Volkswagen Jetta Seats Problems
Owners have filed 363 complaints with NHTSA about seats problems on the Volkswagen Jetta across 25 model years. The 2002 model year has the most (101). The words owners use most often: “seat heater” (27% of reports).
- 363seats complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 106mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 34%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.
- Seat heater: mentioned in 98 of 363 complaints (27%)
- Caught fire: mentioned in 48 of 363 complaints (13%)
- Burned through: mentioned in 41 of 363 complaints (11%)
- Heated seats: mentioned in 30 of 363 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do seats problems happen?
Based on 271 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 363 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 139 a fire, 106 an injury.
Volkswagen Jetta seats complaints by model year
| Model year | Seats complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Jetta | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2021 Jetta | 1 | 1% | 1,900 |
| 2020 Jetta | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2019 Jetta | 2 | 0% | 14,000 |
| 2017 Jetta | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2016 Jetta | 1 | 1% | 72,000 |
| 2015 Jetta | 8 | 4% | 45,000 |
| 2014 Jetta | 3 | 1% | 45,000 |
| 2013 Jetta | 2 | 0% | 12,500 |
| 2012 Jetta | 2 | 0% | 38,000 |
| 2011 Jetta | 3 | 0% | 80,000 |
| 2010 Jetta | 3 | 0% | 18 |
| 2009 Jetta | 9 | 1% | 77,800 |
| 2008 Jetta | 6 | 3% | 106,000 |
| 2007 Jetta | 11 | 5% | 87,500 |
| 2006 Jetta | 25 | 4% | 106,500 |
| 2005 Jetta | 3 | 1% | 68,000 |
| 2004 Jetta | 22 | 10% | 90,000 |
| 2003 Jetta | 100 | 22% | 54,500 |
| 2002 Jetta | 101 | 14% | 45,000 |
| 2001 Jetta | 27 | 4% | 49,000 |
| 2000 Jetta | 17 | 4% | 99,000 |
| 1999 Jetta | 7 | 2% | 107,000 |
| 1998 Jetta | 1 | 1% | — |
| 1995 Jetta | 5 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Seats:critical fasteners
Model years: 2021
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.
Seats
Model years: 2020
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.
Risk: In the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020. Volkswagen owners may contact their customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Audi owners may contact their customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72L1, 72K8, and 72K9.
Seats
Model years: 2015
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Volkswagen Jetta and Passat vehicles manufactured September 23, 2014, to October 9, 2014, and equipped with manual front seatback recliners. In the affected vehicles, the seatback recliner retaining bracket may not engage correctly, resulting in unexpected movement of the seatback.
Risk: Unexpected movement of the driver's seatback may distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the assembly of the seatback recliner retaining bracket, correcting it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 72F1.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I have severe painful burns on my gluteus from the seat heater. I had the heater on intermittently on a drive of about 75 miles. I put the heater on for about 10-15 minutes a few times but did not have it on the entire trip. After getting to my destination I started feeling painful burning…
The contact owns a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving with the front driverâs side seat heater activated, the seat became extremely hot. The contact started smelling a burning odor coming from the seat. The contact felt a hole in the seat, which burned the contact's…
There is a spring that it out of place and when I turned to get out of the seat it scratched my back.
The drivers side seat does not heat up not to mention the leatherette material used is cheap and has torn making the heater to not work anymore possibly
The driverâs side seat is not secured and has slight movements in some positions and wobbles in other positions, particularly when braking . The seat does not feel secure or safe when under any hard braking. I had the dealer inspect it a few months after purchase they acknowledged it and replaced…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Volkswagen Jettas have seats problems?
No. NHTSA has 363 owner complaints about seats 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 seats?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list seats. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about seats problems on the Volkswagen Jetta?
The most frequent phrase is “seat heater”, in 98 of 363 complaints, followed by “caught fire” (48).
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.