2008 Volkswagen Jetta Latches, locks and linkages Problems
- Complaints
- 10about this part
- Share
- 5%of 188 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 68,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 10 complaints about the latches, locks and linkages of the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta, 5% of the 188 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 68,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I got locked inside the car on a hot day with my kid! I sat in the back to play with him and keep him company. The door closed and it would not unlock no matter how many times I would pull on the lever. I was pinched between the child seat, the driver's seat (I keep it pulled back quite a bit) and the door. I could barely move. My wife had to unlock the door from the outside. The door lock/latch mechanism has (since this incident) failed on both rear doors. Both!!! …”
NHTSA complaint #10586454, filed 2014-05, 94,500 miles“This vehicle was purchased approximately september 2008, and to date has experienced five (5) failures of the electronic door locking/unlocking mechanisms of three of the four doors of the vehicle and in some case multiple failures. I am currently experiencing failure number six (6). The failure of the locking/unlocking mechanisms is a safety issue as these failure have at time prevented being able to exit the vehicle and in the case of an emergency it is a serious threat to my safety. …”
NHTSA complaint #10452114, filed 2012-03, 25,559 miles“2008 wolfsburg edition Jetta: started experiencing issues with one door lock and the dealer told me that the locks can go bad and need to be replaced, costing $450 for the replacement. After having this fixed, only two months later, another lock started having an issue. I have not yet replaced this lock, but now a third lock is starting to experience problems on the same vehicle. At this rate, I expect the fourth and final lock to start having issues. At $450 for each lock replacement, this seems excessive. …”
NHTSA complaint #10461151, filed 2012-06, 60,000 miles“In 2011, the right rear door stopped locking. When I would try to lock the door both with the internal lock switch and the fob, the door would not lock. It also would not chirp to let me know that all the doors were locked and the alarm was set. Locking the door with the fob does set the alarm, however you can open the rear door and the alarm goes off. In september of 2014 the left rear door stopped locking as well...it has the exact same issues as the right rear door not locking...however, it is so far somewhat intermittent and sometimes will not open at all!”
NHTSA complaint #10640806, filed 2014-10, 60,000 miles“I have a 2008 Jetta and I started experiencing problems with 1 door. My car was still under warranty and the lock was replaced at the dealership. Then only months later I started having similar problems randomly (the lock would work some times but not others). Everytime I stopped at the dealership to have it fixed the lock worked- therefore they could not diagnose which door had a problem. The lock failed everytime and when I returned to the dealership, the car was no longer under warranty. The dealership said the locks can go bad and quoted me a cost of $400 to repair. …”
NHTSA complaint #10466520, filed 2012-07, 68,000 milesLatches, locks and linkages: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | 1% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0% |
| 2013 | 3 | 1% |
| 2012 | 2 | 0% |
| 2011 | 7 | 1% |
| 2010 | 14 | 2% |
| 2009 | 9 | 1% |
| 2008 | 10 | 5% |
| 2007 | 8 | 4% |
| 2006 | 14 | 2% |
| 2005 | 7 | 3% |
| 2004 | 4 | 2% |
| 2003 | 7 | 2% |
| 2002 | 6 | 1% |
| 2001 | 18 | 3% |
| 2000 | 8 | 2% |
| 1999 | 2 | 1% |
| 1998 | 1 | 1% |
| 1997 | 4 | 7% |
| 1996 | 3 | 10% |
| 1995 | 37 | 17% |
| 1994 | 9 | 8% |
| 1993 | 5 | 29% |
| 1991 | 1 | 3% |
| 1988 | 2 | 11% |
Other parts of the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
53 complaintsElectrical system
42 complaintsBrakes
23 complaintsAir bags
20 complaintsEngine
20 complaintsOther or unknown
14 complaintsFuel system
10 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
8 complaintsEngine cooling
7 complaintsSeats
6 complaintsVehicle speed control
6 complaintsExterior lighting
5 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology