2012 Jetta TDI random stalling, hesitation and pulsation while driving

Well I thought my problems were over after my 2006 Jetta TDI fly wheel exploded like a grenade and blew into my bell housing. So in December 2011 I bought a brand new 2012 Jetta TDI. At around the 10,000KM mark it began to hesitate upon exceleration (only during city driving). The problem was weird and continued to get worse. Took it to my dealership and they said it was just part of break in and normal. The problem continued and the fuel mileage got progressivly worse. The sales guy guarenteed me 1000K a tank (Sorry to my friends in the US gallons don't fly here!) I am lucky to get 750-800KM a tank. As this continues to happen I again take it in to the dealer for regular service and get the same answer "its normal DSG operation". Around the 25000KM mark the car randomly stalled as I was pulling out of the grocery store parking lot. All of the dashboard warning lights flickered as they came on and remained solid until I put it into neutral and restarted the engine. It turned on as if nothing happened. I took it straight to the dealership where they checked for engine codes...suprise nothing found. Off I go again enjoying the pulsing and hesitation they tell me is normal. The wife takes the car to work and is coming off the highway and the car turns off on the exit. Needless to say she was scared but managed to avoid a collision. Back to the dealership, now at about 40000KM. The car sits in the shop for over 4 months, they change the mecatronics unit (sorry might have spelled that wrong) and a whole slew of other parts like both EGR valves, fuel pump and filter and on and on. At one point they tried to blame the diesel that I was using...that failed when I produced the reciepts from my purchases showing high turn over major retailers of diesel Chevron, Petro Canada, Husky and Esso. We get the car back with all sorts of maybes. Of course it happens again. The VW Canada Rep comes out to test drive it all the tech's drive it and it comes back with "sorry we can't reproduce the problem" So home we go again with the car hesitating and pulsing again. Unhappy with the lack of good outcomes I contact VW customer care, who then also give me the run around and after bitter arguments offer to give me $1000 to assist me in buying a new VW (nice slap in the face). So again the car stalls and its back to the dealership today to see what games will be played...if anyone else has this type of problem with their 2012 please let me know. This has been awful and continues to be! Any suggestions or ideas would be very helpful!! Thanks.

Is there a "lemon law" in Canada? Other alternative is to take them up on their offer to buy another VW.

Sorry about your problems. I too just started experiencing a little hesitation in 2nd and 3rd gear during medium acceleration. I'm trying to figure it out. Must be fuel filter,fuel pump,or perhaps air filter. I doubt its air but its the least expensive.
If VW has done all that work and the erg well the smartest tdi people to ask are here.
Good luck brother.
Ben

Nope no lemon laws here...put a post on VW's facebook site. Got a call back from Customer Care and again they told me that there is nothing wrong with my car and that hesitation, poor drivability and random shut offs while driving are normal operation of the DSG transmission. Horrible VW experience, doubt I will stay a TDI fan, which I'm sad to say.

I had very similar symptoms to yours when I bought mine in December 2012. Mine ended up being a loose ground wire. They threw over a grand in parts into it under warranty before they figured something that simple was wrong. I haven't had a problem with it since.

Corrector - Is your car a standard? I am going to make a couple comments then show my post on similar issue with 2012 Jetta TDI 6sp manual.

In addition to the stalling described below when I am going along a road in a slow zone and in 2nd or 3rd if it is at 1900-2100 somewhere in there it hesitates almost lugging but not quite. If I let revs drop a bit or increase a bit hesitation stops - feels like someting is kicking in or out

To solve the problem below (Stalling) I will sometimes downshift to 1st which I hate to do because if I leave it in second I seem to have to really rev it to prevent stalling


I picked up my 2012 last August when it was hot out. The drive home was about 500 km. When I stopped for supper I got in it and going through the parking lot it stalled in second gear. I was a bit embarassed. After a week and several stalls I noticed it was when the A/C was on an in second gear. First service I took it back and as weather had cooled could not replicate. This spring when it got hot same thing on first hot day. Had no major problems over winter. (except a deer strike) Always in second and usually when I coast around a corner in second with clutch in and let it out or over a bumpy railroad track. I hate to downshift into first on a busy street. I have read in other general posts on general Google searches this is a problem. I stalled my 2003 TDI maybe 5 times in 10 years and this one 5 times first week. Two VW shops say they haven't heard of the problem. Any thoughts? Thank you. I am a newbie here and tried to search for the problem.

The_Correcter said:

Nope no lemon laws here...put a post on VW's facebook site. Got a call back from Customer Care and again they told me that there is nothing wrong with my car and that hesitation, poor drivability and random shut offs while driving are normal operation of the DSG transmission. Horrible VW experience, doubt I will stay a TDI fan, which I'm sad to say.

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You are correct in saying there are no lemon laws here, however you may have a case through the Canadian Motor Vehicle Arbitration Plan (CAMVAP).

Jetta53 said:

Corrector - Is your car a standard? I am going to make a couple comments then show my post on similar issue with 2012 Jetta TDI 6sp manual.

In addition to the stalling described below when I am going along a road in a slow zone and in 2nd or 3rd if it is at 1900-2100 somewhere in there it hesitates almost lugging but not quite. If I let revs drop a bit or increase a bit hesitation stops - feels like someting is kicking in or out

To solve the problem below (Stalling) I will sometimes downshift to 1st which I hate to do because if I leave it in second I seem to have to really rev it to prevent stalling


I picked up my 2012 last August when it was hot out. The drive home was about 500 km. When I stopped for supper I got in it and going through the parking lot it stalled in second gear. I was a bit embarassed. After a week and several stalls I noticed it was when the A/C was on an in second gear. First service I took it back and as weather had cooled could not replicate. This spring when it got hot same thing on first hot day. Had no major problems over winter. (except a deer strike) Always in second and usually when I coast around a corner in second with clutch in and let it out or over a bumpy railroad track. I hate to downshift into first on a busy street. I have read in other general posts on general Google searches this is a problem. I stalled my 2003 TDI maybe 5 times in 10 years and this one 5 times first week. Two VW shops say they haven't heard of the problem. Any thoughts? Thank you. I am a newbie here and tried to search for the problem.

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Hello,

Did you ever resolve this issue?

Norm

OP has not posted since 2013. I'd try here-VW MKVI-A6 Jetta Sedan (~ 2011+)

Hesitation + Shutter = Dying

Here is the story:

Traveled 4.5 hours from my residence (Murray, Ky to Lexington, KY) average temp on trip 27f. 2012 Jetta TDI (Automatic DSG) 235,000 miles well maintained and on maintenance schedule. Parked the car for about 10 minutes after the drive. Got back in and TDI started right up, pressed on accelerator, TDI shuttered and died. Put the vehicle in neutral and it hesitated to start back up, but it did only to shutter and die again. I coasted to a side street, waited 10 minutes while on phone to local VW dealership. Attempted to start the TDI, it started, but when pressing accelerator it began to hesitate and shutter again, I stomped the accelerator to the floor and grey smoke burst from the pipes. Drove the TDI to the local TDI, they ran a courtesy scan for me which showed no codes. Left the dealership and car ran fine all the way back home.

This has happened once before several months ago, but not as bad. What could be causing this?