Home · 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Hev · Complaints

What 639 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Hev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (639)Crash / fire / injury (43)Electrical system (200)Fuel system (96)Engine (93)Fuel System, Diesel (82)Transmission & drivetrain (55)Lights (46)Airbags (38)Brakes (28)Engine & cooling (26)Speed control (26)

4 of 639 complaints match · Lights · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Sep 6, 2018Electrical systemLightsCrash

MY HORN AND FRONT RIGHT PARKING LIGHT BOTH STOPPED WORKING AT THE SAME TIME. I NOTICED THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE SAME MAKE/MODEL/YEAR AS MY CAR, BUT MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED. I WILL NEED TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED AND PAY FOR IT, HOWEVER, I DO HOPE VW AND NHTSA SEES THIS IS A PROBLEM AND EXPAND THE RECALL TO INCLUDE MORE MODELS.

NHTSA ODI 11124715

Sep 19, 2016Electrical systemLights1 injury

I HAVE ISSUES WITH THE HEADLIGHTS. EVERY OTHER MONTH MY HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. WHEN I DROVE OFF THE LOT I HAD ONE HEADLIGHT. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS. WHEN I CHANGE IT THE OTHER SIDE GOES OUT. I KNOW THATS NOT NORMAL. AND THEN ONE DAY I HAD BEEN RUNNING ARRENDS AND MADE A STOP . I WAS WEARING FLIP FLOPS THAT DAY. WELL WHEN I WENT TO TURN AROUND IN MY SEAT TO GET WHAT WAS BEING HANDED TO ME FROM MY GIRLFRIEND I BURNED MY THREE LITTLE TOES ! !!! I IMMIEATELY WENT UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL <DASH> AND SEEN IT WAS A PIPE NOT COVERED.I HAVE HAD MANY CARS AND I HAVE NEVER FELT ANY THING SO HOT UNDER A DASH.I HAD THREE BLISTERS.EACH TOE HAD A TINY BLISTER.THATS WHEN I SEEN ALL THE RUST EVERYWHER OR ANYWHERE THERE IS METAL IS COVERED WITH RUST.THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE REAR END .I NOTICED AFTER I TOOK IT IN THAT THE TIRES DIIDNT LOOK EVEN IN THE BACK.DRIVER SIDE TIRE BOWS INWARD ON THE TOP SIDE AND THE OTHER SIDE DOESNT. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WELL THATS ALWAYS ON . .AND WHEN I CHECKED THE AIR FILTER IT SMELLED LIKE IT WAS IN AN ELECTRICAL FIRE .MY HORN SOUNDS DEFECTIVE.BARELY HEAR IT. AND THE WINDSHEILD WIPER HAS ALOUD NOISE WHEN OPERATING.

NHTSA ODI 10907988

May 27, 2016LightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHTS, DIRECTIONAL TURNING SIGNAL LIGHTS, AND THE LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUSE PANEL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS MELTED WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,351.

NHTSA ODI 10871199

Jun 2, 2015Electrical systemLightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE BULB FAILURE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED SPORADICALLY INDICATING THAT THE EXTERNAL LIGHTS WERE FAILING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUSE PANEL HAD THERMALLY OVERHEATED, MELTED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 10722896

Working with the data? Download all 639 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Volkswagen Jetta Hev verdict →