NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
DRIVING ON A BUSY 4 LANE ROAD MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED JUST FLASHED A FEW LIGHTS ON THE PANEL FOR FEW SECONDS. THE CAR WOULD NOT START. COULD NOT BE MOVED LUCKY THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE TOWED TO VW DEALER, BASIL VW AT LOCKPORT AND WAS TOLD THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP EXPLODED. CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE REQUIRING NUMEROUS COMPONENTS, WITH A TOTAL COST OF ABOUT $7,000.00 THE CAR WAS SERVICE BY A VW DEALER OR BY A REPAIR SHOP OWNED BY AAA OF WNY LOCATED AT CLARENCE NY. THIS CAME ON WITH OUT A WARNING, WAS NOT INFORMED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. HAD OWNED DIESEL CARS SINCE 1977 AND DID NOT FACE ANY SUCH PROBLEM OR HEAR OF SUCH A PROBLEM. *TR
HIGH-PRESSURE DIESEL FUEL PUMP (HPFP) BEGAN TO FAIL. HEARD HIGH-PITCHED WHINE COMING FROM HPFP AFTER ENGINE HAD BEEN TAKEN AT LEAST ONCE PAST 2100 RPMS AFTER STARTUP. VW DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED HPFP IMMINENT FAILURE AND REPLACED IT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
2009 JETTA TDI SPORTWAGEN. DURING A PANIC STOP TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT THE ABS AND ATC (TRACTION CONTROL) DASH INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON SOLID ALONG WITH AN ALARM AND THE BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHING ON AND OFF. DURING THIS PANIC STOP BOTH REAR BRAKES LOCKED. TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND ON RESET THE INDICATOR LIGHTS. TEN MINUTES LATER I ATTEMPTED TO DUPLICATE THE INCIDENT ON A QUIET SIDE STREET BY DRIVING AT 20 MPH AND HITTING THE BRAKES HARD ENOUGH TO ENGAGE THE ABS. ONCE AGAIN THE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON AND ALARM SOUNDED. DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS FAILURE OF THE ABS CONTROLLER. RESEARCH ON INTERNET INDICATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2009 JETTAS WITH HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR OCCURRENCES. THE PART IS $1750 PLUS LABOR TO INSTALL BRINGS TOTAL TO $2200. THE ABS CONTROLLER IS NOT A WEAR ITEM AND SHOULD NOT BE FAILING ON A CAR WHICH HAS 62,400 MILES ON IT. THE CAR HAS BEEN DEALER MAINTAINED AND SERVICED SINCE NEW. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE ABS HAD BEEN ENGAGED OTHER THAN DURING THE WINTER ON SNOW COVERED ROADS. *TR
TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILED RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE. *TR
THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE UP TO THE TIME IT QUIT. IT STALLED IN A PUDDLE AFTER 7 DAYS OF RAIN SO I ASSUMED IT HAD GOTTEN WATER IN THE SYSTEM SOMEHOW. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC. HE IN TURN CALLED THE DEALER WHO SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO SELL HIM THE PARTS FOR THE REPAIR AND THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THEM. I HAVE SINCE BEEN TOLD THE REPAIR WORK WILL BE BETWEEN 8 AND 10 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE DIESEL FUEL SYSTEM! I TOLD THEM TO HOLD OFF SO THAT I CAN WAY MY OPTIONS. I HAVE SINCE VERIFIED THAT INDEED THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP HAD DISINTEGRATED AND DESTROYED THE FUEL SYSTEM. *TR
I REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS ON THE ABOVE DESCRIBED VW. FOR MORE COMPLETENESS IT IS A VW JETTA 2009 SPORTWAGEN, TDI (DIESEL). THE 4 FRONT BRAKE PAD THICKNESSES WERE ABOUT 3/16", THE 4 REAR BRAKE PAD THICKNESSES WERE 1/16". THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL. ALL CARS THAT I HAVE OWNED ETC. EXPERIENCE FASTER FRONT PAD WEAR THAN REAR PAD WEAR. THIS IS ALSO WHAT VW EXPECTS AS THEY HAVE THE ELECTRONIC WEAR SENSOR ON THE FRONT BRAKE PAD. I BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BE CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE PROPORTIONING VALVE OR BY A TOO SOFT PAD MATERIAL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.
THE WATER PUMP FAILED AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. THE IMPELLER CAME OFF OF THE SHAFT INSIDE OF THE PUMP BECAUSE OF A POOR DESIGN(PLASTIC). THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. WENT AHEAD AND HAD THE TIMING BELT DONE ALSO. COST OF REPAIR WAS $1131.87. *TR
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 55MPH WHEN A CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE SWERVED INTO MY LANE IN FRONT OF ME. I BRAKED QUICKLY - FIRMLY BUT NOT A FULL PANIC BRAKE - AND IMMEDIATELY FELT THE CAR LOSE TRACTION AND START TO SPIN. THERE WAS NO ABS BRAKE PEDAL FEEDBACK. THE CAR DID A PERFECT 180 AND I ENDED UP BETWEEN THE LEFT AND MIDDLE LANES, FACING THE WRONG DIRECTION. THANKFULLY I DIDN'T SPIN OFF OF THE ROAD AND THE CARS BEHIND ME WERE ABLE TO STOP IN TIME - ABOUT A FOOT FROM WHERE MY FRONT BUMPER STOPPED. I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I REVERSED THE CAR, GOT FACING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND THEN PULLED OFF INTO THE SHOULDER TO CATCH MY NERVES AND EVALUATE THE CAR. THERE WAS A BEEPING SOUND AND 'BRAKE' ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, WAITED A MINUTE AND TURNED IT BACK ON. NO WARNING SOUNDS OR DASH LIGHTS SHOWED ANYTHING WAS WRONG AFTER THE RESTART. I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL VW DEALER AND FOUND OUT MY ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF AROUND $2300. NOT TO MENTION THE TWO REAR TIRES I NEEDED TO REPLACE FROM THE WHEELS LOCKING UP AND FLAT-SPOTTING THEM. I CALLED VW USA TO COMPLAIN AND AFTER 3 CALLS EXPLAINING THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM FROM THE NHTSA WEBSITE COMPLAINTS AREA, WAS TOLD A 25% DISCOUNT ON THE REPAIR WAS AS GOOD AS THEY COULD DO AND HAVE A NICE DAY. NO CONCERN OR COMMENTS ON THE LACK OF ANY WARNING LAMP OF ABS FAILURE BEFORE THE INCIDENT OR AFTER THE CAR WAS RESTARTED. THE FAILURE COULD HAVE OCCURRED 2 YEARS PRIOR WHILE THE CAR WAS IN WARRANTY BUT I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL I ACTUALLY NEEDED THE ABS TO WORK AND FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY. SHAME ON VW... IT APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE AND THEY ARE LOOKING THE OTHER WAY TO SAVE A BUCK.
I AM "GUESSING AT SOME OF THE INFORMATION ABOVE SINCE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED AND I DIDN'T GIVE IT MUCH THOUGHT THEN. AT THAT TIME, I WAS MAKING A RIGHT-HAND TURN TO ANOTHER STREET AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT OR SIGNAL. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND IT WORKED FINE. THIS OCCURRED SOMETIME IN MID TO LATE SEPTEMBER. YESTERDAY (12/24/2014) I WAS AT A STOPLIGHT AND THIS HAPPENED AGAIN -- THE ENGINE STALLED WHILE I WAS ALREADY STOPPED WHILE WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE FROM RED TO GREEN. AGAIN, THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT OR SIGNAL. IT WAS REMNISCENT OF WHEN I DROVE A STANDARD TRANSMISSION VEHICLE AND INAPPROPRIATELY TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE CLUTCH. I WAS ABLE TO RE-START AND ENGINE RAN FINE. I AM LEERY OF DRIVING THE CAR AGAIN, HOWEVER, FOR FEAR THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. I PLAN TO TAKE TO MY MECHANIC ASAP. READING THE DESCRIPTIONS OTHERS HAVE HAD WITH THIS ISSUE ARE VERY SIMILAR TO MINE. I HAVE KEPT UP WITH MAINTENANCE AND CARE OF THE VEHICLE AND IT HAS LESS THAN 25K MILES ON IT. *TR
FUSE F16 MELTED IN ENGINE FUSE BOX DISABLING ALL RIGHT SIDE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS. THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT AND ALSO SUBJECT TO RECALL ON 2009 TIGUANS. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM, A HARD-COATED FUSE SHOULD BE INSTALLED VIA A RECALL. *TR
THIS PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY FUEL PUMP FAILURE IN VW DIESEL ENGINES. IT HAPPENS IN TWO WAYS. FUEL PUMP FAILS SENDING METAL SHARDS THROUGHOUT THE FUEL SYSTEM OR FUEL PUMP PROVIDES INADEQUATE PRESSURE AND CAR ENTERS 'LIMP MODE'. IN THE FIRST CASE THE CAR STOPS RUNNING AND ENTIRE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM MUST BE REPLACED. THE SECOND CASE HAPPENS UNDER LOAD (PASSING, ENTERING FREEWAY OR CLIMBING INCLINE). 'LIMP MODE' MEANS LOSS OF POWER. THE CAR MUST BE PULLED OVER, IGNITION TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON TO CLEAR ERROR CODE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN FREEWAY DRIVING. I'VE HAD BOTH CASES OF FAILURE. VW HAS OPTED NOT TO RECALL BUT RATHER DEAL CASE BY CASE. MY LAST FAILURE WAS WITH A PUMP WITH ONLY 2000 MILES ON IT. BOSCH MAKES THE PUMPS. AFTER A FEW PUMP REPLACEMENTS, VW REFUSES TO PAY. AFTER THE LAST REPLACEMENT I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD TAKE AN 'ACT OF GOD' TO BREAK THE NEW VERSION OF PUMP. SO I GUESS GOD BROKE IT. THERE IS MUCH DOCUMENTATION ONLINE FOR 'LIMP MODE'. A GOOD SOURCE FOR DOCUMENTING THE PROBLEM IS WWW.TDICLUB.COM (SEARCH LIMP MODE). I DON'T KNOW IF A RECALL WILL FIX THE PROBLEM SINCE THE PUMPS WILL CONTINUE TO FAIL. I DO BELIEVE THAT VW SHOULD REPLACE THE PUMPS AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE IN PERPETUITY. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT BOSCH SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR PROVIDING SUBSTANDARD PUMPS.
HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED (2.0L TDI CLEAN DIESEL MOTOR). THIS IS COVERED UNDER EA11003. *TR
GOING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 70MPH BESIDE A SEMI, THE CAR SLIGHTLY (NOT ENOUGH TO TAKE ME OUT OF MY LANE) PULLS TO THE SIDE & DING! DING! DING! 'ABS' & 'ESP' LIGHTS COME ON & THE EMERGENCY 'BRAKE' LIGHT ON THE DASH STARTS FLASHING. NO ADDITIONAL SYMPTOMS THAT I NOTICED ON THE NEXT 15MILES TO WORK, JUST THE DASH LIGHTS. UPON ARRIVING AT WORK I PARK & SHUT THE CAR OFF. RESTART IT. AND EVERYTHING APPEARS AS THOU IT WAS AN ABERRATION. NO LIGHTS. NO DINGING. FROM A CAR THAT GOES NUTS WHEN YOU'RE SIMPLY JUST LOW ON WIPER-FLUID, IT COULD BE SOMETHING MAJOR LIKE AN ABS MODULE OR 'SPEED SENSOR' (FROM WHAT 100S OF OTHER OWNERS SAY ONLINE) OR SOMETHING 'MINOR' LIKE A CORRODED FUSE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WHILE I'M WINCING AT THE POTENTIAL REPAIR COSTS, I'M IN FEAR OF & DREADING MY DRIVE HOME THIS EVENING. I'M GLAD NO ONE WAS HURT THIS TIME BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, THE ODDS ARE SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT. WHATEVER IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM FOR NUMEROUS VW OWNERS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IF ABS & TRACTION CONTROL ARE MANDATORY FEATURES ON A CAR VIA THE NHTSA, IT STANDS TO REASON THAT RAMPANT PROBLEMS SUCH AS VW JETTA OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING IS A MANUFACTURER'S QUALITY ISSUE. IT'S NOT NORMAL WEAR & TEAR. I ACTUALLY TRUST THE NHTSA TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS HERE; FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS & MAKE VW FIX IT. THE ONLY OTHER OPTION THE NHTSA HAS IS TO IGNORE A BLATANT PROBLEM WITH THE ABS & TRACTION STABILITY CONTROLS OF A MASS PRODUCTION FAMILY SEDAN/VEHICLE. *TR
THE TURBOCHARGER FAILED AT LOW SPEED. THERE WAS A LOUD WHINING/HOWLING SOUND. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS $2,566.64. *TR
MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING, AND WE HEARD A VERY FAINT, HIGH PITCH SCREECHING SOUND, LIKE A PULLEY SYSTEM WAS GOING OUT. WE DROVE ANOTHER 500 FEET, AND THEN THE ENGINE STALLED. THEN THE BLINKING GLOW PLUG LIGHT CAME ON. THANKFULLY WE WERE NOT GOING VERY FAST, AND THE ROAD WAS NOT BUSY. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN, BUT IT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. WE HAD TO GET THE CAR TOWED TO A SHOP. THERE ARE SMALL PIECES OF METAL FOUND IN THE FUEL FILTER, WHICH INDICATED THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. *TR
DRIVING ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK IN TOWN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT COMES ON FLASHING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT APPEARS ON THE DASH. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE CAR RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED AND A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE SASH "ENGINE FAULT WORKSHOP!". HPFP FAILURE. *TR
WAS TURNING RIGHT ONTO A BACKROAD, SHIFTING FROM GEARS 1 TO GEAR 2 HITTING 22 MPH. LOST ALL ACCELERATION, HAD TO PULL OVER AND TURN VEHICLE OFF, SMELL OF SMOKE BUT NO VISUAL, LET VEHICLE SIT, CHECKED OIL, COOLANTS, ALL PERFECT. SMELL WENT AWAY, ATTEMPTED TO START VEHICLE WITH HOOD OPEN, CHECKED ENGINE WITH VEHICLE ON, MOVEMENT OF 1-2 INCHES FROM ENGINE ROCKING SEVERELY. TURNED VEHICLE OFF, TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. *TR
WHILE DRIVING MY 2009 JETTA SPORTWAGON TDI ON A 3-LANE ARTERIAL, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND AT THE SAME TIME THE GLOW PLUG DASHBOARD LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. WITHIN 5 SECONDS THE ENGINE STALLED COMPLETELY AND WOULD NOT RESTART, LEAVING THE CAR DISABLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DISCOVERED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (HPFP) HAD SHATTERED AND SENT SHARDS OF METAL DOWNSTREAM THROUGH THE FUEL SYSTEM. THOSE SHARDS IN TURN DAMAGED THE FUEL LINES AND FUEL INJECTORS. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WAS UNABLE TO SECURE A REPLACEMENT PART FOR THE HPFP FROM ITS USUAL SOURCES AND CONTACTED THE LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN DEALER. THE VW DEALER WOULD NOT SELL THE PART TO THE INDEPENDENT SHOP BUT INDICATED THAT VOLKSWAGEN WOULD REPAIR THE PROBLEM AT NO COST EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE PARTS MANAGER AT THE VW DEALER, SHE INDICATED THAT HPFP FAILURE WAS A KNOWN BUT UNCOMMON PROBLEM AND THAT SHE SAW CARS WHERE THIS HAD HAPPENED "ABOUT 10 OR 12 TIMES A YEAR." WHEN I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT MY CAR WAS THE 7TH OR 8TH CAR ON HIS REPAIR FLOOR AT THAT TIME WITH A FAILED HPFP, AND THAT HE HAD BEEN SEEING "ABOUT 15 TO 20 CARS A MONTH" WITH THIS PROBLEM. HE SAID THAT SOME OF THEM HAD PROBABLY FAILED DUE TO MISFUELING, BUT THAT OTHERS FAILED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. HE SAID IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DIESEL FORMULATION IN THE US VS. IN EUROPE. WHEN I PICKED UP THE REPAIRED CAR TWO WEEKS LATER, I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER IF THERE WAS ANY EVIDENCE OF MISFUELING IN MY CAR AND HE SAID "NO." I ASKED HOW MANY HPFP FAILURES HE HAD SEEN SINCE I DROPPED MY CAR OFF AND HE SAID "YOU DON'T WANNA KNOW, PROBABLY A DOZEN." HE ALSO SAID HE HAD RECENTLY BECOME AWARE OF HPFP FAILURES HAPPENING EVEN ON VEHICLES WITH PREVIOUS HPFP REPAIRS. *TR
I TRIED STARTING MY CAR AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER, AS IF IT WAS NOT GETTING ANY FUEL. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO COMMONWEALTH VOLKSWAGEN IN SANTA ANA , CA. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WHICH SENT SLIVERS OF METAL THROUGHOUT THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM,(HOSES PIPES INJECTION UNITS FUEL PUMPS, FILTERS, ETC.) WAS REPLACED. VOLKSWAGEN PAID FOR THE ENTIRE REPAIRS. I WAS TOLD BY THE VOLKSWAGEN SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS ISSUE BEFORE AND THAT IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON IN 2009 & 2010 JETTA TDI AND OTHER TDI MODELS. THEY ASKED IF GASOLINE HAD EVER BEEN USED AND I INDICATED THAT I HAVE ONLY USED DIESEL FUEL AND THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAD RETROFITTED THE FUEL NOZZLE RECEPTACLE TO ONLY ACCEPT DIESEL FUEL NOZZLES. IT CONCERNS ME THAT VOLKSWAGEN KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THAT THEY REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT THEIR EXPENSE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED, AND IT HAS BEEN REPORTED HUNDREDS OF TIME BY VOLKSWAGEN OWNERS ON A VARIETY OF INTERNET WEBSITES, YET VOLKSWAGEN IS NOT RECALLING THE VEHICLES TO PROACTIVELY FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY FIX THE PROBLEM ONE AT A TIME AS IT OCCURS. THEY WAIT UNTIL THE SYSTEM FAILS AND THE CONSUMER IS PUT IN JEOPARDY OF BEING IN A MAJOR, LIFE THREATENING ACCIDENT OR STRANDED IN A REMOTE AREA. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALSO OCCURRED WITH MY 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI IN AUGUST 2014, AT NIGHT, 50 MILES FROM THE NEAREST VOLKSWAGEN SERVICE CENTER. I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO NHTSA AS WELL. VOLKSWAGEN NEEDS TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THIS PROBLEM BY RECALLING ALL THE TDI VEHICLES BEFORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED ON THE HIGHWAYS. *TR
I WAS DRIVING WHEN I HEARD A METALLIC SOUND, A QUICK INSPECTION AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD DID NOT REVEAL ANYTHING. I DROVE IT TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY FOUND THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SPRING HAD SNAPPED. MY MECHANIC STATED THAT HE SEES THIS FREQUENTLY WITH JETTAS. *TR
I HAVE OWNED VEHICLE FOR 2.5 YEARS, WENT TO CHECK THE STATUS OF THE SPARE TIRE AND FOUND THAT THE SPARE TIRE WELL WAS FILLED WITH WATER. SEARCHING HERE AND THERE I SEE THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE, SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE SUNROOF DRAIN TUBES. I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM A VW DEALER AND HAVE HAD IT SERVICES AT A VW DEALER AND NO ONE HAS MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. WITH ALL THE ELECTRONICS ON THE CAR THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR OUTAGE. *TR
AS I WAS TRAVELING FROM FT COLLINS BACK TO DENVER ON THE I25 FREEWAY GOING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER. WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL ALL I HEARD WAS THE ENGINE REVVING BUT NO POWER. I WAS ABLE TO MOVE MY CAR SAFELY TO THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY BY SHEER LUCK OF THE TIME OF DAY THIS HAPPENED AND THEN PROMPTLY CALLED A TOWING COMPANY. *JS
DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY I HAD TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES, EXPECTING THE ABS TO KICK ON I KEPT MY FOOT DOWN UNTIL I REALIZED ALL MY TIRES HAD LOCKED UP AND I STARTED TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS. IN HEAVY TRAFFIC I BEGAN PUMPING MY BRAKES. EVER SINCE, MY ABS SYSTEM WILL WORK FOR A BRIEF SECOND BEFORE SHUTTING OFF. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR MANY 2009 MARK V VW VEHICLES INCLUDING THE JETTA. I WAS TOLD BY VW THAT IT WOULD BEA $1600 REPLACMENT ABS MODULE. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED AS A SAFETY HAZARD BY VWOA.
DRIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN CAR'S RPM'S GO SUPER HIGH. I TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULDN'T START AGAIN. HAD IT TOWED TO VW DEALER WHO HAS DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS FULL FUEL SYSTEM BLOW OUT/FAILURE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. NO PROBLEMS PREVIOUSLY AND NO SYMPTOMS OF FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY CAR COMPLETELY SHUT-OFF. COASTED TO OFF-RAMP, STOPPED CAR AND THEN RE-STARTED IT. DEALER LATER DIAGNOSED IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM (INTERMITTENT IGNITION SWITCH FAULTS LOGGED) AND RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH. *TR
FLASHING GLOW PLUG LIGHT AND ENGINE WARNING WITH LOSS OF POWER. ENGINE DIED WITHIN SEVERAL MINUTES. COASTED TO SAFE SPOT TO PULL OFF ROAD. TOWED TO VW DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (HPFP) FAILURE WITH METAL THROUGHOUT FUEL SYSTEM. *TR
WE BOUGHT OUR 2009 JETTA TDI USED AT A KIA DEALERSHIP ON 5/4/14 WITH 99K ON THE ODOMETER. THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND WE HAD NO ISSUES DURING TEST DRIVE OR THE MONTH AFTER UNTIL 6/18/14 WHEN THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT CAME ON. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WE BOUGHT IT AT BECAUSE IT HAD A 12/12000 WARRANTY ON IT AND THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND WE TOOK IT IN TO THEM, THIS TIME THEY SENT IT BACK TO THE VW DEALERSHIP THEY HAD OBTAINED IT FROM TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. IT WAS THERE FOR 4 DAYS WHILE MECHANICS TRIED TO FIND THE PROBLEM AND THEN THEY BROUGHT IN AN EXPERT TO TELL THEM THAT THE HIGH VOLUME FUEL PUMP WAS FAILING AND IT WOULD COST $1,500 TO REPLACE. IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE 12/12000 DEALER WARRANTY. WE CHOSE NOT TO HAVE THE WORK PERFORMED THERE AND I AM TAKING IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC TO HAVE IT DONE. WE HAVE DRIVEN IT FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS WITH ONLY MINOR ISSUES WITH THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT COMING ON AND WE HAVE LEARNED TO PULL OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TURN IT ON AGAIN. THIS WILL GO FOR A FEW WEEKS BEFORE HAPPENING AND THEN WE HAVE TO DO THE SAME THING ALL OVER AGAIN. IT IS NOW FAILING MORE OFTEN AND I WILL BE TAKING IT IN TO REPAIR. THE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT THE HVFP IS A WELL DOCUMENTED FAILURE ON THE TDI MODELS AND I BELIEVE BASED ON THE COST I HAVE BEEN SEEING ON FORUMS THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. WHEN THE FAILURE HAPPENS IT IS NOT ALWAYS IN A SAFE PLACE AND I HAVE TO MAKE SOME UNSAFE MOVES TO GET OFF THE ROAD TO SHUT DOWN. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY THAT IT DIDN'T HARD FAIL AS OTHERS HAVE AND TAKE OUT MY FUEL SYSTEM. WE ALSO LOCATED THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND SHE HAD THE SAME ISSUES, THIS IS WHERE WE LEARNED TO JUST SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT AND ALL WOULD BE FINE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR COIL SPRING FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 9/18/14*CN
SUNRISE V.W. HAD MY 2009 JETTA TDI IN THEIR SHOP YESTERDAY, AND AFTER DIAGNOSTICS INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED BOTH COOLING FANS, AND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD REPLACED. I HAVE GEICO MECHANICAL BREAK DOWN INSURANCE. THE ADJUSTER ONLY APPROVED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COOLING FANS. ON THE WAY HOME MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I HEARD A POP SOUND FROM THE ENGINE, AND LOST ALL OF THE CARS POWER. THIS LOSS OF POWER HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC AT ABOUT 30 MPH. I BELIEVE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED, AND CAUSED THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED BACK TO SUNRISE V.W. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RETRACTORS FOR THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS FAILED TO PROPERLY EXTEND TO ACCOMMODATE ADULT PASSENGERS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUTOBARN VOLKSWAGEN OF MT. PROSPECT (333 WEST RAND ROAD, MT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056, (847) 392-6300) WHERE THE SEATS BELTS WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.
WHILE DRIVING, A WARNING MESSAGE BRIEFLY APPEARED STATING ENGINE MANAGEMENT MALFUNCTION FOLLOWED BY A BLINKING HEAT COIL LIGHT. THE MANUAL SAID TO TAKE TO REPAIR STATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT WITHIN 1 MILE THE JETTA TDI LOST POWER, MY CAR ALMOST STOPPING AND EVENTUALLY LOSING ALL POWER. LUCKILY I WAS NOT ON THE FREEWAY WHERE THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS, AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF A COUNTRY ROAD, CALLING FOR A TOW TRUCK. ANALYSIS FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS ON A VW SERVICE BULLETIN SHOWS THE PRIMARY FUEL PUMP THAT SUPPLIES THE SYSTEM FAILED AND THE VANE PUMP RELEASED METAL INTO THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM, GETTING PAST THE FILTER (ANOTHER DEFECT?) AND GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE INJECTORS. THE ENTIRE SYSTEM EXCEPT THE GAS TANK WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. VW SAYS THIS $7000 REPAIR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. VW SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THE FAULTY FUEL PUMP AND FAULTY FILTER THAT ALLOWED THE METAL TO CONTINUE INTO THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. I AM BEING TOLD THAT ONE DEALERSHIP IS HANDLING 2-3 OF THESE CASES A WEEK! I FIND ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED TO 30 MPH. THE GLOW PLUG ON THE DASH ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE IMPELLER SHAFT ON THE TURBO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 42,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS ON ENGINE POWER AS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A FRACTURED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 119,000.
THE CAR BEGAN TO FLASH THE "GLOW PLUG" WARNING LIGHT ALONG WITH A MESSAGE "ENGINE FAULT WORKSHOP" PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART. ENGINE WOULD CRANK BUT NOT TURN OVER. GOT THE FOLLOWING FAILURE CODES: P0087, P13E3, P2196. LOOKS LIKE THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND YET VW DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT. CLASS ACTION ANYONE?. *JS
WHILE IDLING IN DRIVE THROUGH, ENGINE STARTED MAKING A RUBBING NOISE, FOLLOWED BY SUDDEN ENGINE SHUTDOWN AND "ENGINE FAILURE" WARNING MESSAGE. WOULD NOT RESTART. HAD TO PUSH VEHICLE OUT OF DRIVE THROUGH AND AWAIT TOW. VW SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED, AND THE ENTIRE SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED (AS DESCRIBED IN CAMPAIGN EA11003). THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE ON THIS VEHICLE (PREVIOUS INSTANCE WAS IN NOVEMBER 2012). *TR
I LOST POWER AND A MECHANIC HAS SINCE ATTRIBUTED IT TO THE HPFP (HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP) ISSUE OUTLINED IN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS. THE ISSUE CAUSES METAL FRAGMENTS TO CONTAMINATE THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM. VW RECOMMENDS OVER $9,000 IN FIXES FOR THE COMPROMISED CAR, SOMETHING THAT IN A SINGLE STROKE EXCEEDS THE REMAINING VALUE OF AN OTHERWISE WELL MAINTAINED CAR. *JS
DRIVING ON I-95 AT 70 MPH, GLOW PLUG LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK, THEN ENGINE FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE BEGAN TO SLOW, TURNED ONTO NEXT EXIT AND WHEN I RELEASED THE GAS PEDAL, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. WAS ABLE TO COAST TO EDGE OF ROADWAY. TOWED TO VW DEALER IN FLORENCE, SC AND WAS TOLD I HAD FUEL PUMP FAILURE AND WOULD NEED A NEW FUEL SYSTEM COSTING BETWEEN $8,000 - $10,000. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DIESEL FUEL PUMP FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 166,798. UPDATED 06/09/14*LJ 06/13/2014 *JS
AFTER IDLING FOR APPROX 5 MINUTES ON A HOT AFTERNOON (95F), I TRIED TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY FELT A SPUTTERING FROM THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE EPC LIGHT; THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE POWER. AFTER TURNING OFF THE ENGINE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE WAS STILL SPUTTERING HOWEVER WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME APPROX 10 MILES ON A CITY STREET. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 20 MPH. AFTER TAKING TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY ADVISED THAT AN ENGINE COIL HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AGAIN 5 MONTHS LATER WITH THE SAME CONCLUSION FROM THE MECHANIC. *TR
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON FREQUENTLY AND WHEN I TAKE TO DEALER IT IS ALWAYS A SENSOR PROBLEM I HAVE ALSO HAD SOME ELECTRICAL ISSUES REPLACING BULBS FREQUENTLY. ALSO WHILE DRIVING THE SHIFTING LIGHTS WILL ALL LIGHT UP PRNDS, SOMETIMES THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER. ALSO ONE OF THE OVERHEAD LIGHT SEEMS TO HAVE MELTED DUE TO A HIGH HEAT SOURCE OF SOME KIND.
SECOND REPAIR: MUST REPLACE BOTH REAR BRAKE CALIPERS DUE TO THEM SEIZING UP. UNEVEN BRAKE PAD WEAR. 40% ON RIGHT REAR PAD REMAINING. 2% ON LEFT REAR PAD REMAINING. ISSUE ALSO OCCURRED UNDER WARRANTY AT 10,000 MILES. SEVERAL OTHERS REPORT THIS ISSUE OCCURRING ONLY TO THE LEFT REAR PAD. *TR
I GOT A WARNING LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATING "DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER." AFTER A FEW MINUTES, I GOT ANOTHER WARNING LIGHT INDICATING AN OVERHEAT IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. I WAS PRESENTED WITH A BILL FOR $6,800. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THAT PROBLEM IN VW'S, SO I WOULD HOPE SOMEONE WOULD LOOK INTO IT. EVERYONE WHO BUYS A VW DIESEL SHOULD KNOW THAT A POTENTIAL EXISTS THAT A CLOGGED FILTER WOULD RESULT IN A $6,800 REPAIR. *TR
LEFT REAR BRAKE ASSEMBLY DRAGS PREMATURELY WEARING BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR. WORRIED THAT IT MAY CAUSE POSSIBLE FIRE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE DRIVER DROVE AT 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP RUPTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,846.
AS THE CAR (A 2009 VW JETTA TDI) WAS ENTERING AN INTERSECTION THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONED (COMPLETELY) CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. IT COULD NOT BE RESTARTED, WAS PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SUBSEQUENTLY TOWED TO THE DEALER. *TR
EVERY LIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE STOPPED WORKING. AT FIRST THIS WAS INTERMITTENT BUT BECAME PERMANENT. I FOUND THE PROBLEM TO BE MELTED FUSE (F16) IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *TR
DRIVING ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE..APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH..SUNROOF BURST...SHADE OF SUNROOF WAS OPEN BUT THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME...NO ROCKS...NOTHING TO SUGGEST IT HAS HIT BY SOMETHING...GLASS WAS EVERYWHERE COULD HAVE BEEN A NIGHTMARE...I WAS RIDING WITH MY SON AND HIS FRIEND. *TR
HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. THIS IS THE DIESEL MODEL OF THE CAR. TDI TRIM. THE CAR SUDDENLY AT 65 MILES PER HOUR GAVE A FAILURE/WORKSHOP ERROR. TRAFFIC SLOWED DOWN AND NEEDED TO BRAKE. WHEN TRAFFIC PICKED UP, THE CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE AS QUICKLY, BARELY GAINING 1MPH A SECOND. THE CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE WITH A MAX SPEED OF 40 MPH. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE, REQUIRING THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM FLUSHED AND EVERYTHING NEAR AND AHEAD OF THE FUEL PUMP TO BE REPLACED. *TR
DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE ON THURSDAY MARCH 27, 2014, THE CAR BEGAN TO FLASH THE "GLOW PLUG" WARNING LIGHT ALONG WITH A MESSAGE "ENGINE FAULT WORKSHOP". AT THIS POINT IN TIME THE CAR WOULD ONLY DO ABOUT 50 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE FOR ABOUT 2 MORE MILES UNTIL I FOUND A SAFE LOCATION TO PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE. THE CARS ENGINE STALLED AS I WAS MAKING MY WAY OFF THE ROAD. I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR TO START AGAIN. THE CAR WAS TOWED THE SAME DAY TO A LOCAL GARAGE OF MY CHOICE. THE TECHNICIANS TOOK FIVE DAYS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, WHICH WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FAILED HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. I WAS TOLD THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM MUST BE REPLACED IN ORDER FOR THE CAR TO RUN PROPERLY, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM GETS CONTAMINATED WITH TINY METAL SHAVINGS WHEN THE PUMP FAILS, THE COST WAS ESTIMATED AT $8000-$10000 FROM A LOCAL VW DEALER. I CALLED THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM, THEY TOLD ME THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE ON SOME MODELS BUT THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO RECALLS, SO NOTHING WOULD BE COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY. I AM NOT HAVING THE CAR FIXED DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY AND THE CAR ITSELF IS ONLY VALUED AT AROUND $14000. MY CHOICES ARE TO LET THE BANK REPO MY CAR AND RUIN MY PERFECT CREDIT THAT I HAVE BEEN BUILDING FOR 15 YEARS, OR KEEP PAYING THE $350 A MONTH FOR A CAR THAT DOESN'T RUN FOR THE NEXT 4 YEARS. IT IS A CRIME THAT VW IS AWARE OF THIS BUT ARE CONTINUING TO ROB US UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE THAT OWN THESE CARS BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL OR COVER REPAIR BILLS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME ON THIS SUBJECT. *TR
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026