2.6

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
56,620 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Volkswagen Jetta engine problems

engine problem

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2009 Volkswagen Jetta Owner Comments

problem #15

Sep 192009

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 37,365 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car stalled 5 times over a two day period duel to a failure of the fuel pump. Dash board warning said "engine fault workshop" and glow plug warning light came on. Owner manual said to bring into shop soon. Dealership found metal shavings throughout the fuel system that was caused by a failed high pressure fuel pump. The warning lights first came on when their was a near empty condition in the fuel tank. I have heard that this has happened to others when fuel is low. Cost for repair would have been around $6000, but VW warranty covered this. If this stall had happened on the interstate it would have been very dangerous. As it was I had a police car push me out of an intersection during rush hour to a safe spot.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #14

Nov 032012

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 228,605 miles
I was on the exit ramp of the interstate and the go to workshop warning came on along with the glow plug warning light. Vehicle lost power, I was able to get to a side street and turned off vehicle, it restarted and seemed fine drove about 2 miles and stopped for a light, car stalled and warning lights came back on. Car did not restart had push to side of road and tow home. Towed to dealer first of week. Found to be high pressure fuel pump failure of the diesel engine. This is the second one to go bad first one at 135380 miles and now at 228605 miles only 93225 miles on repair job. VW repaired the first one, replaced entire fuel system at no charge, do to faulty hpfp. Even though this pump has less miles they will not help with repair cost. Both times car died at a major intersection and had to be pushed to side of road.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #13

Oct 102012

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • 115,986 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the malfunction engine warning light flashed on the dashboard as the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to move the vehicle to the side of the road. The contact towed the vehicle to a dealer. The dealer stated that the entire fuel system needed to be replaced due to metal flakes entering the fuel system when the fuel pump malfunctioned. The failure mileage was 115,986. Updated 11/14/12 updated 11/15/12

- Edmond, OK, USA

problem #12

Nov 162011

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • Manual transmission
  • 14,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled several times without warning. The vehicle would jerk stall and no warning lights would illuminate. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection, but was not repaired. The failure mileage was 14,000 and the current mileage was 15,000. Updated 02/15/12 the dealer stated the stalling problem was due to not letting the glow plug warm-up. Updated 02/22/12 updated evoq 06/26/12

- Chevy Chase , MD, USA

problem #11

Oct 282011

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 89,936 miles
As my wife was driving towards a stop sign at a relatively slow speed, the vehicle check engine light came on and then the car died. As she started to roll backwards, she stopped the car and waited for the other traffic to clear. She was able to restart the car and drive it home as she was less than a mile away. After I returned home, I started the car and noticed the check engine light. At that point the car seemed fine. I went to autozone to see if they could download the error codes that might provide some insight into what component was causing the problem. They could not do that according to ca law. I purchased a obdii code reader and discovered code P0191 and P0087, both relating to the fuel system. P0191 indicated the fuel rail pressure sensor a circuit range / performance. The P0087 indicated the fuel rail / system pressure too low. While researching these codes on the internet I discovered a huge amount of information relating to this issue. I am thankful my wife was not in a huge amount of traffic as she could have been in an accident as a result of the car shutting down without warning. This has been going on with the tdi diesel engine since 2009. Why has there been no recall to fix what I believe is a defective or inferior fuel pump. In the many work orders I have read VW in many cases blamed bad fuel (gas in the diesel tank) as the problem. I have written documentation for every gallon of fuel that has been put in this car since it was new. The car has had all scheduled maintenance completed since the car was new. If this is a known problem why wasn't a recall issued like they did with the dsg transmission. Is this denial on VW's part so they don't get a bunch of bad press?

- Tehachapi, CA, USA

problem #10

Oct 142009

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • Automatic transmission
  • 5,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. While the contact was driving approximately 70 mph, the engine warning indicator illuminated followed by the engine stalling. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The vehicle was repaired; however, a similar failure occurred a second time and the vehicle was taken to a different dealer and repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 5,000. Updated 12/13/11

- Riverhead, NY, USA

problem #9

Oct 012011

Jetta Diesel

  • 55,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This concerns a 2009 VW Jetta tdi (clean diesel version). Car dashboard put out warning message "engine malfunction" then car began to sputter and lose power. Electronic dashboard showed there was plenty of diesel gas in the tank (enough to continue driving 250 miles). (the car had been filled up with diesel gasoline on the day before, Friday, and driven on a short trip that Saturday during the day hours; driver had filled up at that station regularly across the last 2 years since the car was purchased.) electronic dashboard also showed all other systems functioning regarding battery, temperature sensor, etc. Driver was on busy city avenue in fullerton, California traveling at about 40 mph when sputtering began. Car power slowly decreased to about 20 mph, but fortunately driver was able to make it through several green lights to a commercial area. Fortunately Saturday night traffic was not heavy, so a lane change to the right was possible without affecting other drivers who wished to go at a faster speed. Car slowed down to about 5 mph as driver maneuvered car for the last 500 feet into a gasoline station parking lot. Car engine came to a complete stop. This was less than 5 minutes after the first "engine malfunction" warning on the electronic dashboard. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful; a clicking sound in the ignition was heard. Car engine subsequently would not turn over and had to be towed Saturday night.

- Anaheim, CA, USA

problem #8

Sep 302011

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 50,130 miles
30 Sept 2011. While sitting at an intersection we noticed a rattling sound coming from our 2009 Jetta tdi. Could also feel a slight vibration through the shift lever and steering wheel. Initial thought was an A/C clutch issue due to a squealing sound that started. Proceeded through the intersection and accelerated to approximately 30 mph when the "engine fault workshop" light came on and the sound became very loud. We immediately pulled into a parking lot to investigate. Loud metallic noises appeared to be internal to the engine not external. Shut the car off and it would not restart. Car was towed to mossy VW (classic Volkswagen) in escondido, ca at closing time and will be troubleshoot in the morning. 50,000 miles on the car. Great dealer so far, service stayed late to assist and ensured we had transportation home. A quick online search revealed hpfp failures for 2009 VW tdi cars are becoming more common and unfortunately the manufacturer is not acknowledging and some dealers are blaming on fuel contamination with unleaded gas. Owners are reporting $10,000 repair bills. We have our diesel fuel receipt from yesterday, 29 Sep 2011, confirming correct fuel was used.

- Ramona, CA, USA

problem #7

Sep 162011

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 20,500 miles
Flashing glow plug warning light and loss of power while going 70 mph on turnpike. Car went into "limp mode" allowing exit from turnpike. Car traveled several blocks then stalled at stop light and would not start. Car was towed to VW dealer and diagnosed with failed high pressure fuel pump and metal particles contaminating diesel fuel. Dealer to replace entire fuel system.

- Davie, FL, USA

problem #6

Apr 252011

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 68,000 miles
My 2009 Jetta tdi engine started running rough when I pushed the clutch in while turning into a parking lot 3 weeks ago. I coasted to a parking spot and turned off the ignition. I started the car back up immediately to see if it was going to be ok and it sounded good so I shut it off. When I returned about 45 minutes later, the car started but sounded like it was running on only one or two cylinders and then died. I called a tow truck and it would not start at all when he arrived. The dealer asked if I had ever run gasoline through it. I said 'no, why would I do that"' he said that the entire fuel system needed to be replaced and that VW would pay for this 'one time' even though the warranty has run out. Well, if they are at fault this time, they will be at fault the next time too. My concern is the next time. I drive on a 70 mph interstate 90 miles round trip to work 5 days a week. What are the chances that I will be lucky enough that it did not happen in traffic at that speed the first time and just where will I be when it happens again? if they are replacing this shredded high pressure fuel pump with the same model made of the same materials, it will happen again. Is there ethanol being put into diesel in this country? what about the additives to diesel that are necessary for lubricity that are put in by the different companies? is one or more types of these the culprit" this problem is all over the internet and I hope that VW can come up with a permanent solution before someone is seriously injured - if it hasn't happened already. Meanwhile - still waiting for my car to be returned to me.

- Ravenswood, WV, USA

problem #5

Apr 172011

Jetta

  • 83,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta sportwagen tdi. The contact stated while driving 75 mph, he briefly lost engine power. There were no warning lights illuminated and after pumping the accelerator pedal, the engine resumed power. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The failure mileage was 83,500.

- Hobe Sound, FL, USA

problem #4

Mar 212011

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 17,305 miles
Engine abruptly stalled entering large multi-lane intersection, as engine repair light came on. Suddenly inoperative power train on the vehicle without any prior warning. Tdi diesel powered vehicle. Towed to dealership and diagnosed with hpfp (fuel pump) & fuel system failure.

- Walnut Creek, CA, USA

problem #3

Feb 122011

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 30,000 miles
Glow plug indicator symbol flashing on dashboard. I had just left my house so I decided to drive around the block to get back to my house to check on the symbol. Within one block the car lost power, the glow plug indicator came back on (flashing) as did the engine warning symbol. My car could now only clunk forward at about 5 mph. I made it over to the curbside, grabbed my manual, and walked home. I called the VW dealer and he said that he'd seen a couple of cases like this and that the car would have to be towed in." I had it towed to dealership (this was a Saturday). On Monday I heard that there was a problem with the fuel pump (hpfp) and that the whole fuel system would have to be replaced. Luckily, I was still under warranty. It's a very expensive repair. More luckily, this power failure did not happen on the freeway, which is where I was heading. I could have been killed. Please see this string of complaints about the fuel pump failure - which so far VW is denying is a problem: www.tdi-issues.com/hpfp-cases-tac68/. also, please pursue this as a safety issue and consider a recall. There has been no guarantee from VW that this repair will not stop the problem from occurring again. When my car is repaired, I will still feel unsafe, since VW will not admit the part was faulty and will not clarify that they have replaced the hpfp with a new, improved version.

- San Leandro, CA, USA

problem #2

Nov 192010

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 22,977 miles
While driving to work, the engine malfunction dashboard light illuminated while making a left turn, traveling about 20 mph, with slightly less than 1/2 tank fuel from the same filling. The left turn where the malfunction occurred was the last 1/2 mile of my ~15 mile commute to work. Immediately after observing the malfunction light, I could hear a metal-on-metal grinding sound coming from under the hood. The engine did not stop running though the grinding noise persisted for the remaining 1/2 mile of my commute. After turning the car off in the parking lot, I contacted my VW dealer and informed them of the problem. They recommended I try driving the car to the dealer for service, which is about 15.5 miles from my workplace. I stayed at work for the next 3 hours, and around midday set off to drive the car to the VW dealer. The car started, but the grinding noise persisted and the engine malfunction light illuminated within 1 minute of starting. At the same intersection where the problem had originally started, 1/2 mile from work, I was forced to stop at a red light. While stopped, the engine operation became very rough and the engine stopped running. I was able to restart and lightly accelerate when the light turned green, but the car stalled after about 10 seconds, though I had enough momentum to get out and push the car into a parking lot. I had the car towed to the VW dealer. The dealer reported that they found shards of metal throughout the fuel system, especially in the fuel pump. They quoted me VW's statement about gasoline contamination of diesel fuel, and implied that I may have incorrectly fueled the car. However, they took a fuel sample from my tank and reported that it was normal diesel with no signs of contamination. They agreed to replace the entire fuel system. The car has run normally since repairing.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #1

Sep 292009

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • Manual transmission
  • 11,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact was driving approximately 25 mph when there was a slight loss of engine power and the glow plug warning indicator light illuminated. The warning indicator remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they detected that improper fuel was consumed in the fuel tank. The vehicle was then towed to another dealer for a second opinion and the technician informed that the fuel system would need to be replaced. The repair was performed on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000. Updated 04/12/11 updated 04/13/11

- Wheeling , WV, USA

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