2021 Volkswagen Jetta Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Jetta years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 23rd of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta. That ranks 23rd out of 32 Jetta model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (25 complaints, 36%). Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 injury. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 69owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 Volkswagen Jetta problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 25 | 36% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 13 | 19% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 16% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 9 | 13% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 9 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 7% | 60 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 7% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 4 | 6% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 4% | 1,900 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 1,900 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 14,469 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 19,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Volkswagen Jetta recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:electrical:infotainment:software; back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainment system may cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DV.
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Jetta and Jetta GLI vehicles. The air bag control module was welded in the incorrect position.
Risk: Incorrect positioning of the air bag control module can cause the vehicle's air bags to deploy improperly during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, the vehicle's air bags can deploy unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 28, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69CK.
Seats:critical fasteners
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Long Wheelbase and Jetta vehicles. Bolts may be missing from the front seat tracks.
Risk: The seat can move front and back without restriction if bolts are missing, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat tracks and, as necessary, install the bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 18, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 72L6.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan LWB, Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas FL and Arteon vehicles. The rear view camera could malfunction during an ignition cycle, leading to a black screen or infotainment system freeze. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91BB/91BC.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
There is a known issue released by Volkswagen that certain model years of their vehicles are eligible for a limited extended warranty regarding the clock spring. In their release announcement VWP-18-11 on April 27, 2023, they specifically mentioned vehicle year model 2010 to 2022 qualifies for U37…
There appears to be a known issue with the rear braking system on the VW Jetta for various model years including 2021. The issue seems to be a combination of soft brake pads combined with the autonomous braking system which overuses the brakes and causes premature wear. This rear autonomous braking…
Mid June 2026 infotainment update was over the air software update. Update caused infotainment failures: looping screen resets, unable to play audio, disruption to screen during safety features such as back up cam, unable to accomplish directions, CarPlay no longer consistent feature. None of these…
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…
Volkswagen corporate deployed a mandatory over-the-air (OTA) software update to the MIB3 infotainment system. The update failed mid-installation, entirely bricking the J794 information module. This failure completely disabled vital driver information systems, including the digital dash compass, all…
Other Volkswagen Jetta years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Jetta | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 Jetta | 30 | 2 |
| 2024 Jetta | 45 | 0 |
| 2023 Jetta | 43 | 0 |
| 2022 Jetta | 43 | 1 |
| 2021 | 69 | 4 |
| 2020 Jetta | 54 | 6 |
| 2019 Jetta | 549 | 11 |
| 2018 Jetta | 31 | 2 |
| 2017 Jetta | 160 | 6 |
| 2016 Jetta | 161 | 4 |
| 2015 Jetta | 194 | 7 |
| 2014 Jetta | 387 | 4 |
| 2013 Jetta | 517 | 4 |
| 2012 Jetta | 500 | 5 |
| 2011 Jetta | 607 | 7 |
| 2010 Jetta | 852 | 4 |
| 2009 Jetta | 889 | 6 |
| 2008 Jetta | 188 | 4 |
| 2007 Jetta | 201 | 4 |
| 2006 Jetta | 580 | 4 |
| 2005 Jetta | 248 | 4 |
| 2004 Jetta | 231 | 2 |
| 2003 Jetta | 456 | 2 |
| 2002 Jetta | 702 | 5 |
| 2001 Jetta | 668 | 6 |
| 2000 Jetta | 439 | 4 |
| 1999 Jetta | 349 | 6 |
| 1998 Jetta | 192 | 2 |
| 1997 Jetta | 54 | 1 |
| 1996 Jetta | 31 | 1 |
| 1995 Jetta | 220 | 4 |
See all Volkswagen Jetta problems by year, every Volkswagen model, or the Volkswagen VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta?
Owners most often report service brakes, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 25 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Jetta model years, the 2021 has far fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.