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Volkswagen JettaModel year report

2014 Volkswagen Jetta Problems

Compared with other Volkswagen Jetta years

Typical for this model

62/100 1.3× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with a typical complaint level and no open NHTSA investigation: 2015, 2016, 2017

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
388filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
55,000miles, 274 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
5 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
28 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl FWD · 24 city / 34 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about engine oil consumption, transmission problems and stalling or loss of power while driving. Many complaints involve cars bought used, with symptoms appearing from roughly 40,000 miles upward. A notable share concern leaking transmission fluid from the cooler area and warning lights on the dash.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission failure or harsh shifting

    • 59 complaints (15%)
    • median 70,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (40 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $9,000 (median of 12 quotes)
    • filed 2013–2026

    Owners report jerking or bucking during acceleration and deceleration, delayed engagement, and in some cases the car refusing to move in drive or reverse. Complaints describe dealers recommending a new transmission or mechatronic unit, with repair quotes running into thousands of dollars. Some owners say the failure recurred after a prior repair. Reported from roughly 50,000 to over 120,000 miles, often appearing gradually and worsening.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Test drive at low speed in both directions and feel for hesitation or clunking, and ask whether the transmission fluid was ever serviced. A service bulletin cautions against aftermarket flush machines and fluids.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “April 13th,2020 I took my car in to the local vw dealership to have it looked at. Road testing produced nothing, but p1732 and p173d codes were found. The service department called the vw tech line and vw indicated that a new transmission was the only option. My cost would be $9236.14. Afterwards, I stopped at the local independent german auto repair shop to have my paperwork looked at. This shop indicated that this was a new transmission design, intended for the hybrid, and that it was full of bugs. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11321329, filed 2020-04, 100,000 miles

    “I had 38c4 recall fixed on my car on 1/14/20. Prior to that I did some electronic issues fixed. Recently I parked my car and it would not go in reverse. I got out of parking spot and was able to drive fwd. I was on my way back to work with my coworkers and my car just suddenly died. I restarted it and it went a small way further and died again. I had it towed to galpin vw, in west hills, ca. They said the computer read that it needs a new gearbox. I believe my vehicle has been part of a couple recalls but hasn't been flagged. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11403908, filed 2021-03, 62,000 miles
  2. Engine

    Stalling and loss of power while driving

    • 80 complaints (21%)
    • median 58,750 mi at 4.1 yrs old (62 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $6,700 (median of 11 quotes)
    • filed 2013–2026

    Complaints describe the engine cutting out at idle, at stops, or while driving, sometimes after the EPC or check engine light appears. Owners report the car bucking, revving without moving, or refusing to restart after shutting off. Some say fuel pump, relay or sensor replacements did not resolve the problem. Spread from about 25,000 to over 120,000 miles, with many reports in the 40,000 to 90,000 mile range.

    Recall 15V0280002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for any stored diagnostic codes and for records of fuel pump or relay replacements, and note whether the car idles roughly or hesitates after a cold start.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving on the highway, my car began to stop accelerating by itself. Once the RPM exceeded three, the epc light came on. Further on down the road, the check engine light came on, so I had the codes read and was told to replace the camshaft position sensor. The following day I had this part replaced and proceeded to drive on the highway again. The lights came on once again and an additional light came on as well. This time the car slowed down so much that I was almost hit trying to get to the shoulder of the highway.”

    NHTSA complaint #11318105, filed 2020-03, 73,900 miles

    “Got this car for my 16 year old son. It keeps stalling while he is driving and also while idling. Been to shop 2 times. Have replaced fuel pump and crankshaft and it still doesn't work right and I'm out $1200 in repairs! Service cannot figure out what is going on. They have had the car a week....then 2 weeks...and it still is stalling. This is a life threatening situation. I hate this car and feel absolutely ripped off buying it used. If something happens to my child because of this stalling issue, vw is going to be held responsible. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11396761, filed 2021-02, 75,000 miles
  3. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission fluid leak at the oil cooler

    • 20 complaints (5%)
    • median 84,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (19 state mileage)
    • filed 2016–2024

    Owners describe transmission fluid leaking onto the ground or smoking under the hood, traced to the oil cooler seals or assembly. Some say the dealer repaired it and the leak returned shortly after. Several owners mention they were told their vehicle identification number was not covered by the related campaign. Reported from about 100,000 miles upward, though some complaints describe it on low-mileage cars.

    Recall 14V182000

    What to check: Look for reddish fluid under the front of the car and around the transmission cooler lines, and ask whether the cooler seals have been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My car's transmission oil cooler is leaking transmission oil all over my car/under my car. My mechanic diagnosed the issue. I took it to vw dealership for another diagnostic only for them to not fix the car after 700.00 and I was told the car was fixed until I drove it 10 min down the road and the car was smoking and leaking oil everywhere. The car almost caught on fire due to the leak.”

    NHTSA complaint #11384036, filed 2020-12, 114,000 miles

    “Volkswagon Jetta is leaking transmission fluid. Contacted vw they advised me, my VIN was not included in the recall so there was nothing they could do. I explained to them I did not feel safe driving it due to the recall states(38b9/9v) it can cause fires.”

    NHTSA complaint #11388681, filed 2021-01, 110,000 miles
  4. Electrical system

    Key stuck in the ignition

    • 72 complaints (19%)
    • median 50,000 mi at 4.5 yrs old (55 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2014–2026

    Owners report the key becoming hard to turn or stuck in the ignition, sometimes leaving the car unable to be switched off. Several say dealers declined to repair it because their vehicle identification number was not part of a campaign. Some complaints link it to a shift lever micro switch recall. Mostly reported from around 50,000 miles upward, occurring intermittently at first and then every time.

    Recall 19V615000

    What to check: Turn the key through start and off positions several times during a test drive and confirm it releases freely; ask whether the ignition micro switch campaign was performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Upon arrival at destination key will not come out of ignition, this has happen on 12 occasions. Transmission is leaking around oil ring which may cause it to flow in coolant. Dealership stated recalls are out just not my VIN number. I would like for this VIN to be included, asap.”

    NHTSA complaint #11309326, filed 2020-02, 138 miles

    “Our purchased since new and dealer maintained 2014 Jetta one month after having the micro switch recall performed (dec 2019) , had a major safety failure-the wheel locked up while moving in reverse, and ignition key was simultaneously stuck. This presentation was unique according to the dealership and is obviously a huge safety issue. I called our vw dealer in watertown, valenti motors who has serviced this vehicle since new and arranged for them to repair this. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11315428, filed 2020-03, 110,000 miles
  5. Engine

    Engine oil consumption

    • 15 complaints (4%)
    • median 75,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2015–2025

    Owners describe the engine using far more oil than expected, in some cases adding a quart frequently between changes. Several say the low oil level light did not come on before the car ran low or failed to start. According to complaints, dealers told owners that some oil use is normal for these engines. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 75,000 miles, often noticed growing gradually over months.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the oil level on a cold engine and again after a short drive, and ask for service records showing oil additions. A service bulletin covers how dealers measure oil consumption.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I also suffer from major oil loss in my 2014 Jetta se 1.8. I had codes pop up telling me to replace some sensors, and turns out my oil was just very low. Within the first month I had the vehicle, purchased used in 2020, the engine was completely dry causing me to question the dealership's promise that an oil change wasn't done. I just replaced the pcv valve, but now I'm getting p0301 and p03af codes, and my car barely made it to work this morning. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11412801, filed 2021-04, 75,000 miles

    “My 2014 vw Jetta has only 45,000 miles and is out of warranty is burning up to 5 quarts every month. I just paid it off back in may of this year. Can vw be liable to fixed it at no charge? What are my options if any?”

    NHTSA complaint #11363813, filed 2020-10, 42,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection check oil consumption, transmission behavior and cooler leaks, and ask the seller for service records and recall status by VIN. Oil level checks and a slow-speed test drive are worth doing before committing.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 388 consumer complaints for the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. 274 of the complaints include a mileage, and 46% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 55,000 miles. Of all complaints, 20 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 18 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 1,540 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 15 Volkswagen Jetta model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 62 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Electronic stability control (10), Suspension (9), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (8), Body and structure (7), Engine cooling (6), Seat belts (5), Tires (4), Seats (3), Wheels (3), Equipment (1), Forward collision avoidance (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “My 2014 vw Jetta (86000 miles) was parked. I tried to turn it on; it would crank but wouldn't start. Got it towed to the vw dealership where they told me the timing belt and tensioner had to be replaced. The opened the engine to inspect for further damage and found several bent valves.”

NHTSA complaint #11228416, filed 2019-06, 86,000 miles

Electrical system: “Horn and car alarm stop working since 09/03/2017. I was driving on a highway when my horn stop working, as soon as I got a chace to pulled over, that's when I noticed that my car alarm stopped working too, I called the dealer to make an appointment to fixe it the issue that it seems it a manufacturer recall but I'm getting chare for it.”

NHTSA complaint #11022849, filed 2017-09, 39,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “Was driving normally stop at the stop light and car rpms started to jump, as I started to drive again, the car stalled on the middle of the highway with cars behind me! Engine light came on, took to vw dealership and they said that it jumped timing (timing chain) and now engine needs to replaced at around $4k.”

NHTSA complaint #11229383, filed 2019-07, 106,000 miles

Other or unknown: “Ignition key gets stuck in the on position and cannot turn the car off. It also sticks when off and cannot get the car started. In a web search I find that this is a common problem. The cost to replace is ~$800 this is a repeated problem and happens on an almost daily basis. Vw claims there is no recall. In my opinion, this is a major safety issue and should have a recall.”

NHTSA complaint #11000972, filed 2017-06, 47,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

46% of the 274 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 21,000 and 83,102 miles.

16%0–1010%10–2519%25–5024%50–7516%75–10014%100–1501%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (274 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 55,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’14’16’1878’20’22’24’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Jetta · sedan FWD★★★★★4 / 4554 · 11.1% risk
Jetta HEV · sedan FWD★★★★★4 / 4554 · 11.1% risk

Neighbouring years: 2013: 4 stars overall; 2015: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2014 Volkswagen Jetta version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Jetta FWD1.8L 4-cyl5-speed manual263630$2,250
Jetta FWD1.8L 4-cyl6-speed automatic253629$2,300
Jetta FWD2.0L 4-cyl5-speed manual243428$2,400
Jetta FWD2.0L 4-cyl6-speed automatic243227$3,050
Jetta FWD2.0L 4-cyl6-speed manual233326$3,150
Jetta FWD2.0L 4-cyl6-speed automatic232925$2,700
Jetta FWD2.0L 4-cyl · diesel6-speed automatic293732$3,000
Jetta FWD2.0L 4-cyl · diesel6-speed manual293932$3,000

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 1,540 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 1,540 bulletins →

Other model years of the Volkswagen Jetta

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202663001534—Too new
202532—2533Too new to compareToo new
20244615,0000534Too new to compareToo new
20234311,00005340 · FewerToo new
2022433,25015340 · FewerRising
2021709,000453329 · FewerRising
2020546,951653430 · FewerStable
20195514,70011534100 · MoreRising
20183240,00025320 · FewerRising
201716036,950652951 · TypicalStable
201616142,731452937 · TypicalFalling
201519442,000752849 · TypicalFalling
201438855,000452862 · TypicalFalling
201351856,000442667 · MoreFalling
201250055,412542687 · MoreFalling
201160750,0007427100 · MoreFalling
201085253,9394—25100 · MoreFalling
200988960,1506—25100 · MoreFalling
200818858,0004—2440 · TypicalFalling
200720153,6614—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200658071,4914—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200524871,2074—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200423166,0002—24Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200345656,0002—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200270252,0005—22Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200166850,0006—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200043964,4004—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199934972,0006—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199819281,2822—22Not compared (before 2008)Rising
19975478,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19963195,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1995220112,9844—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199411791,8005—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199317170,0004—22—Stable
199230119,6462—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199131117,0005—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199022125,0005—23—Stable
198928—4—22Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198819—7—23—Stable
198718—3—23—Stable
19861497,8692—25—Not enough data
198513—3—25—Not enough data

All Volkswagen Jetta model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta?

Owners of this model year most often write about engine oil consumption, transmission problems and stalling or loss of power while driving. The issues reported most often: Transmission failure or harsh shifting; Stalling and loss of power while driving; Transmission fluid leak at the oil cooler.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta have?

NHTSA recorded 388 consumer complaints for the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 108 complaints (28% of the total), followed by electrical system with 94.

Has the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta 5 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta get?

The EPA rates the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta (Jetta, 2.0L 4-cyl) at 28 mpg combined, 24 city and 34 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,400 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta reported?

Among the 274 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 55,000 miles and the middle half falls between 21,000 and 83,102 miles; 46% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.