Owners have filed 8,353 complaints on the Volkswagen Jetta, covering 1984–2026. The system named most often is Electrical System (914 reports). Worst years by volume: 2009, 2010, 2019; cleanest: 2026, 1993, 1987. 391 reports describe a crash, 245 a fire, 16 a death. On average the car was 4.3 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Volkswagen Jetta
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 8,353 Jetta complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Electrical System 914 Read
Check engine light on, car runs rough when wet. Has always. Bring it in for diagnostic and they say it is the ignition coil pack. It was replaced and the day after service is completed on the way to work check engine light comes on again. Bring it back in and after another diagnostic hook up and another $72 later now…
While traveling on [XXX] in Van Buren, Arkansas, I was involved in a hit-and-run accident. The impact caused significant front-end damage and resulted in physical injuries. The vehicle’s dashboard/electrical system indicated AIRBAG:ERROR, and the police report reflects that airbag deployed yet we have photo evidence…
Vehicle was purchased with check engine light on, returned to dealership and was told it was the gas cap. The vehicle was stalling after that. Vehicle stalled while driving on parkway, all of the dash lights came on and the ability to brake and steer was gone causing an accident. Airbags did not deploy on the front…
Power Train 560 Read
Zero warning lights, dash clusters only allowing two options to show, oil temperature reading 200degrees Fahrenheit or higher, floor board feels like the firewall is almost in the interior of the vehicle and not engine port. Upon performing a thorough investigation of my own, the manifold, intake valve and wires are…
2019 jetta s. Began stalling after 6 months of ownership. Car was purchased brand new with 62 miles. Brought vehicle to dealer 09/27/2019 and they stated it was fine no issues could be found. On 05/18/2020 the car stalled again it had 15452 miles on it. It was towed to the dealer where they kept the car until…
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle in a handicapped parking space, the vehicle failed to stop despite the contact's foot firmly depressed on the brake pedal. As the vehicle continued to move forward with the contact's foot depressed to the floorboard,…
Engine 352 Read
Vehicle caught fire while putting car in reverse. Car exploded from engine, no check engine light. I could have died, the fire almost burned down a building. The fire department was called and the front of the car was melted. My arm was injured and I had to get a new cast for my broken wrist. Car was towed by city…
The contact owns a 2017 volkswagen jetta. The contact stated that the vehicle wheels seized which resulted in the vehicle hitting the side walk while being operated approximately 20 mph. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard and the vehicle was deemed operable. A police report…
The fuel rail bolts on the car loosened, one sheered off. Fuel poured from the front end of the car. When the car was started, to be placed on a flatbed the car caught on fire. The car is currently at a mechanics, but has not been repaired. The car could have easily caught on fire while being driven or started any…
Air Bags 282 Read
Takata recall airbag did not pop out when I was in a car accident while drive in the highway in orlando florida
Front end collision on highway at approximate 45 mph, possibly slower. Airbags did not deploy. Damage primarily on driver side of vehicle. Flame ignited on front driver side of vehicle under the hood. Fire quickly spread causing total loss of vehicle. Unknown what caused fire
Driving on interstate 74 west bound entered rain storm. Did not see car that was slow or stopped until impact. Traveling at a speed of 78 mph. Airbag did not deploy. Is this normal? Rear ended car in front. Volkswagen was totaled with severe front end damage. Other car was a bigger suv. There is dash cam footage that…
Fuel System 218 Read
Our jetta was rear-ended at a red light and the gas tank exploded, causing the car to become a fireball. The car was obviously totalled, and we lost all of our belongings inside the car
Fuel hose leaked, resulting in a fire after recall repairs (92V-058.001)
The contact owned a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at 15-25 MPH, she smelled a strong burning gas odor. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact felt an intense heat on her legs. The contact saw a flame on the driver's side of the hood and quickly exited the vehicle. The…
Service Brakes 216 Read
While traveling at the posted speed limit and approaching a signalized intersection, I attempted to brake for stopped traffic ahead. The vehicle did not decelerate as expected, and the automatic emergency braking/forward collision mitigation system did not activate or provide any braking assistance. Additionally, no…
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that when depressing the brake pedal the vehicle would lunge forward. While driving approximately 40 mph and suddenly depressing the brake pedal the vehicle lurched forward and crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. During the crash, the driver sustained…
Driving on westlake drive in wimauma fl preparing to turn left took foot off gas put foot on clutch put car in 2nd gear with foot above brake to mash down, pcould would not stop or slow down hit electric pole air bags deployed. Car was in shop prior to acciddent at bob boast volkswagen in bradenton fl
Steering 192 Read
The steering wheel is the principal reason for this incident. Because when I'm driving on the highway almost to get an exit to the right going at the speed limit of 70 MPH the right tire passes through a high/low on the street, then my steering wheel locked lightly and started to pull to the right like for 2-3…
I suspect that my 2019 vw jetta computer system/car was hacked/driven remotely on 12/3/2019 that caused an accident (photos attached) that LED to my car being a total loss. I sustained injuries and was taken by ambulance to the local er from the accident. This case is still involved in court proceedings as of today. I…
I just purchased a 2019 jetta r line and since day one I have a grinding noise coming from the transfer case or the transmission. It's always there at around 50km/per hour for about 2 sec. Like many others said it doesn't feel right for me. I hope vw will take action and do something about it. On top of that I lost…
Fuel/propulsion System 192 Read
Two safety defect incidents involving unintended acceleration. This defect has resulted in two loss of control incidents causing property damage. First incident: While attempting to move vehicle inside garage, I started engine with foot firmly on the brake, shifted the transmission into drive, and maintained full…
I am reporting a safety concern involving unintended acceleration in a 2025 Volkswagen Jetta SE (VIN [XXX] ) Te vehicle has experienced two separate incidents in which it surged forward unexpectedly when shifting from park to drive while my foot depressed the brake pedal. The first incident occurred in approximately…
My car started on fire as driving to work January 21 2022 at 7:30 am.After researching after the fire Not knowing how and why that happened car had been perfectly fine no warning signs or any difference with the way it drove , I came to find out about fuel rail recall on my car that will cause car to start on fire .I…
Jetta years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Steering,electrical System,exterior Lighting | — | — | |
| 2025 | Electrical System | 4 | — | |
| 2024 | Air Bags | 2 | 1 | |
| 2023 | Air Bags,forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | — | |
| 2022 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 2021 | Air Bags | 3 | — | |
| 2020 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 2019 | Air Bags | 19 | 3 | |
| 2018 | Air Bags | 1 | — | |
| 2017 | Air Bags | 18 | 3 | |
| 2016 | Air Bags | 18 | 5 | |
| 2015 | Air Bags | 6 | 1 | |
| 2014 | Air Bags | 19 | 2 | |
| 2013 | Air Bags | 10 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Air Bags | 23 | 6 | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 23 | 7 | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | 19 | 5 | |
| 2009 | Air Bags | 28 | 6 | |
| 2008 | Air Bags | 4 | 3 | |
| 2007 | Air Bags | 7 | 7 | |
| 2006 | Air Bags | 14 | 4 | |
| 2005 | Air Bags | 8 | 12 | |
| 2004 | Air Bags | 12 | 16 | |
| 2003 | Air Bags | 19 | 51 | |
| 2002 | Air Bags | 22 | 54 | |
| 2001 | Air Bags | 28 | 12 | |
| 2000 | Air Bags | 20 | 12 | |
| 1999 | Air Bags | 25 | 9 | |
| 1998 | Air Bags | 6 | 7 | |
| 1997 | Air Bags,equipment | 1 | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 2,838 |
| Average complaints per series | 2.9 |
| Worst single series | 29 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 4.3 years |
A model average of 2.9 hides a worst series at 29. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Jetta?
By complaint volume, 2009, 2010, 2019 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which Jetta years are the cleanest?
2026, 2025, 2018 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Volkswagen Jetta have?
8,353 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 1984–2026. Of those, 391 describe a crash and 245 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.