2013 Volkswagen Beetle electrical problems

Filed Jun 26, 2025 · Electrical · IN

My car will randomly die after sitting at a light or pulling onto the highway or just pulling out of my garage. The car starts up and sounds fine, when I put it in reverse to pull out of the garage, it will die while moving backwards. Sitting at a red light, the car if running fine. When I accelerate after turning green, it dies. After driving for 12 minutes or so I stop at McDonald and go through the drive thru. After getting my food, I pull onto the highway and the car dies. There was a gas station right next to the McDonalds, so I was able to coast into the gas station. When the car dies, it immediately starts up again and will drive fine after that. I've also been having issues with it jerking. I've taken it to the VW dealership numerous times. They hook it up to see if there are any error codes and there are none. They try to find something to fix, but each time the car might work for a couple of weeks, but the jerking and dying continues. With the randomness of this, the car just doesn't feel safe to drive. I have to be very cautious not to pull out in front of any vehicle that is close for the potential of it dying. I'm calling again today to see if I can get them to fix the crank sensor as I have found others to have the same issue and that seems to fix it. I've spent several thousand dollars to try to get it fixed, but since it doesn't throw any error codes and the randomness of this issue, it's hard to replicate.

Filed Apr 26, 2024 · Electrical · FL

Driving 60miles an hour the entire car shot down. No lights, no control, the car was completely off it was a very scary situation The car still not turning on

Filed Mar 14, 2021 · Electrical, Engine · 90,000 miles · LA

Transmission control module communication errors (p0864) caused vehicle to shut down at high speed (55mph) killing power steering and ABS system on a curvy country road.

Filed Aug 5, 2020 · Electrical · 77,782 miles · MA

The air conditioner compressor stop working

Filed Aug 5, 2020 · Electrical, Lights · 77,782 miles · MA

The tail light connector rotted while l was driving on the street

Filed Sep 4, 2019 · Electrical · 69,000 miles · AK

Around 7/8/19 my key started getting stuck in the on position car running. I to be after reading complaints and seen there was an extended warranty on the steering lock so they fixed that no problem. When I got the car back the key was already in ignition. I went to gas station took key out and opened door and it was chiming like the keys were still on the ignition I couldn't even use the key fob to lock doors. I took back to be on 8/2/19 told them I had no problems til they worked on it so they didn't charge me a diagnostic fee when they called to say that the tumbler was bad and that wasn't covered by the extended warranty. I said it didn't do it before you messed with it but they refuse to fix what they broke and said they have to order the part from mexico.

Filed Jul 29, 2019 · Electrical · 65,000 miles · IL

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated that the check oil warning indicator illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to napleton's volkswagen of urbana (1025 napleton way, urbana, il 61802, 217‑637‑1222) where it was diagnosed that the soy-based wiring was faulty. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 65,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Jul 26, 2019 · Electrical · 63,000 miles · PA

Over time, the ignition will not turn whenever the key is inserted. This occurs especially often in warmer weather, which can become a danger as the driver sits and wrestles with the key trying to get it to turn in the ignition in an incredibly hot car. It most often happens when the car is stationary and already turned off, though it has happened a few times after parking, and being unable to turn the key back and turn the car off.

Filed Feb 5, 2019 · Electrical · 145,000 miles · NC

My 2013 beetle was stationary with the engine running and the key locked in the ignition. I was unable to turn the key to turn off the car. I drove to the vw dealership and they stated they had to pull a fuse in order to stop the running engine and still could not remove the ignition key.

Filed Jul 3, 2018 · Electrical, Lights · 59,000 miles · PA

I have noticed my center driver-side headlight dim/turn off for some time thinking the headlight was bad. I had the headlight replaced in february but still had people tell me it was out and at times I could see this in the reflection of truck tailgates, etc. The surrounding daytime running light can make it hard to tell. However, in the last couple weeks, every two to three minutes, sometimes after noticing the initial dim of the driver-side head light, all light turn off leaving the car in motion in the dark. This has happened both on local roads and highway. Engaging the fog lights may extend the time between shut-offs by another minute or so. By turning the lights off and waiting a second, then turning them back on, all lights come back. Doing so too quickly does not always work. The dealership mechanic feels it is capacitor or similar electric issue in the j519 body control module that receives power for the lights and controls them from there. Being a safety issue, I have to wonder if creating such a weak-link to power all nighttime running lights is not recall worthy. He suggested full module replacement I do have video to share of this occurring.