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2013 Volkswagen Jetta: sudden loss of power

42 of the 518 complaints about the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta describe sudden loss of power.

owner complaints
42
of this car's complaints
8%
typical repair cost reported
$7,400
typical mileage
47,115
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 335 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Sudden loss of power by model year

What owners say

Filed May 2, 2026 · Fuel system · FL

Driving vehicle on highway, vehicle lost engine power, no acceleration possible. Attempt to restart vehicle resulted in no start. Subsequent evaluation of fault revealed high pressure fuel pump failure.

Filed Sep 24, 2025 · Engine · IL

Hairline crack developed in the accumulator housing of the transmission (mechatronic unit), leaking and leading to insufficient transmission oil pressure. There is loss of power to the wheels. Was never notified and on last inspection they told me it was my fault. Recall code 34J6. The only thing the service department did was update the software, the issue was that before the update it was already damaged and they refused to replace the “MECHATRONICS UNIT” The car is not drive able, and is just sitting in my drive way.

Filed Aug 28, 2024 · Fuel system · NY

2013 Jetta hybrid 80,00 miles on it driving on a highway suddenly rpm go lowered in the middle of highway loss power trying to maneuver to the side of the highway has to towed home now can't do reverse and lots of leaking fluid on the car take to the mechanic shop found out the transmission no working the mechanic shop said the probably my cars is in those car on recalled because they worked on those problems before

Filed May 29, 2024 · AZ

My son was driving home when failure lights came on. I told him to take it to the nearest VW dealer, which he did: Tynan’s VW in Aurora, CO. The diagnostics’ indicated faults were Cracks in the Accumulator and transmission stuck in 6th gear, the exact same problem as indicated in the Safety Recall, issued in January of 2020 (the federal safety agency 19V866): Hairline cracks in the accumulator housing of the transmission, clutch may not engage – loss of power to wheels leading to vehicle crash. Repair not available. In June of 2021, when a repair was available, I took the car to Chapman Volkswagen Scottsdale, AZ to perform the repair and service. The mileage at first repair on [XXX], 2021 was 30828. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURANCE OF THE SAME ISSUE. On May 1st after receiving the Tynans’ diagnostic report I started attempting to contact Chapman Volkswagen Scottsdale, AZ. Also at notification from Tynans’ VW of the second occurrence of this safety issue, I called VW Customer Care on early May - VW Customer Care contact on [XXX] - Case Number: [XXX]. Outcome: I was told by VW Customer Care to go back to Chapman Volkswagen Scottsdale and tell them they did not repair it properly. Volkswagen Scottsdale is taking no responsibility (Current Service Manager is Mike Chadwell) after several calls and I have not been able to get a copy of their repair warranty after repeated requests. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed May 24, 2024 · Transmission · NC

I bought a 2013 VW Jetta Hybrid in 2015 from a VW dealer with ~15,000 miles on it. Question #1: In December 2017, the power train system/transmission failed and my car lost power and I was unable to drive it. Now, in May 2024, the transmission is failing again and VW had stated that it needs to be replaced for a second time, and they quoted me roughly $10,000 for the repair. Question #2: VW issued a safety recall that mentions "hairline cracks in the transmission gearbox which can cause a decrease in oil pressure" which, in turn, "can cause the clutch to fail to engage, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of crash." (In the last month, VW has denied any recalls associated with my VIN. However, I attached a document issued from USAA that states that my VIN could be associated with 8 different safety-related recalls. The first on the list of these recalls is related to vehicles with the same year, make, and model as mine that are equipped with a DQ200 7-speed DSG Automatic Transmission. the federal safety agency ID for this recall is 19V866000.) Question #3: In 2017, the first time I had a power train system issue, the car was towed to the nearest VW dealer, and I had the transmission replaced there. (Documentation of repair attached.) In 2024, I received a full diagnostic that includes the transmission needing to be replaced for a second time. Question #4: The vehicle/issue has been inspected by a certified VW Dealer. Question #5: I took my car to the same dealer that replaced the transmission in 2017. In May of 2024, I took my car to VW right after 5 warning lights appeared on my dashboard all at once (steering system, airbag, traction control, ABS, and tire pressure; photo attached) The service department at the VW dealer conducted a full diagnostic and said that I need to replace the transmission for a second time.

Filed Mar 11, 2024 · Electrical, Transmission · VA

Vehicle on several occasions lost power while driving causing me to coast to the side of the road. After stopping and placing car in park, tried to restart vehicle and started up with no lights on dashboard as to this issue. Took car to VW dealer and was told they would complete the recall work to fix the powertrain issues of gearbox fluid leaking causing corrosion and leaks into transmission. Received call from dealership who stated transmission was totally damaged and replacement was $11,000.00. I went to the dealership to discuss and was told they had no specific information as to the codes received when they ran the diagnostic. They also stated they did not fix the recall and had no reason for not fixing recall other than the cost to replace the transmission was not worth it based on value of car. I strongly believe that the recall issue is the reason for any damage to the transmission as they are directly related. I have researched on-line and there are a lot of individuals with the same issue and the same responses from VW not wanting to acknowledge the recall issue and the direct relation to any transmission issues. I have driven this car and there has been issues with the automatic transmission shifting gears. I believe the cost (parts and labor) to repair the actual recall issue is the driving decision to tell customers that the transmission is bad. One post actual had a customer trade in his Jetta at the VW dealer for a VW Passat and was only given $150.00 trade-in allowance. Later the individual searched their car by VIN and found the car was for sale. VW should be required to completely fix the recall and related transmission issues and/or purchase back these vehicles at a negotiated price. I am the original owner of this car and it only has 127,000 miles. This is only about 10,000 miles per year. Please look into similar reports of these issues by others. VW also stopped production of this car knowing the defects that would occur or were occurring.

Filed Sep 16, 2023 · Transmission · IL

The Jetta hybrid relies on a control unit, called the "mechatronic unit" to decouple the gasoline engine from the transmission. This, in turn, transfers propulsion to the electric motor, inside the transmission housing. The "mechatronic" is a highly specialized component, the "brains" of the Jetta's hybrid powertrain, and, therefore, can only be found in the Jetta hybrid. -market sales data says that a scant 8,515 Jetta hybrids were manufactured across model years 2013 - 2016. -an open the federal safety agency safety recall, 34j6, has been applied to a cross section of the total 8,515 Jetta hybrids produced. -per recall 34j6, exactly 2,149 Jetta hybrids have been included by VIN# in this recall. -safety recall 34j6 specifically addresses the "mechatronic accumulator housing". -recall description: hairline cracks may develop in the accumulator housing of the transmission (mechatronic unit), leaking and leading to insufficient transmission oil pressure. If this happens, the transmission warning light will illuminate in the instrument panel. If the warning light is ignored and the vehicle is driven, the clutch may not engage. There could be a sudden loss of power to the wheels, potentially leading to a vehicle crash.

Filed Apr 18, 2023 · Fuel system, Transmission · SC

Driving on the interstate, my spouse stated that the car just lost power. Fortunately, he was able to pull off. But once he tried to start the car, it wouldn't do anything. The car was towed to my home. We took the car to the local VW dealer to have the recall completed. Since the car had to be towed there, we were told that we would have to pay $500 for a diagnostic before anything can be completed. I took the car to a local repairman and he stated that the fuel pump was bad. We replaced it and the battery. The car now will not start at all. We are getting an error of "hybrid system failure", "air bag failure", epc light is on and transmission warning. The car tries to start but will not.

Filed Mar 30, 2022 · Electrical, Transmission · IL

-The Jetta Hybrid relies on a control unit, called the "Mechatronic unit" to decouple the gasoline engine from the transmission. This, in turn, transfers propulsion to the electric motor, inside the transmission housing. The "Mechatronic" is a highly specialized component, the "brains" of the Jetta's hybrid powertrain, and, therefore, can only be found in the Jetta Hybrid. -Market sales data says that a scant 8,515 Jetta Hybrids were manufactured across model years 2013 - 2016. -An open the federal safety agency safety recall, 34J6, has been applied to a cross section of the total 8,515 Jetta Hybrids produced. -Per recall 34J6, exactly 2,149 Jetta Hybrids have been included by VIN# in this recall. -Safety recall 34J6 specifically addresses the "Mechatronic Accumulator Housing". -Recall description: Hairline cracks may develop in the accumulator housing of the transmission (mechatronic unit), leaking and leading to insufficient transmission oil pressure. If this happens, the transmission warning light will illuminate in the instrument panel. If the warning light is ignored and the vehicle is driven, the clutch may not engage. There could be a sudden loss of power to the wheels, potentially leading to a vehicle crash. -This describes EXACTLY the problem we have had TWICE with our 2013 Jetta Hybrid. -Mechatronic unit failed and had to be replaced on our dime at 70,683 miles; 30 June 2016 -Mechatronic unit has failed us again on 16 March 2022 at 142,758 mi. -Exact diagnosis from the VW dealer reads: [error code] P0841 Transmission Fluid Pressure Sensor / Switch. MECHATRONIC UNIT HAS FAILED INTERNALL. CAN NOT GET SEPARATE FROM TRANSMISSION. NEED TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION $7,163. -Our vehicle's VIN# was NOT included as part of 34J6, despite the part that is subject of recall 34J6 having failed us twice. -$7,136 repair estimate is more than the resale value of the vehicle. -We request that the federal safety agency extend safety recall 34J6 to include our VIN# to compel VW to fix the vehicle. Since Volkswagen no longer stocks the "Mechatronic Un

Filed Nov 21, 2021 · Engine, Transmission · CA

While driving on freeway going 80mph in carpool with my toddler in backseat the car turned off losing all power to car. engine stopped, steering did not work, brakes did not work, and all lights on dash turned off along with headlights and break lights. i pulled into emergency lane and pulled key out. the car restarted back up but no lights were on dash to indicate anything was wrong with it. took the car into local mechanic they could not duplicate issue, and didnt find any codes. car was returned not fixed. it has happened 6 more times 5 times while driving and one time while sitting in a starbucks drive through each time taking key out and able to restart car. took car into vw dealership, and told them the issue with no light saying anything. checked for codes. no codes where found mechanic still now trying to duplicate issue. this is very dangerous issue that needs attention to if it wasn't for just a few cars on the freeway my son and myself would have been gone from a malfunction from the vehicle. I hope no one else encounters this issue.

Filed Sep 28, 2021 · Transmission · CO

This is the same as Campagin number 19V866000 (VW recall number 34J6). Hairline cracks have developed in the mechatronic unit, causing transmission oil leaks and decreases in oil pressure. Loss of power greatly increases the risk of a crash, because the issue is largest at low speeds or after stopping.

Filed Jul 7, 2021 · Transmission · TX

What component or system failed. Mechatronics unit on 2013 VW Hybrid SEL Premium. Available for inspection. Yes Safety. Driving the vehicle with a cold engine will cause a complete loss of power Reproduced by dealer or ISC. Somewhat. They've confirmed a loss of transmission pressure which is in line with Recall 34J6 in May/June 2021, but my specific VIN doesn't apply to the 34J6 recall. Due to VW, the dealership was unable to inform me exactly what was wrong with the transmission but only that it needed to be replaced at a cost of $7400. Campaign / Recall 38C4 was applied to the vehicle 04/25/20 @ 55,579 miles. Inspected by VW Dealership. Warning Lamps: "Error Hybrid system Contact Dealer now!" "Automatic transmission malfunction" Automatic transmission malfunction (flashing wrench symbol & selector symbol)" First noticed October 2020.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Questions about the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta loss of power

Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta?

42 of 518 owner complaints about the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta (8%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2009.

How much does it cost to fix sudden loss of power on the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $7,400 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta?

There are 0 recalls and 335 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta

Stalling 52Check engine light 50Transmission failure 28Fuel pump 23Jerking 20Headlights 15Won't shift 13Airbag light 11Door locks 11Engine failure 10Steering lock-up 9Won't start 9Misfire 6Slipping 6Warning lights 6Wipers 6No deployment 5Coil spring 5Hesitation 5

All model years of the Volkswagen Jetta

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