Volkswagen Jetta Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 10,013 consumer complaints across the 42 model years of the Volkswagen Jetta (1985–2026) that have at least 5 complaints. 2009 has the most, with 889. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (2,144 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Jetta model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 300 | 1 | 84 | — | Too new |
| 2025 | 32 | — | 2 | 148 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2024 | 46 | 15,000 | 0 | 258 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2023 | 43 | 11,000 | 0 | 348 | 0 · Fewer | Too new |
| 2022 | 43 | 3,250 | 1 | 451 | 0 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2021 | 70 | 9,000 | 4 | 487 | 29 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2020 | 54 | 6,951 | 6 | 535 | 30 · Fewer | Stable |
| 2019 | 550 | 4,500 | 11 | 757 | 100 · More | Rising |
| 2018 | 32 | 40,000 | 2 | 658 | 0 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2017 | 160 | 36,950 | 6 | 666 | 51 · Typical | Stable |
| 2016 | 161 | 42,731 | 4 | 824 | 37 · Typical | Falling |
| 2015 | 194 | 42,000 | 7 | 1,080 | 49 · Typical | Falling |
| 2014 | 388 | 55,000 | 4 | 1,540 | 61 · Typical | Falling |
| 2013 | 518 | 56,000 | 4 | 1,534 | 67 · More | Falling |
| 2012 | 500 | 55,412 | 5 | 1,483 | 87 · More | Falling |
| 2011 | 607 | 50,000 | 7 | 1,333 | 100 · More | Falling |
| 2010 | 852 | 53,939 | 4 | 1,129 | 100 · More | Falling |
| 2009 | 889 | 60,150 | 6 | 1,058 | 100 · More | Falling |
| 2008 | 188 | 58,000 | 4 | 596 | 40 · Typical | Falling |
| 2007 | 201 | 53,661 | 4 | 507 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 580 | 71,491 | 4 | 474 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 248 | 71,207 | 4 | 393 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 231 | 66,000 | 2 | 246 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2003 | 456 | 56,000 | 2 | 220 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 702 | 52,000 | 5 | 227 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2001 | 668 | 50,000 | 6 | 217 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 439 | 64,400 | 4 | 205 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 349 | 72,000 | 6 | 121 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 192 | 81,282 | 2 | 59 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1997 | 54 | 78,000 | 1 | 41 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 31 | 95,000 | 1 | 29 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 220 | 112,984 | 4 | 20 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 117 | 91,800 | 5 | 14 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 17 | 170,000 | 4 | 14 | — | Stable |
| 1992 | 30 | 119,646 | 2 | 14 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1991 | 31 | 117,000 | 5 | 14 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1990 | 22 | 125,000 | 5 | 1 | — | Stable |
| 1989 | 28 | — | 4 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1988 | 19 | — | 7 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1987 | 18 | — | 3 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1986 | 14 | 97,869 | 2 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1985 | 13 | — | 3 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system2,144 22%
- Transmission and drivetrain1,620 17%
- Fuel system1,355 14%
- Engine1,084 11%
- Brakes935 9.6%
- Engine cooling899 9.3%
- Air bags844 8.7%
- Other or unknown817 8.4%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2017: “I was driving on road & I hit a major rock or a pothole I was in hyattsville. I work & live in the city of hyattsville. I drive though the bladensburg/hyattsville to do my deliveries working but this one just damaged my vehicle & started a major leak from my transmission pan. I left work cause I noticed it was leaking constantly drove it home and sat it down.”
NHTSA complaint #11406281, filed 2021-04, 76,574 miles2016: “Got a recall for my car's fuel rail in december 2020 and I still have not gotten a letter to get my car fixed. I thought my car was fine but a week after I got the recall paper, I went to start my car and it started smelling like gasoline and ever since then, my car has been sitting in my drive way for 2 months now and I need my car fix”
NHTSA complaint #11397980, filed 2021-02, 40,000 miles2011: “I was on the highway when it started pouring rain. I tried to turn on my windshield wipers on the vw Jetta 2011 and they did not move. I lost visibility in seconds at 50mph and thank goodness, was able to pull over before anyone was hurt but it was terrifying and a close call. The windshield wipers don't work in the cold, apparently, which to me seems very dangerous!”
NHTSA complaint #11403786, filed 2021-03, 110,000 milesOther Volkswagen models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology