Our Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen's Battery Dies at 64,000 Miles
CARS.COM — Single-digit temperatures proved too cold for the aging battery in Cars.com’s 2013 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI. The Jetta sat out in the elements for a few days and when we tried to start the engine, the dashboard flickered and the engine said, “Nope.” Actually, the engine didn’t say anything. Not even a courtesy turn-over. A portable jump starter turned over the engine a few times but didn’t have enough guts to warm the glow plugs and start the diesel engine in the frigid temperatures.
Related: We Bought a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI
Eventually, jumping the Jetta using another car gave it enough juice to fire up and drive around for an hour before heading to the dealership. At the dealership’s service bay, the Jetta wouldn’t restart after it was turned off. The battery was dead-dead after 64,000 miles. In the Cars.com article “Tips for Starting Your Car in Subzero Weather,” Mike Calkins, manager of technical services for the AAA travel group’s national office, said a battery can lose some of its original reserve capacity after three years, and extreme cold weather can reduce the battery’s remaining capacity.
Our local Volkswagen dealer’s service department tested and confirmed the Jetta’s 4-year-old battery needed replacing and that it would be $344.05. The battery itself was $136, labor $165, disposal charge $26.40 and tax $16.65. Our Jetta TDI is back to chugging along nicely and has since been starting just fine in the winter weather with its new battery.
