Volkswagen Jetta Equipment Problems
Owners have filed 155 complaints with NHTSA about equipment problems on the Volkswagen Jetta across 19 model years. The 2000 model year has the most (22). The words owners use most often: “air conditioner” (8% of reports).
- 155equipment complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 7related recalls
- 42%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air conditioner: mentioned in 12 of 155 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do equipment problems happen?
Based on 89 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 155 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 4 an injury.
Volkswagen Jetta equipment complaints by model year
| Model year | Equipment complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Jetta | 2 | 1% | 30,000 |
| 2015 Jetta | 1 | 1% | 520 |
| 2014 Jetta | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2011 Jetta | 7 | 1% | 59,100 |
| 2010 Jetta | 17 | 2% | 61,000 |
| 2009 Jetta | 2 | 0% | 34,282 |
| 2008 Jetta | 1 | 1% | 50 |
| 2007 Jetta | 3 | 1% | 8,344 |
| 2006 Jetta | 6 | 1% | 20,000 |
| 2005 Jetta | 3 | 1% | 60,000 |
| 2004 Jetta | 6 | 3% | 53,700 |
| 2003 Jetta | 9 | 2% | 33,450 |
| 2002 Jetta | 17 | 2% | 52,000 |
| 2001 Jetta | 17 | 3% | 37,750 |
| 2000 Jetta | 22 | 5% | 38,000 |
| 1999 Jetta | 7 | 2% | 54,700 |
| 1998 Jetta | 12 | 6% | 50,000 |
| 1997 Jetta | 4 | 7% | 84,000 |
| 1995 Jetta | 18 | 8% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (7)
Equipment:electrical:infotainment:software; back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Model years: 2021, 2022
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.
Equipment:other:labels
Model years: 2017
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Jetta vehicles. The affected vehicles have Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) markings on the body that do not match the VIN plate near the windshield. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
Risk: The mismatched VINs make the vehicle noncompliant with regulatory requirements.
Fix: Volkswagen has notified owners and has replaced the vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on July 7, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 06A8.
Equipment:other:labels
Model years: 2017
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Jetta vehicles. The affected vehicles have incorrect information on the tire information label, possibly causing the operator to overload the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: Overloading the vehicle may affect vehicle handling or result in tire damage, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers install a corrected tire information label, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for the recall is 01B8
Equipment:other:labels
Model years: 2017
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Beetle and Jetta GLI vehicles. The affected vehicles have incorrect information on the tire information label, possibly causing the operator to overload the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: Overloading the vehicle may affect vehicle handling or result in tire damage, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected tire information label, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for the recall is 01B9.
Equipment:other:labels
Model years: 1998, 1999
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.8l vr6 engines fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." the recommended cold tire inflation pressure published on the label for tires of the size 205/50 r15 86h is 0.1 bar (1.45 psi) too low. It should be 2.5 bar (36.3 psi). The label recommends 2.4 bar (34.8 psi = 35 psi).
Risk: Under inflated tires can affect vehicle handling, and driving with substantialy under inflated tires puts the consumer at a risk for a crash.
Fix: Owners will be provided with corrected labels, or a dealer can install the label if the owner wishes. Owner notification began september 29, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact vw at 1-800-893-5298.
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual
Model years: 2000, 2001
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." child seat anchorages installed in the vehicle's rear seats must be identified by markings, and their location and use be described in the owner's manual.
Risk: These vehicles were not marked or described as required by the standard.
Fix: Owners will be provided with a supplement for the owner's manual and also one set of four guidance fixtures intended to use in conjunction with child seats equipped with rigid or semi-rigid lower anchorage attachments. Also enclosed will be four decals together with installation instructions and a template for attaching the decals to the lower seat backs. Owner notification is expected to begin september 15, 2002. Owners should contact vwoa at 1-800-822-8987.
Equipment:mechanical:integrated jack/leveler/stabilizer; equipment:mechanical:accessory scissor/screw/bottle jack/lift
Model years: 1995
Problem: The jacks supplied with these vehicles were assembled with an improperly machined spindle, so that a sharp ridge on the edge of spindle's thread would have remained.
Risk: This ridge can damage the inside thread of the jack's scissor shoe when the jack is used to lift the vehicle. The jack could collapse with the possibility that a person standing close to the vehicle could be injured.
Fix: Owners will be provided with a new jack.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the infotainment system touch screen failed to operate as an intended. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted, and the vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic to be…
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was started, the infotainment touch screen occasionally went black and did not respond to touch commands. Additionally, the side buttons of the infotainment screen did not respond when…
2014 volkswagen jetta. Consumer writes in regards to unsatisfactory customer service at dealership with vehicle voice recognition system malfunction. *smd the consumer stated the voice recognition software has a flaw with recognizing female voices. The dealer was notified. *js
I was driving to my cabin and when i woke up the next day and started my car - my radio did not work, the care was stationary in driveway when i noticed this problem. I drove to the dealer, thinking it was a fuse or something easy to fix and they said the radio is broken and it be over $1500.00 to…
While driving, radio/cd/hands free telephone died. Screen flickered and then went blank, no power to all these functions. Vw repair said this model of radio installed on this year vehicle was a common problem, and that the radio unit is dead and will need to be replaced ($668 plus tax for a…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Volkswagen Jettas have equipment problems?
No. NHTSA has 155 owner complaints about equipment for the Volkswagen Jetta. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Volkswagen Jetta equipment?
Yes: 7 safety recalls list equipment. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about equipment problems on the Volkswagen Jetta?
The most frequent phrase is “air conditioner”, in 12 of 155 complaints.
Other Volkswagen Jetta problems
- Electrical System problems (2,099)
- Power Train problems (1,600)
- Engine problems (1,083)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (854)
- Air Bags problems (839)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (604)
- Fuel System, Diesel problems (527)
- Visibility problems (486)
See all Volkswagen Jetta problems.