NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle decelerated and nearly caused a crash on the freeway. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, restarted, and the vehicle operated as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V615000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING); one month before the failure; however, the repair failed to fix the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and the failure was associated with the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was provided with the cost for a diagnostic test and the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 152,000.
Tire size 205/50R17 Tire belt broke without warning and caused a large bubble in the side of my tire. Tire was out of balance and the cars stability was immediately reduced while on the highway. Had to be replaced with only 8,000 miles on it.
I am submitting this complaint regarding Safety Recall 34J6, which is listed as INCOMPLETE for my 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. I brought my vehicle to Volkswagen of Murfreesboro, Tennessee to have this recall performed. The dealership refused to complete the repair, claiming it was “too old” — a statement that is factually and legally incorrect. Federal law and NHTSA regulations require manufacturers and their dealerships to repair open safety recalls at no cost, with no expiration. The dealership’s refusal is a direct violation of these requirements and represents a serious safety risk to me and potentially to other drivers. I have already contacted Volkswagen Customer CARE, but the dealership has refused to perform the recall despite clear evidence that it remains open. Their inaction demonstrates noncompliance with federal safety regulations and unlawful denial of a mandated repair. I request that NHTSA investigate Volkswagen of Murfreesboro for refusal to perform a federally required recall, ensure that my vehicle receives the required repair immediately, and take appropriate enforcement action to prevent further violations. This behavior is unacceptable and poses a significant public safety risk.
While driving the vehicle at about 20mph about a week ago, the check hybrid light began flashing. After stopping and restarting the vehicle, the check engine light came on. The vehicle has been diagnosed at a Volkswagen dealership service center as leaking hydraulic fluid from the transmission mechatronics control unit and needing a new transmission and hydraulic pump. This vehicle is not included on the Safety Recall Code: 34J6.
The key will not come out of the ignition
The car has turned off at idle and at low speeds, almost causing accidents and to be rear ended in busy streets and during stop and go traffic on the highway. After numerous mechanic diagnostics at both Volkswagen Dealership service departments and third party mechanic shops, no one seems to be able to give me an answer or condition to what is causing the problem. With no error codes being brought up nor any other underlying issues that could be causing this issue, with a car having minor wear. This is a problem that has been reported by many other Volkswagen Jetta owners on online forums and no one seems to have a specific answer as to what is causing this accident prone issue!
My car has 80,000 miles on it. The high pressure fuel pump sent metal shavings all through the entire system. Dealer quoted $9,000 to fix. This should have never happened. They said that the extended warranty from the diesel gate situation has expired and there’s nothing they can do. With the car only having 80,000 miles on it they should honor the warranty.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that whenever the temperature fell below 20 degrees, the windshield wipers became inoperable. The contact stated that the Body Control Module (BCM) had previously been replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the Body Control Module (BCM) needed to be replaced a second time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,900.
Car one day decided to have issues. It wouldn't turn over. So we called a row truck to come take it and run diagnostics. The tow truck driver showed up and on his decision making as im not a professional like he is he said can it turn on I said no so he pursued with saying that he is going to Jumpstart the battery in his words he says that's mainly the issue is a dead battery so he wanted to jump it with his portable jumper box as we are hooking it up to the vehicle I am inside and he connects the cables and tells me to try and turn it over in doing so the intake manifold had completely blown up. Right in front of the tow truck driver and it sounded like a cannon went off. He told me after he could hear again as well as me. We both have never experienced anything like that before. The pictures I'm providing are the damages of what jump starting the vehicle did.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the compliance recall Campaign Number: 3M02 was completed. The contact stated that while attempting to remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle was in drive(D), the key came out smoothly. Additionally, the contact stated upon starting the vehicle and entering the key in the ignition switch, the Electronic Power Control (EPC) and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the recall failed to fix the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a fee would be charged for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Cp4 pump failed on car with 85,000 miles on it sending metal pieces throughout the fuel system causing damage and a $9,000 bill to fix a car worth $9,000 so it is essentially totaled.
UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION As I was accelerating to enter traffic on the expressway the engine lost partial power. I reduced accelerator pressure, and then the engine seemed to recover. I then reapplied pressure to the accelerator, and it seemed normal but when I put in the clutch to shift, the engine accelerated beyond redline. I completed the shift, and car began to accelerate rapidly. I tapped the accelerator, and the acceleration stopped, and then after about 3 seconds it began to accelerate again. I attempted to reduce acceleration with brakes, but it was only partially effective. The only way to effectively reduce acceleration was to take the car out of gear. (thankfully this was a manual transmission) When I shifted into neutral, engine RPMs would exceed redline. The excessive RPMs ultimately destroyed the engine (Big bang, lots of smoke). In hindsight I would have turned the ignition off but did not think to at the time.. The safety implications are obvious. This event occurred without warning and under normal driving conditions. I suspect an engine sensor anomaly combined with computer software failure. (Maybe an RPM sensor?) Specific cause is unknown, and situation cannot be recreated since the engine has failed. The Diesel Particulate Filter warning light was on, and had been on for several weeks. It did not clear using the recommended remediation in the manual. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer or other interested parties, but is available for inspection. (This is one of the vehicles recalled for “diesel-gate” purchased from VW after reprogramming)
2013 Jetta TDI with 92k miles. I am the third owner of this car which has been regularly maintained since new with all service records, including a 2019 emissions modification per VW recall. I bought this vehicle less than a year ago. My son was driving to work when the car shut off without warning. He was able to restart it and park safely and had it towed home. After replacing the battery and a fuse, the car continued to show a code for the ECM Power Relay Load Circuit . We took it to the mechanic to have it inspected, and learned that the high pressure fuel pump had imploded and metal shavings were found throughout the entire fuel system. This is evidently a common and very costly issue that VW has an obligation to fix. They knowingly continue to use a defective part that is essentially a ticking time bomb without regard to the owners safety and the financial ramifications of the repair. All VW vehicles with this defect should be covered by VW, not just selected model years and models. This causes catastrophic damage and VW is completely negligent by not doing what is right by the customer. The VW dealer quoted a $9,000. repair and VW North America declined any assistance with the vehicle. The car is not worth that, and it would be absurd to pay out of pocket for the repair; especially since VW continues to use a defective designed HPFP that can eventually fail again. VW was selective in the model years that they recalled, but only after the parts failed. They should have applied the recall and repairs to ALL vehicles proactively. I now have a 2013 paperweight in my driveway. The reason I purchased this specific car was for the longevity that diesels are known for. What a shame that VW does not rectify the situation in lieu of the previous diesel scandal. I'll be going back to Volvo or Subaru, two companies that I have had great experiences with, both in safety and reliability. VW should do the right thing, but I guess that's of no importance anymore.
2013 Jetta hybrid 80,00 miles on it driving on a highway suddenly rpm go lowered in the middle of highway loss power trying to maneuver to the side of the highway has to towed home now can't do reverse and lots of leaking fluid on the car take to the mechanic shop found out the transmission no working the mechanic shop said the probably my cars is in those car on recalled because they worked on those problems before
High pressure fuel pump failed on a 2013 TDI diesel. Every other manufacturer was forced to recall / replace the Bosch CP4 hpfp , why was volkswagen's not recalled? The failure of this component stops the car on the interstate. VW offered a 10 year extended warranty while all other manufacturers recalled and replaced the pump. The failure mode is a slow degradation of the internal components becuase it is not designed properly for ultra low sulfur diesel in the united states. It's not acceptable to just extend the warranty on a component that is a ticking time bomb. The failure can be at 2,000 miles, or it can be at 200,000 miles, but it will fail due to the missed engineering specification on diesel fuel. These are very common failures continuing to happen with VW diesel cars and continuin to put people at risk for a known problem that was not properly addressed.
Unknown
I am Filing a complaint against Volkswagen group of America, I called they for assistants in fixing an issue with one of their dealers to replace an ignition switch. Volkswagen said they stand by their dealer and would not let me speak to the Zone Reps for that area or the Dealer Reps that assist the customer in coming to a solution. The Ignition switch is a safety item and the dealer is trying to charge me a high price for a new key because they own a monopoly in the area.
Ignition switch stuck, and would not allow key to fully be inserted causing the cylinder to freeze and not turn on or if able to turn on not be able to turn off. I took it to the dealer to repair. They quoted me but refuse to provide a key with the new ignition system and are trying to price gouge me into buying a key that should have been provided with the new system.
I bought a 2013 VW Jetta Hybrid in 2015 from a VW dealer with ~15,000 miles on it. Question #1: In December 2017, the power train system/transmission failed and my car lost power and I was unable to drive it. Now, in May 2024, the transmission is failing again and VW had stated that it needs to be replaced for a second time, and they quoted me roughly $10,000 for the repair. Question #2: VW issued a safety recall that mentions "hairline cracks in the transmission gearbox which can cause a decrease in oil pressure" which, in turn, "can cause the clutch to fail to engage, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of crash." (In the last month, VW has denied any recalls associated with my VIN. However, I attached a document issued from USAA that states that my VIN could be associated with 8 different safety-related recalls. The first on the list of these recalls is related to vehicles with the same year, make, and model as mine that are equipped with a DQ200 7-speed DSG Automatic Transmission. The NHTSA ID for this recall is 19V866000.) Question #3: In 2017, the first time I had a power train system issue, the car was towed to the nearest VW dealer, and I had the transmission replaced there. (Documentation of repair attached.) In 2024, I received a full diagnostic that includes the transmission needing to be replaced for a second time. Question #4: The vehicle/issue has been inspected by a certified VW Dealer. Question #5: I took my car to the same dealer that replaced the transmission in 2017. In May of 2024, I took my car to VW right after 5 warning lights appeared on my dashboard all at once (steering system, airbag, traction control, ABS, and tire pressure; photo attached) The service department at the VW dealer conducted a full diagnostic and said that I need to replace the transmission for a second time.
My son was driving home when failure lights came on. I told him to take it to the nearest VW dealer, which he did: Tynan’s VW in Aurora, CO. The diagnostics’ indicated faults were Cracks in the Accumulator and transmission stuck in 6th gear, the exact same problem as indicated in the Safety Recall, issued in January of 2020 (NHTSA 19V866): Hairline cracks in the accumulator housing of the transmission, clutch may not engage – loss of power to wheels leading to vehicle crash. Repair not available. In June of 2021, when a repair was available, I took the car to Chapman Volkswagen Scottsdale, AZ to perform the repair and service. The mileage at first repair on [XXX], 2021 was 30828. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURANCE OF THE SAME ISSUE. On May 1st after receiving the Tynans’ diagnostic report I started attempting to contact Chapman Volkswagen Scottsdale, AZ. Also at notification from Tynans’ VW of the second occurrence of this safety issue, I called VW Customer Care on early May - VW Customer Care contact on [XXX] - Case Number: [XXX]. Outcome: I was told by VW Customer Care to go back to Chapman Volkswagen Scottsdale and tell them they did not repair it properly. Volkswagen Scottsdale is taking no responsibility (Current Service Manager is Mike Chadwell) after several calls and I have not been able to get a copy of their repair warranty after repeated requests. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle on several occasions lost power while driving causing me to coast to the side of the road. After stopping and placing car in park, tried to restart vehicle and started up with no lights on dashboard as to this issue. Took car to VW dealer and was told they would complete the recall work to fix the powertrain issues of gearbox fluid leaking causing corrosion and leaks into transmission. Received call from dealership who stated transmission was totally damaged and replacement was $11,000.00. I went to the dealership to discuss and was told they had no specific information as to the codes received when they ran the diagnostic. They also stated they did not fix the recall and had no reason for not fixing recall other than the cost to replace the transmission was not worth it based on value of car. I strongly believe that the recall issue is the reason for any damage to the transmission as they are directly related. I have researched on-line and there are a lot of individuals with the same issue and the same responses from VW not wanting to acknowledge the recall issue and the direct relation to any transmission issues. I have driven this car and there has been issues with the automatic transmission shifting gears. I believe the cost (parts and labor) to repair the actual recall issue is the driving decision to tell customers that the transmission is bad. One post actual had a customer trade in his Jetta at the VW dealer for a VW Passat and was only given $150.00 trade-in allowance. Later the individual searched their car by VIN and found the car was for sale. VW should be required to completely fix the recall and related transmission issues and/or purchase back these vehicles at a negotiated price. I am the original owner of this car and it only has 127,000 miles. This is only about 10,000 miles per year. Please look into similar reports of these issues by others. VW also stopped production of this car knowing the defects that would occur or were occurring.
The car has 39k miles on it and needs a new transmission. When at stop lights it cycles back and forth from the engine to electric. Sometimes the vehicle jolts forward for some reason unbeknownst to me. Close call running into the vehicle ahead of me. Then other times it is so sluggish and hardly wants to take off from a stop. It makes a clunking noise at slower speeds. It was diagnosed and has a hairline crack within the transmission electronic gearbox which is causing an internal transmission oil leak and a decrease in oil pressure. I did some research and my car is diagnosed with the same “exact” issue in a recall yet my VIN says it’s not affected. It’s very well affected. This issue needs addressed before a tragic accident occurs. No well cared for vehicle after 39k miles should need a new transmission. I don’t have the documentation at the moment. My vehicle is still sitting at the shop. I will upload documents upon receiving them.
I have had my headlights replaced 3 times by a certified mechanic within the last year. While I was driving on the highway, my low beams and high beams on both sides went out. Extreme safety issue!
This is a common problem with the 2013 vw hybrid Jetta. The dealership charged me $300 and told me I needed to just replace my transmission because the mechtronic unit has cracks in it. No mention of a recall. Here is a description of my issue (found online), to the letter: Hairline cracks can develop within the transmission electronic gearbox (mechatronic unit), causing an internal transmission oil leak and a decrease in oil pressure. This can cause the clutch to fail to engage, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Making loud noises when turning and steering wheel shakes really bad
HYDRAULIC FLUID FOR CLUTCH ACTUATOR LEAKING AT CONNECTION FROM REAR MAIN SEAL TO ELECTRIC DRIVE MOTOR.
I was driving and out of no where l.the sunroof exploded . We didn't hit anything or nothing hit us it was crazy
Ignition cylinder failure. Key would come out while driving, car would stay on, key would not turn in the ignition. Finally wheel locked and key will not turn at all therefore I can’t put my car in neutral.
Dsg unit with hairline crack and fluid leakage just like known recall for this vehicle but mine isn’t covered for some reason
There is an open recall on 2013 Volkswagen Jetta hybrid for known electrical and power train issues. My car was purchased last year and kept up on in maintenance . I have had it in the shop multiple times for checks due to the lights on my dashboard all going off. Nothing was found until recently the hybrid and engine light turned on out of no where and the cause was the clutch failing which is one of the known recalls. My VIN Isn’t listed under this recall and I have been in contact with Volkswagen and they are refusing to help even thought it’s a known issue with this years make and model. The car is unsafe to drive and could likely result in an accident due to the behavior of the car from these issues. The car will randomly buck when driving and when coming to a complete stop and trying to accelerate it will buck as well. I did add the open recalls on this car that are alike to my issues. There are also 4 other open recalls on this years make and model. I don’t have an exact date when the issues start I could look through my paper work but I put down 11/11 as they have been happening for awhile now
I would assume the issue had something to do with the power train. 2 days after i had bought the car my wife and i were on our way to the gym and we had just came to a complete stop. Upon entering the highway the car would no longer accelerate no matter how much pressure was put on the accelerator pedal. The engine light also came on. Luckily there were no cars behind me and I was able to pull over with the car moving on its own. This is really dangerous. This has happened to me multiple times. I have taken it back to the dealership i had bought the car from and they have a private mechanic that solely works for the company. He has scanned for any codes and has told me no codes are populating so he’s not sure why the engine light is still on. It was taken to a VW dealership and the vehicle will no longer start. There was an electrical issue at some point and now might be a transmission issue along with other things.
July 2021, (roughly 80,000 miles) vehicle had sudden loss of drive power to motor while driving approximately 30mph and related warning lights came on, leading to Recall Repair in July 2021. Transmission electronic gearbox (mechatronic unit) and transmission accumulator housing replaced by VW Dealer. Car exhibited some shuddering at low speeds and occasional lurching forward from a stop after recall repair - dealer said this is normal behavior and to ignore. Transmission has total failure on October 4, 2023 (roughly 100,000 miles), only 20,000 miles after recall. Vehicle owner experienced the same sudden loss of drive power while driving in a parking lot with the same indicator lights as in July 2021. Car was towed to same dealer. Dealer states transmission problem is not related to recalled parts, but vehicle owner suspects replaced parts from the recall may have also been faulty, as there is not a permanent fix for the recall issue, just replacement of parts. Dealer estimate is $8,500 for a new transmission and $2,500 for labor, more than the total value of the car.
The Jetta hybrid relies on a control unit, called the "mechatronic unit" to decouple the gasoline engine from the transmission. This, in turn, transfers propulsion to the electric motor, inside the transmission housing. The "mechatronic" is a highly specialized component, the "brains" of the Jetta's hybrid powertrain, and, therefore, can only be found in the Jetta hybrid. -market sales data says that a scant 8,515 Jetta hybrids were manufactured across model years 2013 - 2016. -an open NHTSA safety recall, 34j6, has been applied to a cross section of the total 8,515 Jetta hybrids produced. -per recall 34j6, exactly 2,149 Jetta hybrids have been included by VIN# in this recall. -safety recall 34j6 specifically addresses the "mechatronic accumulator housing". -recall description: hairline cracks may develop in the accumulator housing of the transmission (mechatronic unit), leaking and leading to insufficient transmission oil pressure. If this happens, the transmission warning light will illuminate in the instrument panel. If the warning light is ignored and the vehicle is driven, the clutch may not engage. There could be a sudden loss of power to the wheels, potentially leading to a vehicle crash.
My vehicle has the Mechatronic failure that the recall is open for some 13’ Jetta hybrids but I don’t have an open recall for it. The car would start shutting on and off constantly at stop lights instead of staying off running soley on battery power. The error codes are pointing to a failure to maintain fluid pressure inside the mechatronics unit. The mechatronics unit is included in a VW recall from June 2021. There was a design flaw in the housing that caused transmission fluid to lead out under pressure. My vehicle should be included in the recall but since I don’t have an open recall for this to my vehicle I can’t get it fixed and repairs are to expensive for something VW should own up for this mistake but they won’t repair it.
I discovered that my 2013 Volkswagen Jetta has a completely nonfunctional airbag system. On 8/23/23- airbag warning light illuminated and has remained on. In 08/2025- Midas staff informed me the light may indicate an airbag defect and referred me to Volkswagen. On 09/24/2025- Volkswagen dealer inspection documented both front crash sensors were unplugged/damaged, leaving the airbag system inoperable. Safety concern: I unknowingly drove this car for over two years with no functional airbags. This created a severe risk of injury or death in the event of a motor vehicle accident. This car was sold by Carvana as having passed a 150-point inspection and under warranty coverage. However, Carvana later stated that they have a disclaimer that shifts the responsibility of the car being safe to drive onto the consumer, and that they never claimed the car had a functioning air bag system.
my steering wheel locked up
This vehicle and other vehicles of the same model have a faulty ignition cylinder lock housing causing the key to be unable to turn the car to off and be removed from the ignition. This does not allow the driver to park and leave the car as the key remains stuck and unable to turn. This problem has been reported by a dealer as an issue that is fixed weekly on other vehicles of the same make and model in shop.The vehicle has been inspected by the Volkswagen dealership and determined to be a failure within the vehicle. The key in the ignition has occasionally become stuck but, now remains in the vehicle for consistently after each drive for up to 30 minutes of trying to remove it.
At 80k, the DSG transmission failed and at my expense paid to get a NEW transmission installed. Today, at 155k, the NEW replaced transmission failed again. So every 75K, the transmission fails with the following: Hairline cracks can develop within the transmission electronic gearbox (mechatronic unit), causing an internal transmission oil leak and a decrease in oil pressure. Transmission can not be fixed and must be replaced. Cost for a new transmission is over $8k.
Passenger seat air bag light off light is on
The key will either get stuck in the ignition while the car is on, or it will occasionally not turn at all. Both of which have left me or others borrowing my car stranded. Has taken up to 2 hours of jiggling the key and finally turning to the on or off position. Some shops are saying the ignition cylinder, others the switch, and others the steering lock but this seems to be a very common complaint online from Volkswagens in this age range. It could seriously harm someone if they were unable to start their car in an emergency situation due to the key not turning.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the passenger’s side air bags indicator warning alarm sounded as if there was a passenger seated in the seat. The passenger’s side air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 78,000.
Unknown system failure or component. Ever since I've bought the vehicle in I believe 2017 from EICH VW, it has consistently died while driving or idling. It also was "slamming on the brakes on its own" when the car would die. It jerks consistently as well. The latest out of hundreds of incidents, was yesterday, it stalled at a red light that had turned green, so I was stopped, I turned my hazards on immediately when it had stalled. The vehicle behind me went into the turn lane and the vehicle behind it was coming at me at 60+ mph as that was the speed limit on the road. There is NO warning as to when it will stall, almost never any dash light, maybe only once or twice a year. And it can go weeks or even months without incident and then go crazy for weeks or months straight. It stalling out has almost killed me and my son when trying to cross the highway to get to his dad's house, in that situation me and my at the time when I used to take that way he was 1/2 years old, and we were almost t boned by the oncoming traffic after it had stalled. I have taken it to some many certified dealers and "experts" and no one can tell me what is wrong. It has now gotten to the point where it is happening so often I'm scared to put my three year old in my car. This is a VERY COMMON issue Volkswagen knows about but won't acknowledge or do anything about, I did not know about it until after buying the car. There are no beforehand symptoms, there is no way to tell when it is going to happen, even the car is running perfectly fine before it happens. I know that service providers have been able to experience exactly what happens, but they may not remember as this has been going on for years and I'm not their only customer, and I don't even remember everywhere I've been to try and fix the problem. But it is something I have been publicly asking about and complaining about for years. My ex who works for Toyota, even experienced it when we first met, and we had to have my car towed.
Passenger air bag light is on saying off
Since I have possessed the car, the horn has been slowly going out. Until now it no longer works at all. I've checked fuses and not the problem. So this is a safety concern for me because of the alarm! If my alarm goes off, just the lights flash but NO sound??! The alarm should at least be heard, right? Otherwise I hope I can see the lights flashing if my alarm goes off!!! Because I can't hear anything. My horn does not work even if I push the steering wheel? If I have to use my horn to alert anyone then I can't!
I purchased vehicle 12/06/2022 and day after purchase check engine light went off. Took it back to dealer ASH Auto and they stated they fixed it. 2 Months later check engine light again. Got a diagnostic test and codes were TBI Base Gasket, P01106 Manifold and 01314-013 Engine control module. Now one week ago dropping off daughter to work down the street and when pulled into garage my vehicle will not go I to park. Only neutral, reverse and drive work. Have to keep car in neutral with emergency brake to keep parked.
The key gets stuck in the ignition switch and the car is not able to turn off. In order to remove the key you have to jiggle it several times which could be minutes or up to an hour. Could be a safety issue if I’m somewhere and need to turn the car off immediately. Was told this is a costly repair but if this is a known issue (and it is) why is this not a recall when possible damage or injury could occur.
Vehicle can be shut off even when gear shifter is not in P position.
When coming to a stop, a wrench appeared where the gear indicator was, and a service hybrid system message appeared. When attempting to accelerate after stopping, the vehicle did not move. After turning the car off and back on it was able to move again. This has occured on multiple occasions.
I was driving on a rainy day on the freeway where my breaks went out on me. I pressed down all of the way and the car wouldn’t stop. After I let go of the break I then pressed on the break again and they seemed to have locked on me. I ended up using my emergency breaks and was able to get off the freeway and luckily no one was hurt. Soon after they started working again and I was able to get it safely to a near by shop.
The car would turn on for 2 seconds and turn off for 2 second in a continuous cycle when stationary. The car is available for inspection upon request. Yes the problem has been confirmed by Heritage Volkswagen and they updated the software recall...but the damage is already beyond repair. $10,000 to repair. There were not any warning lamps, messages, just the above symptoms. This started about 5 days ago. Took it to a local auto shop and they said there was an EV when the performed the diagnostics. Would have to take it to the dealership to get it fixed. That day I made an appointment with the dealership for the following morning at 7:30 a.m.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026