NEW 2013 JETTA HYBRID ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. WHEN I TOLD MY DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT THE BRAKES BEHAVED AS INTENDED. A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR "JETTA HYBRID BRAKES FEEL WEIRD" SHOWED MULTIPLE REPORTS ON STRANGE BEHAVING BRAKES. I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I CANNOT COME TO A SMOOTH, STEADY STOP. EITHER IT IS TOO FAST OR TOO SLOW AND I HAVE TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES AT THE END. I THINK VW SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAKE THE BRAKES ON THE JETTA HYBRID SAFER AND RETROFIT VEHICLES ALREADY ON THE ROAD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDER…

Owner-reported narrative. 4 miles reported. Look up ODI 10537296 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10542358 · 2013-09-06 (September 6, 2013)

ON THE FREEWAY, I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, AS THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT IN FRONT OF ME, AND THE REGENERATIVE BRAKES DID NOT ACTIVATE WHEN SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES. THE STANDARD ABS DISK BRAKES, WITHOUT REGENERATIVE BRAKING, ARE NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY INSTANCE SUCH AS THIS. THIS IS EITHER AN ISSUE WITH THE REGENERATIVE BRAKES INITIALIZING WHEN THEY ARE NEEDED (WHICH IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE HYBRID MODEL OF THE 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA), OR THE STANDARD ANTI-LOCK DISK BRAKES NOT BEING SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO STOP THE CAR ACC…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,650 miles reported. Look up ODI 10542358 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11115714 · 2018-08-04 (August 4, 2018)

AS I AM DRIVING THE CAR ON HIGHWAY OR STREET THE CAR JUST STALLS AND TURNS OFF. NROUGHT IT TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD OUT OF WARRANTY AND WOULD HAVE TO PAY $9500 TO REPAIR HYBRID BATTERY SYSTEM AND NEW TRANSMISSION. THE USUAL THAT THE VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL WHICH IS JUST NOT RIGHT. AND OF COURSE MILEAGE OVER 70000. WAITING FOR A RECALL SO THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM IS FIXED

Owner-reported narrative. 76,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11115714 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10762670 · 2015-09-09 (September 9, 2015)

MY AIRBAG WAS DISABLED BY A FAULTY CLOCK SPRING IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT CAUSED VOLKSWAGEN TO RECALL 420K CARS, INCLUDING NON-HYBRID JETTAS. FOR REASON UNKNOWN TO ME THE HYBRID JETTA WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT SEEMS THAT HAVE THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AS OTHER JETTAS.

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10762670 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11383690 · 2020-12-16 (December 16, 2020)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA HYBRID. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V866000 (POWER TRAIN). THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE STEERING CEASED AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND STALLED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED BUT FAILED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE, THEN TO PIGNATARO VOLKSWAGEN (10633 EVERGREEN WAY, EVERETT, WA 98204) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRAN…

Owner-reported narrative. 111,936 miles reported. Look up ODI 11383690 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11175965 · 2019-02-09 (February 9, 2019)

GASOLINE SMELL WHEN ENGINE STARTS. MORE OFTEN WHEN VERY COLD. ALSO WHEN CAR SHIFTS FROM ELECTRIC MOTOR TO GASOLINE POWER WHEN CAR IS MOVING OR STOPPED. AUTHORIZED VOLKSWAGEN DEALER COULD FIND NO FUEL LEAK WHEN THE CAR WAS SERVICE IN MAY 2018. THIS HAS PROBABLY HAPPENED 12 TIMES SINCE 1/1/2019.

Owner-reported narrative. 27,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 11175965 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

2013
3
2014
2
2015
1
2016
0
Recall campaigns data
CategoryCount
20133
20142
20151
20160

2013: 3; 2014: 2; 2015: 1; 2016: 0

Year-by-year records

Volkswagen JETTA HYBRID model-year comparison
Model yearComplaintsRecallsChange in recalls
2013793Not available
2014202-1
201511-1
201610-1