What breaks most · 2013 to 2016 model years
Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid problems by year
Owners have filed 59 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid across model years 2013 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2013 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2014 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2016 for air bags complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2014, 2016
- Complaints on file
- 592013 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 201349 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 40 fires · 1 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 67kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 5Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 3 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (31) | |
| 9 | 1 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 63% |
31 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 20% |
10 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 16% |
8 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 16% |
8 | 2 | Shop brakes parts for the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 10% |
5 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 8% |
4 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid |
| Air bags | 4% |
2 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 2% |
1 | 1 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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When driving car it just stops out of nowhere,on highway and on street. Very dangerous. Then it doesn't start up right away ,and i have to wait between 5 and 20 minutes. This happens in motion
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Started the car and chimes started randomly going off.... Then suddenly, while traveling, the ABS, lites, hybrid, tire pressure, and air bag lites all came on and the car started jerking as if the brakes were being jammed.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2014, 2016 carry the most filings on the Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. The 2013 alone has 49 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 31 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid complaints that include mileage is about 67,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.