NHTSA — Fuel System, Diesel Problems

2010 Volkswagen Jetta (Page 1 of 9)

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
36,702 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.

2010 Volkswagen Jetta fuel system problems

fuel system problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2010 Volkswagen Jetta Owner Comments (Page 1 of 9)

problem #166

Jul 062015

Jetta

  • 79,000 miles

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

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.

- Texarkana, TX, USA

problem #165

Jan 192015

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 41,208 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at a low speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the engine warning light previously illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the engine warning light needed to be reset. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,208. Updated 4/30/15 updated 05/05/15

- Port Charlotte, FL, USA

problem #164

Mar 032015

Jetta

  • 68,000 miles
NHTSA action number :EA11003 aux fuel injection pump and lines leaking.

- Peoria, AZ, USA

problem #163

Dec 312014

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 47,900 miles

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

After entering street, after approximately 1/2 mile, glow light indicator came on and did not flash, a pop sounded and the engine died and could not be restarted, vehicle was towed 25 miles to dealership, waiting for diagnosis. No prior warning lights or indicators that the engine was inoperable. Had a new battery and had just made a trip of 345 miles two days prior.

- Canton, GA, USA

problem #162

Jan 022015

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 94,000 miles
While driving on the george Washington bridge from nyc to New Jersey, the car began to slow, there was a slight "bucking" of the engine, and warning lights illuminated on the dash (glow plug malfunction indicator and battery malfunction indicator). I tried to downshift, but was unable to engage gears or control the speed of the vehicle. The car slowed to a stop and I put on my emergency flashers. The engine was still running, but I was unable to engage the gears to make it go.

- Hopkinton, MA, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #161

Dec 172014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 88,740 miles
I started the morning of 12/17/2014 just as I do every morning: Went out to my car, turned the key over to warm the glow plugs, and started it up. As I proceeded to pull out of my driveway, I did not notice anything unusual. About 50 feet down the road on a slight grade, my car just cut off. There were no warnings whatsoever. The glow plug light flashed, along with a "service engine" indicator. Since I was on a slight grade, I was able to roll backwards and, with struggle, turn the wheel and back into my driveway. This was a safety issue primarily because at any moment someone could have not realized I was stopped in the middle of the road and slammed into me. I was honestly frightened for my safety and well-being. This is a well known high pressure fuel pump issue.

- Pleasant Shade, TN, USA

problem #160

Aug 152014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 75,000 miles

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

I was driving my VW Jetta tdi on a local surface street in heavy traffic when my car died with no warning and initially would not restart. Fortunately I had enough momentum to coast to the side of the road to avoid being in an accident. I was able to restart the car and resume after a few moments. This has happened once more and is disconcerting. I always purchase fuel from name-brand and high-volume gas stations. I believe this to be related to NHTSA action number : EA11003.

- Cortez, CO, USA

problem #159

Aug 202014

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 76,885 miles
Traveling South on hwy 101, 55 miles North of san louis obispo, ca at an approximate speed of 65 mph, the engine lost power, and the vehicle came to a stop. The engine could not be restarted. The vehicle was towed to perry Volkswagen in san louis obispo, ca. The vehicle was diagnosed as a failure of the high pressure fuel pump sending slivers of metal throughout the fuel system. The service representative stated that this was not an uncommon issue with the turbo diesel model and that they currently have two vehicles in their shop with the same issue. We have always fueled the vehicle with lower sulfur diesel fuel in California and have never fueled the vehicle with gasoline. VW previously had a recall to install a "device" to prevent fueling with gas nozzles from the service station pumps. The service representative indicated that VW knows of the problem and will fix the vehicle at no charge. We also have a 2009 VW Jetta tdi that experienced the same problem in June 2014, which was repaired at commonwealth VW in santa ana, ca. I am reporting that incident in a separate report. It is my position that VW should be recalling all of these vehicles to fix the problem before it happens rather than fixing one at a time after it happens; exposing consumers to potential fatal accidents on highways.

- Laguna Niguel, CA, USA

problem #158

Aug 142014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 66,534 miles
Failure of the high pressure fuel pump in a VW Jetta sportswagen tdi. Volkswagen made the repairs under warranty, for which I am appreciative. However, I am concerned it will happen again.

- Fishers, IN, USA

problem #157

Aug 192014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 37,000 miles
Had driven just a few miles and was coming up to a stop at a major intersection in heavy traffic. Glow plug light lit for a second and engine immediately stopped. Engine would crank, but would not start. Have been told the problem is the high pressure fuel pump. I drive long distance in this car at all times of day. The car died immediately, leaving me in the middle of the street. Very dangerous.

- Wheeling, IL, USA

problem #156

Jul 242014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 45,000 miles

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

I was driving my VW on a 3 lane road when the glow plug light began flashing and about 2 minutes later the car engine shut off and would not restart, which left me in the middle lane blocking the evening rush hour traffic on a very busy road. The VW service shop tells me that the fuel pump broke and there is metal in my fuel filter. I have always fueled with diesel from shell and I can obtain all of my receipts to prove it since I always use my credit card to pay for fuel.

- Miami, FM, USA

problem #155

Jun 242014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 76,126 miles
2010 Jetta tdi. Driving on road at about 35 mph when car suddenly stalled. Glow plug light flashes, "service engine now" on display. Traffic was light and speed was enough to coast to safe location. Car would not restart. Towed to dealer. Dealer replaced some relay part but.... the very next day same thing. Car died while driving. Same symptoms as above. Again no warning prior to stalling. Towed to dealer. Dealer had car for a few days but could not find or reproduce problem. Checked ground connections as advised from vwoa technical assistance. Returned car to me with a 'let's wait and see' attitude. Third time, about 1500 miles later, same thing. This time on highway traveling at about 45 mph in heavy traffic. Car towed to different dealer. At the moment they can't diagnose or reproduce problem. My opinion is some fault is telling computer to kill engine. As a safety issue, I would think engine should remain running so that I can safely drive off the road and out of traffic and harms way. If this assumption is correct, then there has to be a limited number of reasons why engine should stall, instead of going into 'limp mode.' My research found reference to PE10034, but can't find article. Three times car stalls without warning. All 3 times on road. This is a safety concern, and local dealers seem hesitant to request help from vwoa ta. Dealer 1 did contact vwoa ta for support and guided fault finding didn't find anything. Dealer 2 still has no clue. No mandates on local VW dealers, by vwoa, to keep and share service records beyond warranty period, on national database, so other dealers have no idea what first dealer did. Keeping all dealer service records on national db will help spot issues sooner. Dealer 2 will hopefully ask vwoa ta for support beyond what dealer 1 did. Is there an escalation for this" what are my options"

- Smithtown, NY, USA

problem #154

Jun 182014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 57,000 miles
Driving and glow plug light started flashing on dash and lost power (max about 40 mph). Pulled over and turned off vehicle. Started again, glow plug light went away and vehicle still not at full power (max about 40 mph). Then, a solid glow plug and check engine light came on and vehicle died. Vehicle would not start. Mechanics diagnosis: High pressure fuel pump (hpfp) failure (disintegrated) and metal pieces contaminating the entire fuel system.

- Silverado, CA, USA

problem #153

Jun 282014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 57,473 miles
Driving on highway and all engine power was lost. Car was able to limp to shoulder. Tried to restart vechicle with no luck.

- Petaluma, CA, USA

problem #152

Apr 042014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 106,000 miles
I was driving home with my 5 year old daughter in the back seat. As I approached a blind curve on hwy 133 in brunswick county nc, my car shut off and the diesel fuel light came on. I was almost hit by two vehicles behind me at the time because I reduced speed and they could see well inside the curve. I had it towed to the mechanic and he indicated that it looked like a high pressure fuel pump failure. He said this was an ongoing problem with Volkswagen. It could have cost me my life.. 2010, Jetta tdi.

- Burgaw , NC, USA

problem #151

Jun 162014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 64,650 miles
2010 VW Jetta sportwagen tdi. Car lost power at highway speeds. "glow plug" indicator illuminated and hud displayed "service immediately." Was able to safely pull over to shoulder. Car would not restart. Had to be towed to nearby dealership. Informed today that high pressure fuel pump (hpfp) had failed and would be covered under extended warranty. Will be without car for 5-10 days. Car is located 1 hour away from home. Rental car was offered, but I would have to get out to dealership to pickup. This is the second occurrence of hpfp failure on vehicle. Similar occurrence (loss of power on highway) happened on March 24, 2011. Again, car was stuck in dealership far from home.

- Berkeley, CA, USA

problem #150

May 312014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 56,309 miles
My 2010 Jetta sportswagen tdi diesel stalled while moving from a driveway onto a residential street. There was no warning of imminent disablement except for a 5 seconds of engine "sputter". the weather was warm and dry, and the battery had just been replaced. The vehicle was trucked to the VW dealership in cerritos ca. The service manager seemed to sense the nature of the problem, and the car was inspected by a vwoa representative on the following business day. Metal contamination was found in the fuel system. The fuel system was replaced, including the fuel pump, after one extra day of waiting for the delivery of the necessary parts. Although the vehicle was out of warranty, vwoa approved the repair at their expense. I feel that this type of abrupt engine failure is a serious safety issue that could have caused a crash if it occurred on a more heavily traveled roadway.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #149

May 202014

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 68,000 miles
I was driving down the road when I accelerated hard and I predndio light of "glow plug" on the panel, the car lost power and was limited to spend two thousand RPM's coming home that was close. I did nothing that night, I followed turning on the light in the panel. The next day I turn it normal, I turned on the light... then it caught me way to work again and I return to my home, I turned on and off and it caught and never turn off. Take it to the VW service center and was told that the pump has fault injection and particulate throughout the fuel system. Tell me that the repair will cost more than 4000 dollars... and the worst is that no warranty.

- Arecibo, PR, USA

problem #148

May 122014

Jetta

  • 85,000 miles
I had what appears to be a fuel system failure. I was turning left after stopping at a red light. I was traveling at @20 mph. 100 yards down the block, the engine lost power, the check engine light came on, as did the diesel coil icon. The car was dead instantly. There was no warning, no gradual failure, no time to get out of the street. Please note, I had my vehicle regularly serviced at the VW dealership, including installing the fuel intake coupling that was the subject of a recall about a year ago. The service manager said there was some bad diesel going around in the county where I live, but when pressed admitted the bad fuel had not been traced to any particular brand, but had appeared randomly. He did say that my entire fuel system would be replaced on VW's dime, even though I am long out of warranty, and that it could take 2 days to a week to perform the service. There is nothing on VW's website about this problem, nor are there reports of bad diesel fuel in the county. The blogosphere has reports of problems in the design of the high pressure fuel pump that causes it to break down and shed bits of metal throughout the fuel system. I am very lucky that this happened at 20 mph on a town street in the middle of the morning and not at 65 mph on a highway with lots of traffic. I am glad VW is covering the cost of repairs. But I have personally recommended this otherwise terrific car to many people, some of whom have chosen to buy it. I am now worried that someone might get dead because of this, especially since VW is evidently only correcting this design problem after an entire system failure. I am also unable to confirm that VW engineers have redesigned the fuel pump that they are in theory installing in my car as a repair. Do you have any information?

- Santa Paula, CA, USA

problem #147

Dec 152013

Jetta 4-cyl Diesel

  • 48,000 miles
Driving on highway on 12/15/13 and as I accelerated, I lost power and "check engine light" came on. Car fell to 50mph and I exited highway immediately, stopped the car, re-started and the car and light was still on. Showed error code G450 and the "exhaust pressure sensor 1" was replaced by dealer in January 2014. Glow plug light also came on intermittently at that time. Two months later (February, 2014), "glow plug light" came on again intermittently. Turned off car and started it again and light went out. Dealer says P0237 code means intermittent failure of "boost pressure sensor" and "sensor harness". VW advises the car is not drivable due to unpredictable performance of turbocharger on engine performance due to failure of this sensor. The loss of power has been documented widely for this engine (pump, carbonized intake, other?), but VW has accepted no responsibility for the problem. Car is 4 years old with 48,900 miles. Repairs are approaching $1000 at this time.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?