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U.S. public vehicle records

2013 Volkswagen JETTA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

516 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

56,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2013 model year. Data snapshot: . 346 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 143 of 516 complaints (27.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Transmission and shifting10420.2%
Engine operation6512.6%
Electrical and battery issues458.7%
Steering behavior448.5%
Braking behavior387.4%
Fuel system concerns234.5%

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.

Electrical System
143
Power Train
139
Engine
112
Unknown Or Other
98
Steering
37
Fuel/Propulsion System
34
Air Bags
30
Service Brakes
22
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Electrical System143
Power Train139
Engine112
Unknown Or Other98
Steering37
Fuel/Propulsion System34
Air Bags30
Service Brakes22

Electrical System: 143; Power Train: 139; Engine: 112; Unknown Or Other: 98; Steering: 37; Fuel/Propulsion System: 34; Air Bags: 30; Service Brakes: 22

Reported problems by failure mileage

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

Under 25,000
71
25,000 to 49,999
74
50,000 to 74,999
92
75,000 to 99,999
55
100,000 to 149,999
43
150,000 and above
11
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00071
25,000 to 49,99974
50,000 to 74,99992
75,000 to 99,99955
100,000 to 149,99943
150,000 and above11

Under 25,000: 71; 25,000 to 49,999: 74; 50,000 to 74,999: 92; 75,000 to 99,999: 55; 100,000 to 149,999: 43; 150,000 and above: 11

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (92). 170 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.

2012
2
2013
20
2014
39
2015
40
2016
55
2017
57
2018
65
2019
49
2020
62
2021
35
2022
34
2023
24
2024
21
2025
9
2026
4
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20122
201320
201439
201540
201655
201757
201865
201949
202062
202135
202234
202324
202421
20259
20264

2012: 2; 2013: 20; 2014: 39; 2015: 40; 2016: 55; 2017: 57; 2018: 65; 2019: 49; 2020: 62; 2021: 35; 2022: 34; 2023: 24; 2024: 21; 2025: 9; 2026: 4

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 104 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 65 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 45 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 10480982 · 2012-10-18 (October 18, 2012)

WE JUST BOUGHT A NEW 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTS WAGON WITH DIESEL TDI ENGINE AND DSG TRANSMISSION. DRIVING THE CAR HOME FROM THE DEALER THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 110 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IT HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY TELL ME THAT THE MECHATRONIC UNIT HAS FAILED. THE SYMPTOM OF THE FAILURE WAS THAT THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL WITH NO NOTICE AND THE CAR HAD SEVERALLY REDUCED POWER AVAILABLE (LESS THAN 10 MPH). RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SHOWS THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS BEFORE. IT SEEMS VERY SERIOUS …

Owner-reported narrative. 110 miles reported. Look up ODI 10480982 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10489529 · 2012-12-22 (December 22, 2012)

DSG TRANSMISSION ISSUES: WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN ACROSS TRAFFIC, I COASTED UP TO THE LIGHT WHEN IT WAS MY TURN, THEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR HAD NO POWER. IT CROSSED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AT APPROXIMATELY 1 TO 2 MPH. IT TOOK 5 TO 10 SECONDS FOR THE POWER TO RETURN. IT FELT LIKE IF YOU ARE DRIVING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND HAVE THE CAR IN 4TH OR 5TH GEAR WHEN TRYING TO START MOVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT QUITE A FEW INTERSECTIONS. ALSO IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS ACCELERATING THEN HAD TO RELEASE THE ACCELERATOR DUE TO A VEHICLE …

Owner-reported narrative. 350 miles reported. Look up ODI 10489529 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10519715 · 2013-06-13 (June 13, 2013)

APPROACHED TRAFFIC LIGHT (WHICH WAS RED). WHEN LIGHT CHANGED, ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. NO POWER FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS, THEN ACCELERATED THROUGH THE LIGHT AND ALL WAS NORMAL. NOW HAVE ABOUT 1500 MILES ON THE CAR AND SIMILAR SITUATIONS HAVE OCCURRED. ESTIMATED THAT WE HAD ABOUT 15 REPEATS OF THIS PROBLEM. DEALER FOUND NO CODES AND COULD NOT REPEAT THE PROBLEM. DEALER SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL A CODE WAS RECORDED BEFORE THEY COULD DO ANYTHING. PROBLEM OCCURRED TWICE WITH A COLD ENGINE AND THE REST OF THE TIME WHEN THE ENGINE WAS …

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10519715 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10537820 · 2013-08-28 (August 28, 2013)

MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY STALLED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL BETWEEN SOME CONSTRUCTION CONES BEFORE IT LOST POWER COMPLETELY. UPON TOWING TO A DEALER, I WAS TOLD THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. VW WARRANTY WILL COVER ALL DAMAGE, BUT IT IS CONSIDERABLE. ALL FUEL INJECTORS, PUMPS, LINES ETC WILL BE REPLACED. I SOON LEARNED FROM FRIENDS THAT THIS HAPPENED TO THEIR TDI MODEL VEHICLES AS WELL. ALL INFORMATION THAT I FIND DATES TO 2011, BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. I AM VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHERE I…

Owner-reported narrative. 13,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10537820 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10599015 · 2014-06-17 (June 17, 2014)

I WENT THROUGH SOME WATER (NOT MUCH) ANDTHEN WHEN I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT I STOPPED THE CAR. AFTER LESS THAN A MINUTE OF BEING STOPPED THE CAR STALLED AND THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. THE BATTERY IS NEW AND I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR IN DECEMBER 2013 AND IT IS A YEAR MODEL 2013. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES UNTIL NOW. I WENT TO TURN A CORNER AND THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON, CAR STALLED, AND STEERING BECAME VERY TIGHT. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THIS ISSUE IS, BUT THE CAR IS ONLY ABOUT A YEAR OLD (IF EVEN THAT). VERY FRUSTRATING. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 38,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10599015 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10611343 · 2014-07-17 (July 17, 2014)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE CONTROL RELAY DEVICE. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WA…

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10611343 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10535696 · 2013-08-16 (August 16, 2013)

I WAS TRYING TO MERGE ONTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AND WHEN I PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. IT CREATED AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHERE I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES AND LET THE TRAFFIC PASS BY, THEN PUT THE CAR IN MANUAL SHIFT SO THAT I COULD ACCELERATE ENOUGH TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC. THE INABILITY TO CONTROL THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE HAPPENS USUALLY AROUND SPEEDS OF 40 MILES AN HOUR. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE CAR WILL BE IN 6 GEAR AT VERY LOW SPEEDS AND FAILS TO DOWN SHIFT WHEN THE GAS IS PRESSED. THI…

Owner-reported narrative. 45 miles reported. Look up ODI 10535696 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10542648 · 2013-09-09 (September 9, 2013)

WHEN DRIVING MY JETTA IN "S" (SPORT SELECTION ON THE TRANSMISSION) ON A SURFACE STREET I CAME TO A RED LIGHT. I STARTED BRAKING AND THE BRAKES FELT SPONGY AND UNRESPONSIVE. I TRIED PRESSING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MORE FORCE BUT WAS NOT GETTING MUCH BRAKING RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE TOOK A VERY LONG DISTANCE TO RESPOND COMPARED TO ITS RESPONSE TIME WHEN IN "D" (DRIVE SELECTION ON THE TRANSMISSION). LUCKY I AM AN EARLY BARKER AND THERE WAS NOT A CAR IN FRONT OF ME SO THE VEHICLE ONLY WENT INTO THE INTERSECTION A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE IT STOPPED. WHE…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,186 miles reported. Look up ODI 10542648 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10552158 · 2013-11-13 (November 13, 2013)

NEW 2013 JETTA TDI WITH LESS THAN 7000 MILES HAD A CATASTROPHIC DIESEL ENGINE FAILURE ON I-5 NORTHBOUND IN WASHINGTON STATE. DIESEL ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, CRUISE CONTROL FAILED, LOST POWER. LUCKILY I WAS COMING UP ON AN EXIT AND ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OFF. WAS TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT RATE OF 70 MPH. FOUND OUT FROM SERVICE THAT IT WAS A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM. COULD HAVE ENDED UP IN AN ACCIDENT IF I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL OFF. DID RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND O…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10552158 at NHTSA ↗