2013 Jetta 4-cyl + Jet Ski = ???

[SparkyMcSpark]

Hello all.

I was just curious, I know Sea-Doo is advertising that the little Spark's can be towed by just about anything including an old lady on a bicycle, I was wondering about some of the other models. I began looking at the RXP260-X. It has a weight of about 815 pounds and the trailer used to tow it weighs about 200. It's hard to find concrete answers on this so I figured I would ask here.

I have a front wheel drive, 2013, 4-cylinder Jetta. Would it have any problem towing that combination?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: 2013 Jetta 4-cyl + Jet Ski = ???

Check your owners manual for towing capacity,or call the dealer.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 2013 Jetta 4-cyl + Jet Ski = ???

My inclination would be that TOTAL weight including fuel of 1000 lbs AND the car lightly loaded with one or two people not maxed out with 5 people and a full trunk would be a pretty safe bet...... Obviously the car will NOT handle or stop the same with a trailer and you should consider driving slower and increasing following distance.

As stated above tho....... Read the manual and or call your dealer

 

[H20Rat]

Re: 2013 Jetta 4-cyl + Jet Ski = ???

Manual or auto trans? I believe the car is rated at 1000 pounds, but it is far more capable than that. (EU specs rated it at double that, with a manual trans) The biggest problem will be the auto transmission, if you have that. They have a pretty high failure rate without towing, so I'd be a little concerned if I were highway towing for long distances. Don't let it shift into the top gear, keep the revs up higher than normal.

Don't let your dealer know you are towing, tell them the hitch is for the bike rack. Some dealers will make a stink over it come warranty time. (car or truck, doesn't matter, if they suspect excessive or heavy towing caused the failure they will try to get out of paying, even if you are well within the limits.)

 

[SparkyMcSpark]

Re: 2013 Jetta 4-cyl + Jet Ski = ???

It's an automatic transmission... :blue:

Does that mean I can't tow a single ski without ruining it? I don't want to risk my car...

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: 2013 Jetta 4-cyl + Jet Ski = ???

It's an automatic transmission... :blue:

Does that mean I can't tow a single ski without ruining it? I don't want to risk my car...

Howdy,

You might go on over to the TDI website Fred's TDI Page. TDIClub.com. VW TDI Enthusiast Community and do a search about towing with the DSG transmission (if that's what you have)

As far as I can tell, VW of A doesn't appear to recommend towing with the auto trans. The gas model might be the same.

In any case, if you 'torch' the transmission and VW determines that you have caused the failure, the replacement cost could be several thousand dollars.

I wouldn't even own a VW with an auto trans in view of the problems I have read about in the past.....I don't think I'd tow with one either.


Good luck,


Rick