2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 587 complaints · 8 recalls
Most-reported system: POWER TRAIN (163 complaints · 27.8%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 15
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 10
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2012 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution POWER TRAIN appears in 163 of 587 owner complaints (27.8%) in this vehicle snapshot. POWER TRAIN: 163 complaints, 27.8% of reports POWER TRAIN 163 · 27.8% · 1 crash reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 88 complaints, 15.0% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 88 · 15.0% · 1 crash reports ENGINE: 77 complaints, 13.1% of reports ENGINE 77 · 13.1% · 1 crash reports FUEL SYSTEM: 32 complaints, 5.5% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 32 · 5.5% STEERING: 27 complaints, 4.6% of reports STEERING 27 · 4.6% · 1 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 18 complaints, 3.1% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 18 · 3.1% · 1 crash reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 17 complaints, 2.9% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 17 · 2.9% · 2 crash reports 1 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 17 complaints, 2.9% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 17 · 2.9% · 4 crash reports AIR BAGS: 15 complaints, 2.6% of reports AIR BAGS 15 · 2.6% · 2 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 131 complaints, 22.3% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 131 · 22.3% · 2 crash reports 2 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
POWER TRAIN 163 27.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 88 15.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 77 13.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 32 5.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 27 4.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 18 3.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 17 2.9% 2 crashes · 1 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 17 2.9% 4 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 15 2.6% 2 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 131 22.3% 2 crashes · 2 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2012; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2013. 2012-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2013-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2013-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2014-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2014-Q4: 13 owner reports 13 2015-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2015-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2015-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2015-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2016-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2016-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2016-Q3: 21 owner reports 21 2016-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2017-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2017-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2017-Q3: 21 owner reports 21 2017-Q4: 15 owner reports 15 2018-Q1: 21 owner reports 21 2018-Q2: 25 owner reports 25 2018-Q3: 23 owner reports 23 2018-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2019-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2019-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2019-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2019-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2020-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2020-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2020-Q3: 24 owner reports 24 2020-Q4: 15 owner reports 15 2021-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2021-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2021-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2021-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2022-Q1: 20 owner reports 20 2022-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2022-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2022-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2023-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2023-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2024-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2024-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2024-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 2012 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 13V568000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V568000 Recall campaign 14E007000 ◆ Recall campaign 14E007000 Recall campaign 14V656000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V656000 Recall campaign 15V483000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V483000 Recall campaign 19V615000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V615000 Recall campaign 19V679000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V679000 Recall campaign 19V866000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V866000 Recall campaign 20E064000 ◆ Recall campaign 20E064000 Investigation PE15010 ● Investigation PE15010 Investigation PE15010 ● Investigation PE15010 Investigation RQ17009 ● Investigation RQ17009 Investigation EA18003 ● Investigation EA18003 Investigation EA18003 ● Investigation EA18003 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005
  • Campaign 14E007000 was reported 324 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 15V483000 was reported 63 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V615000 was reported 2,188 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V866000 was reported 2,605 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 20E064000 was reported 2,585 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2012-Q4 Owner reports 2
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 6
2013-Q3 Owner reports 11
2013-Q4 Owner reports 4
2014-Q1 Owner reports 5
2014-Q2 Owner reports 9
2014-Q3 Owner reports 12
2014-Q4 Owner reports 13
2015-Q1 Owner reports 10
2015-Q2 Owner reports 9
2015-Q3 Owner reports 15
2015-Q4 Owner reports 10
2016-Q1 Owner reports 11
2016-Q2 Owner reports 18
2016-Q3 Owner reports 21
2016-Q4 Owner reports 11
2017-Q1 Owner reports 13
2017-Q2 Owner reports 13
2017-Q3 Owner reports 21
2017-Q4 Owner reports 15
2018-Q1 Owner reports 21
2018-Q2 Owner reports 25
2018-Q3 Owner reports 23
2018-Q4 Owner reports 18
2019-Q1 Owner reports 12
2019-Q2 Owner reports 10
2019-Q3 Owner reports 20
2019-Q4 Owner reports 16
2020-Q1 Owner reports 11
2020-Q2 Owner reports 13
2020-Q3 Owner reports 24
2020-Q4 Owner reports 15
2021-Q1 Owner reports 13
2021-Q2 Owner reports 8
2021-Q3 Owner reports 10
2021-Q4 Owner reports 12
2022-Q1 Owner reports 20
2022-Q2 Owner reports 11
2022-Q3 Owner reports 10
2022-Q4 Owner reports 5
2023-Q1 Owner reports 4
2023-Q2 Owner reports 4
2023-Q3 Owner reports 10
2023-Q4 Owner reports 8
2024-Q1 Owner reports 8
2024-Q2 Owner reports 7
2024-Q3 Owner reports 3
2024-Q4 Owner reports 3
2025-Q1 Owner reports 3
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 2
2025-Q4 Owner reports 3
2026-Q1 Owner reports 2
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 13V568000
Recall campaign 1 14E007000
Recall campaign 1 14V656000
Recall campaign 1 15V483000
Recall campaign 1 19V615000
Recall campaign 1 19V679000
Recall campaign 1 19V866000
Recall campaign 1 20E064000
Defect investigation 1 PE15010
Defect investigation 1 PE15010
Defect investigation 1 RQ17009
Defect investigation 1 EA18003
Defect investigation 1 EA18003
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (8)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 13V568000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    This sudden loss of power while driving increases the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the gearbox oil with a non-corrosive version, free of charge. The recall began on December 6, 2013. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's recall number is 34F6/4V.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14E007000

    Report date
    Component:
    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
    Consequence:
    A failure of the timing belt may cause the engine to shut down, potentially increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
    Remedy:
    Gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during May 2014. Owners may contact The Gates Corporation at 1-303-744-1911.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V656000

    Report date
    Component:
    SUSPENSION
    Consequence:
    The reduced durability of the trailing arm may result in its sudden fracture, possibly causing loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a sheet metal inlay on the rear axle trailing arms designed to prevent a sudden loss of control in the event of trailing arm sudden fracture, free of charge. The recall began April 7, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V483000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V615000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V679000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D7. Note: This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 18V-329.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V866000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    A decrease in transmission oil pressure can cause the clutch to fail to engage, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a repair kit and, as necessary, replace affected parts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 25, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 34J6.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20E064000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    If there is a brake fluid leak, it can reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Beck/Arnley will notify the distributors that sold the master cylinders and will work with the distributors to notify the end users. Affected master cylinders will be exchanged for a new master cylinder (part number 072-9990), free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2020. Owners may contact Tenneco customer service at 1-800-625-9319.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 587 complaints · page 1 of 24

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources