Diesel Fuel System Problems of Volkswagen Jetta - part 1

The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta tdi. The contact stated he smelled a strong odor of carbon dioxide in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnoses, and no failure was found. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, and they stated that the vehicle did not have a death tank. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and they stated that there was nothing they could do. The failure mileage was 100,000.

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On Wednesday September 23rd at or around 3:40 pm, I pulled into an arco fuel station to top off my vehicle. I still had a 1/4 of a tank left but decided to fuel up anyway. The vehicle took approximately 11 us gal of no. 2 diesel fuel. After fueling my vehicle, I drove off the fuel station. Approximately 3/4 of a mile away from the fuel station, my engine stalled out and then the glow plug icon on my instrument cluster began to flash. I had my vehicle towed to the nearest vw dealership service department. The following day the service technician contacted me and informed me that my high pressure fuel pump(hpfp) had failed and that it had contaminated my entire fuel system with metal shavings. The way the technician explained what had happened to the fuel pump was, "your fuel pump grenaded", his exact words.

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The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving 50 mph, the engine sounded very roughly and unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle had to be merged to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the high pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 79,000.

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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).

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Driving on surface street at approximately 40 mph. In 2011 Jetta sportwagen tdi with only 23000 miles . "service now! " warning came on and car immediately stalled in the middle of traffic and would not restart. Had to be towed to vw dealer, has been there 5 days so far waiting for high pressure fuel pump replacement. From investigation, this is not an obscure event, is known to occur with this model and year tdi (diesel) engines. If this occurred on a high speed freeway, I could have easily been struck and killed when car suddenly stopped.

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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.

I was driving as normal when the glow plug light began flashing, along with the check engine light and I lost all power. Thankfully I was on a residential street, and was able to safely pull over and have the vehicle towed to the dealer. Diagnosis was complete fuel system failure caused by high pressure fuel pump destructing itself and sending metal shards into the system. Initially dealer suspected contaminated diesel. Upon analysis of fuel dealer confirmed that only diesel was present in the system and the damage was caused by a faulty high pressure fuel pump. As a result of this all fuel system parts are having to be replaced including injectors, hpfp, lift pump, fuel lines etc etc. Vw is covering repairs under warranty as they should, but clearly the ongoing issue of hpfp failures in vw tdis has not yet been fully resolved.

The effected car was a diesel model 2011 Volkswagen Jetta tdi sedan with 48,074 miles on the odometer at the time of the incident. While traveling at approximately 40 mph in normal driving conditions, the vehicle experienced a sudden reduction in power and displayed a flashing glow plug light and solid check engine warning lights. The vehicle was immediately pulled to the side of the road where the engine was shut off. The engine failed to restart and was towed to a Volkswagen dealership service department. The Volkswagen dealer determined that a catastrophic failure of the vehicle's high pressure fuel pump (hpfp) had occurred. The dealer found that extensive damage to the entire fuel system had resulted from the failure, causing internal metal debris contamination that required substantial repairs. The total cost of repairs were reported by the dealership to equal $6,500. 00.

On Thursday, January 16, 2014, at about 1145 hours, I was traveling sb I-15 in the number one lane, in murrieta, CA in my 2012 Volkswagen Jetta tdi, with my cruise control set at approximately 77 miles per hour. Without any prior warning, a warning light on my dashboard (later identified as the glow plug light) began to flash and I simultaneously lost power. Luckily, I was able to merge over to the winchester rd. Off ramp. As I slowed and came to a stop, my vehicle stalled and I was unable to restart it after numerous attempts. I was stranded in the center lane of a three lane off ramp where numerous vehicles nearly rear ended me. I immediately called 9-1-1 for assistance. As a result, a highway patrol unit arrived within several minutes to prevent me from being in an auto accident. I telephoned my insurance company after calling 9-1-1 in order to be towed to murrieta Volkswagen. Several hours later I received word from the dealership that they found numerous shards of metal in the high pressure fuel pump (hpfp) and gas line. The dealership also informed me that they would be submitting a claim to Volkswagen in order to repair the damages, which have been initially quoted at $4000. 00. They also told me they would need at least a week to repair the vehicle. I have read numerous accounts online where tdi owners have complained of the exact same issues: finding shards of metal in their fuel filters as well as experiencing a failure of the hpfp. No one else should have to endure the dangerous situation I found myself in yesterday, let alone the expense I am facing if Volkswagen denies the claim the dealership is filing on my behalf. Please help all of us. This is a widespread issue that Volkswagen has not corrected with their tdi clean diesel engines. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I was driving on the freeway (at speed) on my way to work when my 2010 Jetta tdi suddenly stalled. I was lucky that the engine did not lock up as I would have been rear ended. However, I continued to coast at speed. I was able to coast over to the shoulder. The car would not start. I contacted a tow truck to tow me into the dealership. The dealership informed me that the inter turbo cooler was damaged due to the cold weather. I was also told that due to the cold weather ? they had seen this same occurrence at least 4 times that day alone. Upon further research, it appears that a large number of owners in the us have experienced not being able to start, difficulty starting, and engine failure to due water being drawn into the engine from water condensing in the intercooler. Https://maps. Google. Com/maps/ms?msid=207335707442566723762. 0004b73a15cae256f489f&msa=0&iwloc=a this has caused cars to suddenly die while driving on public roads and highways with the potential of suddenly being hit by fast approaching traffic. It also seems evident that Volkswagen has known about this issue since last winter. There appears to be numerous tech bulletins on the subject.

2009 vw Jetta tdi unable to start the vehicle it would crank but will not start. The vehicle was towed to the vw dealer and they said that the fuel pump in the fuel tank failed. The pump in the tank was replaced and still will not start. The dealer then said that the hpfp high pressure fuel pump on the engine was bad. They changed the pump and still will not start. The dealer does not know what is wrong with the vehicle at this time. They called their tech line awaiting an answer. I believe this is a high pressure fuel pump failure issue that is a known issue and well talked about on the vw tdi forums. If this is the issue the pumps and any repairs should be warrantied for the life of the vehicle as long as you own the vehicle since it was purchased new from the dealer.

Car broke down on highway. Towed to dealer and we were told there were metal shavings throughout fuel system and that it would cost $6000 to repair. We noticed that NHTSA has an open investigation (ea11003) for this exact problem. . Read more...

2010 Jetta sedan tdi --> fuel leak --> day prior ran normal. Went to start and did not start. Thought was the battery. Charged emergency starter for 4hr and attempted again with no avail. Called a friend who is a diesel mechanic to help start it. Hooked to his truck and still no start. I noticed wet underneath the front passenger wheel and thought nothing of it since it was parked on the street, so water possibly. It started to snow. Went and purchased a new battery. Installed the battery, after battery install still did not start. Attempted 2 more times. Since it was not the battery he began to look elsewhere while I attempted to start and yelled at me to stop. I go to the front of the auto and he shows me where the diesel is pulsating out and that is why it is not starting, it is not getting to the engine. I then look around the car and with the snow, I then notice a long green path of diesel fuel along the road. I called vw, paid the 84$ to tow to vw dealer and they could not look at it until a week later. My concern is the gas leak. I should technically have over 54k on the vehicle, I am not even close to those others for sale on the market. I am not upset since no bodily harm was done, however the leak is in great amount. I do recall a couple of days earlier that I was going through gas quicker. I fill 1x a month, with 4 days I was through a quarter of a tank but it did not click. This is me notifying you of my gas leak. The car never started and there was no fire but there is concern due to the leak. My mechanic friend stated that he had no idea what the part was called that was shooting out the fuel and to take to a authorized vw dealer which I did. I still have 5 days till they can even look at my car.

While traveling on interstate the vehicle lost acceleration and lost power while on exit ramp. Vehicle was towed to nearest vw dealer. Informed by dealer that the high pressure fuel pump had disintegrated and sent metal throughout fuel system and that parts and labor for repair would be $6000-$8000. Call to vw for assistance was rewarded with their offering to pay for the needed repairs. There was a long recorded history of dealer servicing and proof of only diesel fuel purchases. Nhtsa should insure that all tdi owners be notified of this probability and given the opportunity to have repairs/replacements done by vw.

The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the number 1 diesel fuel injector failed and the vehicle would not accelerate. The contact indicated that while stationary at a red light the vehicle stalled and the glow plug and check engine light illuminated. The failure was diagnosed by an independent mechanic who replaced the number 1 diesel fuel injector. The manufacturer was notified and no solution was offered. The failure mileage was 156,591. Updated 01/29/lj updated 01/29/14.

I was driving the car approximately 40 miles per hour on a straight road, when all of the sudden the engine lost power and I started coasting in the middle of traffic. I would press the gas and the engine would rev, but no power would be delivered. It was unlike anything I've experienced before with the car. It was like I was in a false neutral, the rpms would increase but the car would not accelerate when I was pressing the gas pedal. Since the car would not regain power, I was forced to coast to a halt in traffic. When I tried to remove my key to power down the car, it would not let me take the key out of the transmission. It was as if the car thought that the transmission was not yet in park even though it was. After a few seconds I was able to remove my key, when I turned the car back on, the problem seemed to go away.

Vehicle: 2010 vw Jetta tdi (diesel) entered highway and accelerated up to approx 40 mph then vehicle started to stall. A loud rattling noise was heard then "check engine light" came on. We immediately pulled over to shoulder and turned engine off. (engine did not stall out/off by itself, we turned engine off after pulling over) attempts to re-start engine failed. Starter would turn engine over but it would not start up. Subsequently we used a diagnostic code tool which indicated that there was a problem with fuel pressure. We had 1/2 tank of diesel so we did not run out of fuel. Battery was strong enough to turn over engine and all electrical systems still worked. We believe this maybe an issue with the fuel pump failing.

I drive a 2010 vw Jetta sportwagen tdi and two days ago, while driving ~75 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost power. I was on a highway and this put my life in great danger. Fortunately, I was able to get the car safely to service. They said I had used bad diesel. They flushed the fuel and changed the fuel filter and charged me $700. The next day, the same thing happened on the highway. I lost power and again my life was in great danger. Twice, my vw let me down. . . Nearly gravely! sadly, the drama continues. The car is now at a new repair shop. Neither repair shop know what the problem is. But from a simple internet search, I have found the problem: this is a recurring problem with this model. This is very clearly related to NHTSA campaign id number: ea11003.

Upon starting the vehicle today (December 5, 2013), at +15 deg f (morning low was -22 f), the glow plug light began blinking and a warning bell rang, signifying "check engine". The engine started immediately and continued to run but had no power above 2,000 rpm. This is the second (apparent) high pressure fuel pump failure on this vehicle, the first occurring on August 20, 2013 at ~55,000 miles, at highway speed, with the same loss of power symptom and "check engine" indication. That incident was luckily within ten miles of the dealership and I was able to drive the car to the dealer. The dealer determined that the fuel was not contaminated and that the fuel pump had failed and then replaced it under the original power train warranty. Prior to that first failure the car was experiencing slight 'missing' during acceleration or steady speed in the 2100-2500 rpm band. The same missing was occurring soon after the fuel pump replacement, prior to the current failure. I am the only person that has ever fueled the vehicle and there is 0% chance that the fuel currently (or ever) in the vehicle contained any gasoline or biodiesel, unless a gas station was selling contaminated fuel. The dealer also installed the preventive filler receptacle that does not allow a gas hose nozzle soon after the first fuel pump was replaced, during a normal oil change servicing. As of this writing, on the afternoon of December 5, 2013, the dealer's service agent has requested that I drive approximately 220 miles over a high mountain pass, to deliver the car for diagnosis and repair.

Car lost power but did not die completely. Limped to dealer and was initially told there was water in the diesel fuel, three days later it was called just 'contamination' (not further identified) that necessitated a completed fuel system replacement. Total cost $6300 - $8500 depending on whether the fuel tank needs to be replaced. Dealer confirmed that fuel pump failure could also cause fuel system contamination and since the fuel pump is considered part of the drive train (warranty - wise) it is covered for 50,000 miles.

Driving at about 40 mph with about 1/4 tank of gas when car started to sputter and run rough. The glow plug indicator light began flashing and I pulled into a nearby parking lot where I shut the car off. I restarted the car and pulled out of the parking lot but car immediately began to run rough and lose power again so I pulled into a gas station lot where the car refused to restart. Called a tow truck and got car towed to autobarn in countryside (where I bought the car). Tried to restart car again at dealership and noticed the fuel gage was reading "empty", meaning fuel had leaked out since the car died. Dealer called me the next day saying my high pressure fuel pump had failed and my entire fuel system from the gas tank on up to the injectors had to be replaced. Was covered under warranty and dealer was very helpful and did the job in four days, during t-giving week, which I was very satisfied with. I always get my diesel at bp amoco's or mobiles and make sure to use heavily trafficked station to have the best chance of getting fresh fuel. I am not comfortable driving the car and have considered trading it in due to vw corporate's seeming indifference to the problem, which is well documented online and there are many many cases similar to mine. Shortly after I bought the car I noticed that all the fuel stations in my area went from 5% biodiesel to 20% biodiesel. I asked the dealer at the time about it because the owners manual states vw will not warranty the car if anything more than 5% biodiesel is used. The dealer said vw would warrant it and a written statement from vw came in the mail shortly thereafter. I can't help but wonder if the higher biodiesel percentage led to the failure.

Drive home from work at about 1500 hrs, with no issues. Stopped at local supermarket, started engine with slight delay, left parking lot, car started to buck, drove maybe 1/2 mi started losing power, after going another 50 ft car engine died, pushed car to my driveway called dealership and had car towed to dealership. On 11/21/13 dealership informed me that hpfp had exploded sending metal shavings into engine, they asked me if I accidentally put gas and I responded with no. They stated that fuel may have been contaminated. Dealership is repairing car since it is still under warranty, said maybe 1 week in the shop. I was given a rental in the meantime.

The contact owns a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure was recurring but the vehicle was able to be restarted after several minutes. The check engine and glow plug warning light would also illuminate after the failure had occurred. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who diagnosed that the fuel system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45000.

At highway speed, 55 mph, there was a loud clunk and the engine shut off. I coasted to the shoulder and could not get the car to restart. I was towed to the dealer and was told the following: injectors 3 & 4 were malfunctioning and needed to be replaced. History: 1 month ago the glow plug warning light began to come on intermittently. I took the car to the dealer for service, they read the codes and switched the #2 & #3 glow plugs to decide if it was the harness or the glow plugs themselves. After a few more weeks the light was on continuously and my wife had the car go clunk and die on the freeway. She got it to restart after a few minutes and we headed directly to the dealership for the replacement glow plugs. The dealer replaced all 4 glow plugs. Yesterday, the clunk happened again and we are now back at the dealer deciding what to do. The dealer says replace all 4 injectors and that should fix the problem. I say how do we check the high pressure fuel pump as that is likely the real problem.

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 out that this is a known problem. Trying to get vw to replace the car, cannot depend on it now. There needs to be a recall on those fuel pumps! I was two hours late for a extremely important meeting in seattle that I could not be late too.

Was on my way to work one morning while in the middle of my drive going 60mph my diesel glow plug light started to blink and the check engine light came on along with loss of power to my vehicle. Had to manage to avoid traffic and pull over to the side of the road and figure out what was wrong. Ultimately had car towed to vw dealership where I purchased car from . They looked over the car, test drove it and stated they didn't see anything wrong with it and reset the mil and I was on my way. The next day on my way to work again , glow plug light starts to blink along with check engine light on and loss of power to my vehicle. Have car taken back again and this time they state it was a bad fuel pump over the fuel tank and replace it and reset the mil and got my car back. That same day on my way home from work the lights come on again for a third time with loss of power to my vehicle. Take car back and this time they replace high pressure fuel pump. Haven't had any issues with it since but I suspect this is something that is occurring in alot of vw's from this year and felt the need to report it.

The high pressure fuel pump failed and destroyed the entire fuel system of the car.

When coming to stop at a red light, there was an engine fault workshop warning message and a blinking yellow glow plug warning light. When the light turned green, the car felt sluggish, needing extra throttle than usual to get to 35mph. After stopping at the next red light, the car was stuck in first gear (only 30 seconds after the warning light), and I could only get to 10mph in a 35mph zone. Turning on my hazard blinkers, I was lucky that there was a dedicated left turn lane into a parking lot, otherwise I would not have been able to safely pull over to the right shoulder from the left lane before the engine died.

On oct. 4, 2013 the high pressure fuel pump failed while I was driving. The glow plug light started to blink, I started to pull over planning to shut the car off and restart it to see if the light went off. Before I got pulled over the engine died and would not restart. It had to be towed to the dealership. It could have been a very dangerous situation had I been driving in high speed traffic on the freeway. The high pressure fuel pump failure sent metal shavings through out the entire fuel system. All pumps, injectors, fuel rails, filters, lines all had to be replaced. The fuel tank had to be cleaned and lines all flushed. Thankfully it was covered by vw 60000 mile powertrain warranty. I have read about a lot of other people who have had this happen. It is very dangerous when your car just dies going down the road and will not restart.

Vw Jetta tdi rear tank pump has no filter sock and fuel starved to high pressure aluminum pump without high pressure filter or manifold. No sign of metal shavings! cost of repair 10000. 00 I phoned vw America as car was in warranty and they emailed back and said they would contact me and this did not happen. I had to pay the bill but my insurance covered me for most cost. Lost 4 days of work and had to rent a car. This car is unsafe and I feel terrible saying this as I am a diesel lover. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I was on my way home after work approximately 6-7 pm doing 45 mph. I looked down to my instrument cluster to check my speed to make sure I wasn't speeding. Then I saw the glow plug light blinking multiple times then about less than 5-10 seconds later my engine cut out. I cost off into a harper college parking lot came to a stop. I tried to start the car 2-3 times, each time the engine was crackin over but wouldn't start it up. I called the tow truck company and had the vehicle towed to vw dealer in schaumburg, IL ( fox valley vw) dealer said the high pressure fuel pump failed. Vwoa cover this under power train warranty 5/60k warranty. The dealer replace hpfp,lift pump, pump in gas tank,fuel lines to engine,coils etc. . . Repairs came to roughly $5300. 00. Vwoa only give 12/12k miles warranty on the hpfp. This is a known problem on some vw with cjaa 2. 0l turbo diesel engines and vwoa has not found the defect in the hpfp. Vwoa should extend the hpfp to 100k miles due to deft in the hpfp since they haven't found the problem and corrected it.

Check engine light and glow plug indicator light illuminate and engine goes into limp or safe mode. Has happened twice and dealer cannot find problem.

Received a letter from Volkswagen America for "service action campaign code: 20t8 subject: certain 2009-2012 model year vehicles with tdi® clean diesel engine install misfueling guard may 21, 2013" to install the misfueling guard vw part #5k0 201 400. Made an appointment with jim ellis Volkswagen located at 1860 cobb pkwy s marietta, GA 30060 (770) 955-6565 to install the misfueling guard. After the fuel guard was installed, discovered that none of the diesel fuel nozzles at area fueling stations in atlanta, GA and charleston, SC fit the misfueling guard because the nozzles are too small to deactivate the lock-out mechanism. Car can only be refueled with extreme difficulty by very slowing trickling in diesel fuel to avoid triggering the fuel pump back-pressure auto-shutoff safety feature. Requires 10 to 15 mins to partially fuel the car and diesel fuel will foam and run out of the fuel tank neck. Contacted Volkswagen America and jim ellis to remove the misfueling guard, who as of this writing, are refusing to do so per vw America directives. Instead, the dealer provided a diesel fuel nozzle adapter 000-072-709 with latex gloves, which is not suitable for the average non-mechanically oriented driver and a huge inconvenience that significantly diminishes the value and utility of the vehicle. Part must not be lost and carefully wiped dry and kept clean after each use. A new driver may not be aware of or understand how to use the nozzle adapter. Neither vw America nor jim ellis advised me the misfueling guard would not fit a great number of diesel fuel nozzles commonly found at area refueling stations prior to having it installed. Had I known this, I would not have allowed the misfueling guard to be installed.

We were driving our 2009 Volkswagen Jetta tdi down the highway at 65mph on Friday may 24, 2013 when suddenly the car began to shake and shudder violently. It was very scary and then it seemed that the power was coming in and out. Because of the sudden shaking and loss of power, I had to very quickly pull to the side of the road, to avoid causing an accident on a heavily congested highway on a holiday weekend. The vehicle is always serviced by the dealership (including all oil changes) and is up to date on all pertinent maintenance. The dealership has diagnosed the vehicle with a failed high pressure fuel pump (hpfp) and has accused us of somehow allowing metal into the diesel fuel (they even had some metal "samples" to show me at their service counter, how bizarre). I went back to the fuel station where we last filled up and spoke to the manager, who said there have been no reports of any issues related to contaminants of any kind in their diesel fuel. We are stuck with a $6,000 bill for a dealer-maintained car that has ~83,000 miles on it and is just over 3 years old, in addition to the fright of a violent loss of the vehicle's power, at highway speeds.

The car completely lost power while in motion and I had to pull off the roadway in heavy traffic. The dealer told me that the tdi (diesel) fuel system had a complete failure and imploded into many very small metal parts. Vw is replacing the entire fuel system, but not the engine. I believe metal in the fuel lines is cause for a complete engine replacement as they cannot prove the contamination was limited to the fuel lines. The car is less than 4 months old and has 5500 miles total.