I have a diesel leak which Volkswagen did not repair (after I towed it there and told them about it in writing) and is not causing a light in the dash however, when plugging in an ODBEleven, several codes are generated and one is related to a low fuel pressure sensor. I also watched the fuel line dripping. VW claims that it is unreasonable to ask them to pay what I already paid to have the car fixed (diagnostics, rental, tow). It was reasonable for me to buy it and pay for all that though apparently. With a diesel leak, it's unsafe to drive so I currently have a piece of metal outside that I'm only halfway through paying on. This indeed is a TDI 2.0L they sold me 3 years ago.
2013 Volkswagen Beetle engine problems
10 complaints (11% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 49,000.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 11%
- typical mileage
- 49,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Volkswagen Beetle engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2013 Volkswagen Beetle owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
While driving on the interstate my 2013 VW Beetle showed a stability malfunction warning then lost power and would not accelerate. I coasted to the shoulder and shut the vehicle off. It crank back up and I drove it home. Two months ago, I had the same issue with the vehicle losing power after the engine light illuminated several times before I could get the car into the VW dealership for repair. After a costly emmission valve and hose replacement the engine light didn’t come back on and the care hasn’t lost power until yesterday. My safety was at risk due to a lack of power and had not been able to coast to the shoulder safely, I could have been plowed into the rear of my car by a semi that was fast approaching. This is a vehicle that I purchased for my teenaged daughter and I shudder to think of an inexperienced driver in this situation. I have read lots of post from others who have had this problem with VW. Taking the car back to the dealership tomorrow and praying that I won’t be told that the lose of power is a safety feature that VW has like I was told previously. Safety feature is suppose to prevent an accident not put drivers in a sitution that is potentially fatal.
Engine stalled and made jerking movements when coming to a stop and continued. Per mechanic, engine had metal contaminants and cannot be repaired. Needs new engine. Check engine light did not come on until after malfunction. Could have occurred on roadway which would have been hazard to driver and others. Second opinion from another mechanic obtained and confirmed. Not inspected by manufacturer. Oil was changed at VW dealership week before malfunction. No dealership available where malfunction occurred.
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.
Engine smoking defective fuel filter o-ring gaskets causing fuel leaks--vw dealers not honoring warranty. Between april 2015 - july 2016, vw dealers have replaced this fuel gasket five times, repeatedly charging me for the defective part and unneeded filters. I saved one of the defective gaskets and have been to two different vw dealerships, graham in sioux falls south dakota and jensen in sioux city iowa. The engine smokes, I find the fuel leak, take it to the nearest dealer, who diagnose the problem before even opening the hood, because "the problem is so common." I contacted the vw regional service manager, tamar t., and vw customer care (reference # 160555387) and was advised that replacing a fuel gasket five times in just over a year is a regular "maintenance item". Attached are a photo of the defective gasket, response from vw customer service and my maintenance receipts/log.
April 2015 engine light came on. Secondary air injection hose was bad. March 2016 engine light came on again. Secondary air injection pump needed to be replaced. There was no issues as far as the performance of the car. Car was stationary when the engine light came on both times.
Driving 60 MPH in rush hour 6/19/15 & suddenly eng lights go on & car stalled in middle of traffic! I was scared I was going to be rear ended & killed. Put flashers on called 911. Police parked behind me while I waited for tow truck. Officer asked to try & start to see if I could get to side of road. I was able to start it, but only drive a few feet before stuttered & died again. Had it towed to tynans vw, where it was purchased & reg maintained. Next day vw verified engine light was on when they started. However, they claim it went off when they drove a few miles. Code indicated issue related to fuel system, however they werent able to find anything wrong with car. They kept car a few days, drove it 90 miles w/ no issues. I contacted vw corp & reported incident & explained dealer cant figure out whats wrong. I explained im not comfortable driving car until they can determine why my car stalled. They said it was likely debris in gas that couldve caused fuel not to flow properly - really? They wanted to know what brand of gas I used - conoco - brand name. This is serious! My car stalled for a reason, something failed. I realize cars breakdown, I have no problem, as long as the issue is identified & fixed. I do have a problem, however, w/vw handing car back to me not knowing why it happened. Told to bring it back if it happens again. If it happens again, I may not be so lucky. What if this happened on mountain pass? In the snow? Or in middle of a busy intersection? Research, you will find other fuel issues & stalling complaints, & recalls for other vw cars tiguan, passat etc. No recall for fuel/stalling issues on beetle..yet.I do not want myself or anyone else to become a statistic before vw identifies the problem. Gm failed to recall the chevy cobalt. They knew about issue for 10 yrs before recalling, after 13 people died. Is that what youre waiting for vw?
We were driving home in our 2013 volkswagen beetle convertible when the engine died causing a lack of steering control. This is actually the second time this has happened with this vehicle. My wife is pregnant and I have lost confidence in this car being able to move my family around safely. I have searched online and others have had similar issues. The dealers are not able to "duplicate" the issue so they send you away with an unsafe vehicle. Hopefully this does not wind up being a situation similar to gm where people have to lose their lives before the issues are corrected.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 volkswagen beetle. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle jerked and stalled without warning. The failure recurred three times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,000.
Car would stall and abruptly stop when operating and all engine and electrical functions and safety features would turn off and not work (e.g., engine, assisted brakes, air bags, horn, running lights, brake lights, hazard lights, entire dashboard would not work). About 10 minutes later, the car would power up again and run. The problem was intermittent (it happened again) and neither the manufacturer nor dealer could find the cause. The owner refused to drive it anymore unless they found the cause because the abrupt stopping could be catastrophic on the highway. The current position of the manufacturer and dealer is that it never happened. Another case is reported here where the same car abruptly stopped three times and the manufacturer and dealer could not find the cause.
Questions about the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle engine
Does the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle have engine problems?
Owners have filed 10 complaints about the engine of the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle, 11% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2013 Volkswagen Beetle engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 49,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle engine?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Volkswagen Beetle have bad engine?
The Volkswagen Beetle model years with the most engine complaints are 2000 (62 complaints), 2001 (51 complaints) and 1999 (34 complaints).
Other 2013 Volkswagen Beetle problems
Airbags 34Electrical 19Fuel system 7Steering 6Body 5Transmission 5Visibility 5Brakes 4Suspension 4Tires 4Lights 3Acceleration 2Driver assistance 2Seat belts 2Seats 1Wheels 1
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2013 Volkswagen Beetle?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history