Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Volkswagen Jetta - part 1

Started car in the morning to go to work and 20 minutes later heard loud clunking coming from engine bay. Pulled over and got towed. Upper timing cover was removed and found that screws from camshaft phasers had backed out causing issue. Issue was confirmed at german car shop. No prior problems. Mentioned at last service visit that a rattling was coming from the engine bay. Was told that it was normal. Googled issue and found multiple people complaining of same issue. Car has not ever had work done in that area. Seems like a failure of quality control in the factory.

See all problems of the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta 🔎.

My 2023 vehicle has needed coolant topped off every 5-10k miles. This appears to be a very common occurrence for several owners however dealerships are just telling folks to top off as it's due to evaporation (it's a closed system and shouldn't evaporate). It is due to a faulty head gasket that vw even later redesigned. If you review reddit and numerous forums about the 1. 5t produced before July 2023 it is a known issue that caused vw to redesign the headgasket. The powertrain warranty on new vehicle purchases is very short (50k miles) so they avoid replacing and tell folks to just "top off" until the warranty expires.

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On Monday [xxx] my 2018 vw Jetta s started gushing gas from the bottom of the car. I immediately pulled over and called aaa to have my car towed to my nearest vw dealer which was national city Volkswagen 3131 mile of car national city, CA. The issue my car was having looked similar to a recall due to fuel rails coming loose. My car ended up having faulty gas rails which is part of a recall for my vehicle. I was told it was already corrected 4 years ago so I had to pay out of pocket for it. Yet the repairs or corrected recall are not on the carfax, for one. And for two, I did not own the car when said repairs were completed and I cannot find any record of it. I believe vw is still responsible for this as it is the same parts that were repaired for the recall. Plus, I missed a whole day at work because of this. ($30hr×8=$240) plus the $1438. 26 I had to pay out of pocket. Thank you for your time and consideration. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at 50 mph, the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the abs module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stopped driving the vehicle due to safety concerns. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

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I was driving my car on a 100 degree day and and after about a block, a warning popped up on the little screen behind the steering wheel that said "ignition switch off, safely stop the vehicle". I feel like the engine may have shut off, but I'm not sure as I just rolled to the side of the road and turned off my car as fast as a could. I waited a few minutes and turned it on, drove about a block, and it said, "starter system faulty, please service vehicle". I once again turned it off, waited a few minutes. I googled on my phone instances of this and people saying they were still able to drive that car, so I turned it back on and started to drive it the two blocks back to my house, the "starter system faulty" message popped up again and suddenly all of the electrical in the car shut off (the engine was still running). My radio, speedometer, everything was just off. I made it home, got on my computer and found an article about a recall that match my car's make, model, year, and key rather than button ignition. It described my exact experience. I looked up my car to see if it had a recall and it didn't. I called the dealership and they were no help, so I called the Volkswagen of America customer care line. They told me my VIN didn't qualify "probably" because it wasn't within the "manufacturing dates". I'm having a hard time understanding that since everything else lines up. Additionally, I just purchased this vehicle used from a vw dealership less than two months ago. The dealer plates are still on the car. According to them, the car was in great condition. . .

Engine stalling and cutting off while driving. Unsafe while in heavy traffic.

Nhtsa campaign id 15v705000 16v403000 20v648000 20e064000 19v615000.

See all problems of the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta 🔎.

The turbocharger is out. I've had problems with coolant leaking. Mechanic pressurized tank, its fine. While parked coolant disappears, evaporates, idk. . Nothing leaking on ground. Now smoke coming out of exhaust. Car has 56,000 miles.

See all problems of the 2015 Volkswagen Jetta 🔎.

Faulty started. Per your website, Volkswagen issued a recall for certain 2019 and 2020 Jetta models with traditional ignition keys(not push-button start) due to a faulty ignition switch that can cause the electrical system to shut down and the engine to stall, increasing crash risk. This recall, identified as recall 23v-604 by NHTSA. My vehicle needs to be included in this recall.

I purchased my brand new 2025 Volkswagen Jetta s, and not a week later the check engine light came on and the car started acting weird. The rpm's would spike before the car would move. I brought it back to the dealership that I purchased the car from; and they diagnosed it. They said it was a faulty fuel pump. It was very inconvenient, and could end up causing long term issues with the car/ engine. And could seriously harm other people.

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle independently accelerated to 70 mph. The contact immediately depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact pulled over onto the side of the road and the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that there was no fault found with the vehicle. The contact continued driving however, while driving uphill at 25 mph and approaching a stop sign at an intersection, the vehicle independently accelerated to 50 mph, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact shifted to neutral(n) and allowed the vehicle to slow down before driving to a local dealer for the vehicle to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that additional diagnostic tests were needed to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.

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My 2019 Volkswagen Jetta cannot be refueled — gas nozzle clicks off instantly or overflows. The check engine light came on, and vw corporate confirmed code p00fe, indicating a failure of the evap system vent valve. This is a sealed emissions component integrated with the fuel tank. Dealership initially claimed there were “no codes,” but a video shows their technician confirming the evap code, disconnecting the evap system, and concluding the tank must be replaced. However, since the valve is a powered solenoid, unplugging the system wouldn't allow it to open — this invalidates their test and diagnosis. Vw has denied warranty coverage even though the issue clearly falls under the 8-year/80,000-mile federal emissions warranty as defined by the epa and vw’s own documentation. I also discovered they misrepresented an active recall (#28h7) and falsely told me I had none. Vw customer care told me about the recall and informed the dealership. Vw customer care informed me 7/9/25 that the recall had been repaired. Carfax yesterday and your system today show that it still has not been repaired. This is a safety hazard. I cannot refuel reliably, and the dealership is denying coverage while refusing to provide written documentation or a breakdown of findings. My car is disabled and stranded at the dealership since July 24, 2025 and they will barely communicate.

My Volkswagen Jetta shut off driving down interstate 99 due to major fuel leak (fuel rail bolt broke) I saw Volkswagen had a recall for fuel rail bolt coming loose after time. I called Volkswagen states recall was completed in may 2021 I bought the car may 2025. I asked Volkswagen rep if they would repair it as this is the same issue as the recall obviously it isn’t corrected. This could have been very bad with fuel leaking along a major highway one thing ignited and car would have went in flames. My son could have been seriously injured or even killed! epc light came on as this was happening. The car is at my local mechanic who advised me to call Volkswagen due to an open recall for this issue. Volkswagen rep states I could take it to Volkswagen dealer to have it looked at but advised it would be at my expense. The only way anything would be done or reviewed if the car caught on fire or someone died. I would like this looked into as I believe vw should pay for my car to be fixed. Since the known problem was not fixed. I don’t have any documentation as my car is still in the process of getting fixed.

See all problems of the 2017 Volkswagen Jetta 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the starter failure message displayed. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

2 bolts came lose in engine, need timing belt replaced, caused oil leak and other problems yet to be identified. Volkswagen admitted that should never happen but will not take responsibility.

While driving home from work (I travel with the railroad weekly) on Thursday, [xxx], I had my vehicle set on cruise control going west on [xxx] in TN. Out of nowhere, my engine overheated and I lost my coolant. Upon pulling over, I observed no trail of coolant and nothing leaking under my vehicle. I refilled the coolant and made it home. The next morning, my coolant tank was empty again. I took it to my local vw dealership and was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. Upon research, I found that on August 17th, 2023, vw put out a technical service bulletin stating that the "original engine production head gasket design can lead to coolant leaks. " this bulletin did list the engine for my vehicle purchased that year. I was told that "our manager name is tim. He informed me that TSB is sent out when they are seeing these issues occur. It is a tech tip to help the technician diagnosis the vehicle. Your vehicle is out of warranty therefore it wouldn't be cover. " the engine issue is well known with vw, with a statement that the issue is known. The bulletin also advised "improve head gasket design and coating as of engine number dnka 234 458 July 27th 2023. " so there is a fix to this issue and bw refuses to fix the issue at hand and is attempting to charge just under $3,500 for the repair. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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!.

See all problems of the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta 🔎.

My cars consumes oil like crazy. I'd say every week I am adding a quart to two quarts of oil. I would lose power while driving. Sometimes the car would just shut off and then it would take a few times to get it started. I was in the middle of driving when the car just completely shut off on me and it will not start at all. It will crank and sound like it's going to turn over but it won't. I've been told it's most likely a timing chain issue.

I’ve been experiencing intermittent start failures with my 2015 Volkswagen Jetta. The issue typically occurs after driving short distances, turning off the engine, and attempting to restart the vehicle within 15–45 minutes. The dashboard lights stay on, but the engine fails to crank. After extended wait times (1–3 hours or more), it will sometimes start again. A diagnostic scanner showed dtc im 00, indicating an immobilizer system malfunction, meaning the car isn’t recognizing the key properly. I’ve tested both keys and various conditions (locked/unlocked, sun/shade, full/low gas tank), and the issue continues to be unpredictable. When the car was towed to the dealership, they were unable to replicate the problem since it started by the time they checked it, and they were unwilling to investigate the immobilizer issue without charging me for a wide range of unrelated tests. This is becoming a safety issue, especially if the vehicle stalls or won’t restart in isolated areas or during hot conditions. It is not acceptable for a known electronic security feature to randomly disable the vehicle from functioning.

My mother owns a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta. Recently, the car has developed a strong and constant smell of gasoline, both while driving and when parked. This is extremely concerning, as it appears to be a fuel leak, which poses a serious fire and safety hazard. Upon researching, I discovered NHTSA recall 20v648000, which affects certain 2016–2018 Jetta vehicles due to loose fuel rail bolts that may cause fuel to leak. My mother’s car is experiencing the exact same symptoms, yet her VIN is not included in the recall, and Volkswagen has refused to help because the recall does not technically apply to her vehicle. We spoke directly with vw customer care, and despite clearly describing the fuel smell and matching the recall symptoms, they told us the repairs would be out-of-pocket. My mother does not speak english and relies on me for help — and she cannot afford the cost of repairs for something that is clearly a known defect. The vehicle is undrivable due to the risk of explosion or fire, and we are desperate for help. I’m submitting this complaint in hopes that NHTSA will investigate and expand the recall to include additional vins. There is no reason a vehicle with an identical issue should be excluded simply because of a VIN batch.

It was a hot day and I went to start my 2019 Jetta, it sent me a warning code to safely stop the vehicle and then all electrical shut off but the engine then proceeded to stall in place and not want to start back up. I got it to restart and the parking break locked up. I turned it off again and restarted it and managed to get the parking break off after several attempts. I had to have it towed as it was clearly not safe to drive. As soon as the temperature dropped the car was completely fine no electrical errors making me think this is similar to other Volkswagen vehicle issues. There is no recall in place but this is extremely unsafe for me to drive and I just purchased the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle, entering the vehicle through the a/c vents. The check engine warning light and an unknown warning light were illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 20v648000 (fuel system, gasoline). The contact stated that the VIN was included; but stated that the VIN had been removed from the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Coolant reservoir keeps getting empty every 1000 miles. . Read more...

I recently bought vehicle seen there is a recall.

See all problems of the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta 🔎.

Oil consumption: my 2014 Jetta 1. 8t se is consuming oil at an excessive rate. This began at 30,000 miles and has been to the vw dealership numerous times ending without resolution.

[xxx] invoice [xxx] vehicle was taken to hoy family auto dealer in el paso, texas (1. )to inspect brakes noise and parking brake not engaging at all times, there has been times when the parking brake does not engage, and humming noise while braking and exiting freeway. Service personnel did not dismount wheels to have visual inspection on braking system they just checked for gap wear and tear. (2. )also told service advisor about emergency braking system warning on dashboard warning system comes on sometimes while braking on empty roads at stop signs and while parking vehicle on a house driveway. (3. ) suspension on front passenger side hard hit noise while driving on uneven pavements. (4. ) passenger rear side view mirror sensor light most of times does not work on approaching moving vehicles. *problem persists information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2024 Volkswagen Jetta 🔎.

My camshaft sensors went bad at 77k miles had it towed to auto repair. Auto shop said my timing tensioner and chain were worn and needed replacement. Cost was 6200. 00. A month later the engine blew at 81k miles. This was a lease for the first 3 years so all maintenance was done by Volkswagen. I had it serviced three times after that. Sits in my garage half the year as I travel by airplane or tour bus for work so no need to drive all the time. This shouldn’t be happening.

I bought the car brand new in 2016 had the oil changed on its scheduled maintenance and at 77000 mile my timing chain made my car go into limp mode. Now I am looking at a 4700$ in mechanic and engine work.

When I start the car multiple times the car will throw over half of all the error code and could not start the vehicle. Driving in the highway doing 65mph with the cruise control on the car completely shut off and I had to limp it to the shoulder and was unable to start the car. Each time I cleared the fault codes then was able to start the car. If I didn’t have my scanner I would have had to get towed each time to the dealer. I see there is an ignition switch recall on the 2019 and the 2020 cars but for some reason I don’t see my 2020 included in that. Now the proximity sensor is at fault and I have to take it to the dealer again. Please let me know what I should do.

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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.

My check engine light came on on Sunday Dec 1. I immediately took it to a diagnostic service station in my local area. They diagnosed that my car has a vent control valve malfunction. This issue is a known problem to Volkswagen. They do not replace this part if it fails after 60k miles. This makes zero sense to me. I purchased my car, used with 63k miles on it. It now has 80k. At no time was I made aware that this part would/could fail! the vent control valve is over $250 and labor will be another $200. When I called vw they said they don't issue recalls, only nthsa does. Furthermore, vw also said that if I am to get reimbursed, should they see fit to issue this recall, that I must take it to a vw dealer. All well and good, but vw wants $238 to diagnose a problem that already cost me $130. I was also told that there are currently 11k cars waiting on this part. That is not a statistical anomaly. Therefore, nthsa needs to issue a recall and help vw owners get their vent valve control replaced before our engines are damaged.

Obd-ii port is not connected properly meaning that when a checked engine light came on I am unable to diagnose the issue.

See all problems of the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta 🔎.

My manual transmission clutch went to the floor without warning and the car suddenly was inoperable. Bay vw in great neck, NY performed a $4,000 repair. . I picked uo the car today and within five miles drive the clutch failed again and the car was inoperable. In December 2022 the same thing happened while driving on [xxx] . I was in the passing lane and lost complete control of the car except for steering. I had an elderly passenger with dementia and it was providential that we weren't in an accident. It's now three breakdowns of the same kind. Obviously, another part is defective causing these operational failures. It's a safety risk and the three two vw repair shops, on three occasions, have not been able to detect it. I am afraid for my safety and that of my passengers. I can provide the repair invoices. Please look into this. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed fuel leaking from under the hood of the vehicle. The check engine, and electronic power control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel rail bolt had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

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).