2014 Volkswagen Jetta transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 14V182000Apr 15, 201426,452 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES

  Volkswagen of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, and Passat vehicles equipped with a 1.8T engine and torque converter automatic transmission. In the affected vehicles, the O-ring seals between the oil cooler and the transmission may leak fluid.

  Risk: The leaking transmission fluid could contact a hot surface and result in a vehicle fire.

  Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the O-ring seals in the transmission oil cooler, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on April 16, 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 38B9/9V.

What owners say

1. Filed Oct 7, 202697,000 miCATransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at slower speeds, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with low pressure in the transmission and the mechanic associated the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V866000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

   NHTSA complaint #11769585 · source
2. Filed Jan 1, 2026COTransmission & Drivetrain

   According to the mechanic to whom we took the vehicle, there was a massive short in the mechatronics component of the transmission. The mechanic also informed us that there was no proactive action we could have taken prior to this incident to prevent its occurrence. The car and its components are still available for inspection. The short caused the vehicle to immediately lose power while being driven between 60 and 65 mph on an Interstate Highway, and the vehicle had to be…

   NHTSA complaint #11708232 · source
3. Filed Mar 23, 2025TXTransmission & Drivetrain

   I was driving down the Highway at 65 miles per hour when my vehicle suddenly appeared to go into neutral and I lost power in the middle lane and almost was rear-ended. I was able to move over to the side shoulder just gliding. The vehicle starts but while driving it the transmission suddenly appears to go into neutral. The symptoms are consistent with the Recall 34J6 but when I look up my VIN it does not show any pending recalls.

   NHTSA complaint #11649963 · source
4. Filed Mar 15, 2025CATransmission & Drivetrain

   I have a 2014 jetta hybrid. My car lost power when i tried to use it. Brought it to vw of hayward and was told it was a faulty mechatron unit. Which i paid for. I found a recall on this unit but for some reason the recall didn't cover my vehicle. That odd because it says that 2013-2015 jetta are being recall for mechatron failures (recall code 34j6). All of the problems described in the recall were exactly what happened to my vehicle. I think my car should have been covered…

   NHTSA complaint #11648428 · source
5. Filed Oct 17, 2024190,000 miTXTowedTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving on the highway at approximately 50 MPH, the RMPs revved however the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact merged to the side of the road and noticed transmission fluid was leaking. The vehicle was restarted however failed to increase in speed. The vehicle was towed to the residence where an independent mechanic diagnosed that the vehicle was leaking transmission fluid from between the…

   NHTSA complaint #11620466 · source
6. Filed Jun 3, 2024MDTransmission & Drivetrain

   The transmission is regularly malfunctioning leaving the car jerking/stuttering when idling. At its worst, the car stopped working while I was driving (felt like it dropped into neutral). I had to stop in the middle of the road (in traffic) to stop and restart the car. I have taken the car to an official VW dealership/repair shop (Smith VW in Wilmington, DE) and was told the transmission would have to be replaced ($10k+ repair). I got a second opinion at AutoStream in…

   NHTSA complaint #11592295 · source
7. Filed May 7, 2024PATransmission & Drivetrain

   Timing chain went bad. Car only has 70k miles on it. Auto shop said there should be a recall because so many of this model car have this issue. It’s a very expensive repair. My son is still making payments on the car and now has to pay $3400 to replace the timing belt. He was told that if he kept driving it the motor would be damaged. He loves the car but this is very disappointing of VW.

   NHTSA complaint #11587554 · source
8. Filed May 7, 2024OHTransmission & Drivetrain

   I am writing this complaint in recognition of the 34J6 recall for the 2013 - 2015 VW Jetta Hybrid. The vehicle has only 62K miles on it and the transmission suddenly failed. The vehicle was parked at an ice cream shop and after entering it to drive away, it would not move and a wrench came up on the dashboard. It was then towed to a VW dealer and they quoted approximately $20,000 for a new transmission. VW dealer also said this vehicle was not covered under the 34J6 recall,…

   NHTSA complaint #11587353 · source
9. Filed Mar 5, 2024CATransmission & Drivetrain

   My car died at McDonalds and we had to push it out of the way. I was on lunch with coworker. Then it started and on the way back to work the car just stopped. We did not get hit but we sure could have. I had to have my car towed to dealer with my triple A. They told me I needed a new transmission. After many calls and much haggling I decided to purchase a transmission if I could have the old transmission back. I am sure my car should be part of safety recall VW34J6 and NHTSA…

   NHTSA complaint #11575593 · source
10. Filed Dec 10, 2023CAEngineOther / UnknownTransmission & Drivetrain

    I was on lunch brake, going through a McDonalds drive thru, the car just shut off. I had to have it pushed out of drive thru. After several tries it did start again but shut off in the middle of traffic. I couldn’t shift it. I had to have it towed. VW dealer said I needed a new transmission at 62,000 miles. Then I read about the recall and knew that’s what was the matter with my car. The trouble is my car is not on the recall list. It’s the same with many of us who bought…

    NHTSA complaint #11559376 · source
11. Filed Jul 10, 2023149,000 miNJCrashEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly shut off and began to roll backward causing a second vehicle to crash into the rear passenger side door. No injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was driven away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that after the vehicle was serviced under a manufacturer's campaign the vehicle had…

    NHTSA complaint #11531388 · source
12. Filed May 24, 2023NVEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

    Timing Chain failure on highway nearly causing serious accident. VW will not cover repair. Timing Chain failure is a common issue on these cars and is a safety hazard.

    NHTSA complaint #11523698 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology