Volkswagen Jetta Steering Problems
Owners have filed 311 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the Volkswagen Jetta across 31 model years. The 2012 model year has the most (42). The words owners use most often: “stuck ignition” (8% of reports).
- 311steering complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 26mention a crash
- 9mention an injury
- 1related 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.
- Stuck ignition: mentioned in 24 of 311 complaints (8%)
- Electrical steering: mentioned in 21 of 311 complaints (7%)
- Key gets: mentioned in 18 of 311 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 181 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 311 complaints, 26 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 9 an injury.
Volkswagen Jetta steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Jetta | 1 | 17% | — |
| 2025 Jetta | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2024 Jetta | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2023 Jetta | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2022 Jetta | 7 | 16% | 75,000 |
| 2021 Jetta | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2020 Jetta | 4 | 7% | 459 |
| 2019 Jetta | 12 | 2% | 20,000 |
| 2017 Jetta | 14 | 9% | 23,000 |
| 2016 Jetta | 11 | 7% | 46,000 |
| 2015 Jetta | 15 | 8% | 54,000 |
| 2014 Jetta | 17 | 4% | 57,838 |
| 2013 Jetta | 37 | 7% | 55,950 |
| 2012 Jetta | 42 | 8% | 51,500 |
| 2011 Jetta | 23 | 4% | 50,000 |
| 2010 Jetta | 13 | 2% | 79,048 |
| 2009 Jetta | 24 | 3% | 90,000 |
| 2008 Jetta | 3 | 2% | 112,500 |
| 2007 Jetta | 4 | 2% | 155,000 |
| 2006 Jetta | 10 | 2% | 51,000 |
| 2005 Jetta | 2 | 1% | 153,000 |
| 2004 Jetta | 4 | 2% | 118,000 |
| 2003 Jetta | 1 | 0% | 150,489 |
| 2002 Jetta | 8 | 1% | 71,000 |
| 2001 Jetta | 5 | 1% | 72,070 |
| 2000 Jetta | 8 | 2% | 38,000 |
| 1999 Jetta | 8 | 2% | 61,258 |
| 1998 Jetta | 12 | 6% | 94,500 |
| 1997 Jetta | 2 | 4% | 140,000 |
| 1996 Jetta | 3 | 10% | 102,000 |
| 1995 Jetta | 14 | 6% | 89,250 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module; steering:column locking:anti-theft device
Model years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."
Risk: Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On September 25th 2026, while driving my 2020 Volkswagen Jetta south on Route 12, the driver-front wheel completely separated from the vehicle while in motion. The vehicle suffered an immediate loss of structural control, and the undercarriage dropped directly onto the roadway, causing extensive…
On the day the issue occurred, I went to work as usual. When I finished work and tried to leave, my vehicle wouldn't start. I had the vehicle towed to a repair shop to determine what was wrong. After inspecting the vehicle, I was informed that the issue could only be properly repaired by a…
The issue with the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta is the steering wheel which appears to be a known issue. A warning light and audible warning tone activate repeatedly while the car is in motion with the alert of "Travel Assist Currently Not Available". The frequency of the alert by tone and alert light is…
When driving using cruise control, the vehicle will alarm if the driver is not holding the steering. If the driver does not take control of the steering wheel, a secondary alarm will alert the driver on the dashboard to take over steering. If the driver does not take over steering, the vehicle will…
The steering wheel touch sensors has malfunctioned and whenever the steering wheel is grabbed from the bottom half, the lake keeping assist errors out and the car throws a "travel assist unavailble" in the guage cluster. My steering wheel was replaced under warranty less than a year ago for this…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Volkswagen Jettas have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 311 owner complaints about steering 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 steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about steering problems on the Volkswagen Jetta?
The most frequent phrase is “stuck ignition”, in 24 of 311 complaints, followed by “electrical steering” (21).
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.