Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Volkswagen Jetta owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while making a left turn at 5 MPH, a motorcycle crashed into the passenger's side of the vehicle at a high rate of speed. The driver's side air bags did not deploy; however, the passenger side side-curtain air bags deployed and then deflated. The passenger sustained neck injuries and was taken by ambulance to seek medical attention. The motorcycle rider died on the scene. The emergency services arrived on scene to administer assistance to those injured on scene. The driver also sustained bruises after the radio and window glass struck her chest and was taken for further tests. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed from the scene to a junkyard and deemed totaled by the Insurance provider. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,600.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the passenger's side air bags indicator warning alarm sounded as if there was a passenger seated in the seat. The passenger's side air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 78,000.
I discovered that my 2013 Volkswagen Jetta has a completely nonfunctional airbag system. On 8/23/23- airbag warning light illuminated and has remained on. In 08/2025- Midas staff informed me the light may indicate an airbag defect and referred me to Volkswagen. On 09/24/2025- Volkswagen dealer inspection documented both front crash sensors were unplugged/damaged, leaving the airbag system inoperable. Safety concern: I unknowingly drove this car for over two years with no functional airbags. This created a severe risk of injury or death in the event of a motor vehicle accident. This car was sold by Carvana as having passed a 150-point inspection and under warranty coverage. However, Carvana later stated that they have a disclaimer that shifts the responsibility of the car being safe to drive onto the consumer, and that they never claimed the car had a functioning air bag system.
My car's clock spring has failed causing the driver side / steering wheel airbag connection to fail in my car. I see that many other VW's including many VW Jettas in the same year of manufacture had a recall for this exact issue but searching by my VIN does not show a recall. I am informed that I am currently about the 1600th (yes, 1600) person waiting for this part on back-order from VW. If needed, I will be happy to provide the information of the auto repair facility that has diagnosed the problem. I think this is quite a lot of circumstantial evidence of a likely product defect that should warrant investigation particularly because failure of this part disables the air bag safety system. This is even more troublesome considering the unknown delivery date of the part due to the backorder.
Vehicle would not shift, OBD2 code P037B "stuck in gear 6." Vehicle towed to a auto mechanic that said they spoke with VW dealer and confirmed it was a crack in the transmission and was undriveable. I have contacted VW who have said there are recalls for many transmissions of this Jetta but not for my VIN. I have also had issues with the clock spring (replaced) and an air bag sensor (malfunction light still on) and now the transmission. There are recalls for Hybrid Jettas of this year but apparently not for my VIN. It seems like a large coincidence and feels like it should be investigated, especially considering the other issues VW was investigated for at this time of production.
The clock spring in the steering wheel has failed, causing the air bag and horn (along with the steering wheel-controlled electrical systems) to stop working. This has been confirmed by a local Volkswagen dealership service department. The part is under extended warranty due to a prior recall, but in reality this recall apparently isn't worth much, as the part has been backordered for several months and won't be obtainable for up to another 6 months, or more; no actual date has been committed to. The Volkswagen service department also stated they cannot/will not temporarily fix or ameliorate the current failure of basic safety features.
The clock spring in this vehicle has failed in a vehicle that currently has less than 36k miles. There were no warnings or lights prior to failure. The controls on steering wheel and the vehicle's horn no longer work as a result. When inspected by the local dealership, they also informed us that the airbag may not deploy in the event of an accident. The dealership also told us that the replacement part is backordered and that they could not provide a date that the part would be available. The vehicle feels unsafe to drive since we do not know if the airbag works or not. VW seems to be in no hurry to provide a fix.
Component Failure: Airbag Light is On, No steering wheel electronic controls work including cruise control. Safety: I'm uncertain if the Airbag will deploy in the event of a crash. Dealer Confirmed: Dealer states the Steering Wheel Clock Spring requires replacement, but that it is not a part of the VW recall issued August 2015. Inspected: Hiley VW Dealership inspected the vehicle Warning Lamps: Airbag Light is currently on. Uncertain when it started since I'm the 2nd owner of the vehicle.
Airbag malfunction indicator lamp has illuminated, horn is not funtional. Returned to Volkswagen dealership for diagnosis, prognosis being faulty "clock spring." Was previously indicated as repaired under recall exhibiting same symptoms some years previously but, problem has resurfaced and is persisting.
The ABS lights go on and the speedometer stopped working and all the lights have activated. the abs module has been reported that there is a defect in most of the jettas and so i believe that this should be a recall issue.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles.
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.
NHTSA investigations
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta…
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of steering wheel clock spring/steering column control module (SCCM) failures in model year (MY) 2012 Volkswagen Passat and CC models.The SCCM is a module within the steering column that incorporates a spiral conductor (a ribbon cable) to electrically connect the steering wheel to the vehicle's electrical system while…
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta…
Airbag complaints in other Jetta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the air bags of the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta, 6% of the model year's 518 complaints. The component named most often is frontal › driver clockspring/spiral cassette (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Volkswagen Jetta airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-483 (frontal, Aug 4, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 Volkswagen Jetta airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 45,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.