What 194 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Volkswagen Jetta Hev

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that at the time of purchase, the odometer mileage was 77,183. Later, while attempting to sell the vehicle on Carvana, the contact was informed that the odometer mileage for the vehicle that was last reported in 2023 was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11721675

Vehicle Information •Make / Model / Year: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T SE •VIN: [XXX] Recall Information (if known) •Camshaft recall: 23R1 (2016) •ECM software update: 24DR (2020) Description of Problem: My 2015 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T SE experiences loss of power while driving, where the engine RPM increases but the vehicle does not accelerate properly, especially when driving uphill. This creates an unsafe driving condition. The vehicle previously received recall repairs for the camshaft (23R1) and ECM software (24DR). Despite these recall repairs being completed, the same symptoms persist, indicating the recall may not have fully resolved the defect. I reported this issue to Volkswagen Customer CARE under case number [XXX], but the concern remains unresolved. I am filing this complaint to document that this is an ongoing safety concern, post-recall, that has not been resolved by Volkswagen. I request NHTSA to review this unresolved post-recall safety issue and ensure Volkswagen investigates whether the original recall repairs fully corrected the defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11711278

A warning lamp came on that I didn’t know what it was for. It came on yesterday along with a tire warning lamp. The steering wheel buttons won’t work. I had it inspected by a local service center and it was confirmed to be the clock spring. I was informed it may fall under an active recall. It is a safety issue due to the airbag not being able to deploy if need be.

NHTSA ODI 11704592

abs light on no communication with abs module cause speedometer not fonctionning abs light on epc light on

NHTSA ODI 11690163

The turbocharger is out. I've had problems with coolant leaking. Mechanic pressurized tank, its fine. While parked coolant disappears, evaporates, idk..Nothing leaking on ground. Now smoke coming out of exhaust. Car has 56,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11683134

Bottom line: brakes failed to stop car on decline slope. Situation: driver depressed brake and hit start button. With brakes still depressed the driver put the car into gear. However, the gear jolted and the car began rolling forward. Driver attempted to press the brakes without any response. The car rolled to a stop without any control over braking or accelerating. Once stopped the driver put the car back into park and pressed the start button. The car then ignited and started. After starting, pressure came back into the brake pedal and the engine revved when the accelerator was pressed. No issues were detected after the car started. Available for inspection upon request. Safety: the safety of the driver and surrounding persons was endangered due to the vehicle’s inability to stop when the brakes are depressed. Reproduction: the problem has not been reproduced by a dealer, however a second Reddit user describes a similar situation happening in their Jetta. Inspection: part has not been inspected since the incident but was regularly checked before. Warning: no warning lights were on before the event occurred. Car seemed to operate normally.

NHTSA ODI 11676784

SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED ON THE HIGHWAY. IT HAS BEEN A VERY HOT SUMMER AND I HAVE TO USE THE AIR CONDITIONING ON HIGH TO COOL MY CAR WITH ALL BLACK INTERIOR FOR MY INFANT SON (THE AIR VENT POSITIONING IN THIS CAR MAKES IT VERY HARD TO COOL THE BACKSEAT). I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY 8 WEEK OLD BABY IN THE BACKSEAT, AC ON HIGH, AND RADIO AT A LOW/NORMAL VOLUME. OUT OF NOWHERE I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION AND IT COMPLETED TERRIFIED ME AND MY BABY. I QUICKLY REALIZED THE SUNROOF HAD SHATTERED WITH GLASS FALLING THREW THE SUNSHADE GAPS AND I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY IMMEDIATELY. THANK GOODNESS I DID NOT CRASH FROM THE SOUND OF THE EXPLOSION AND I HAD THE SHADE CLOSED OR ALL THE GLASS WOULD HAVE SHATTERED ON US BOTH!! I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING FLY AND HIT THE SUNROOF ON THE ROAD. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR THE GLASS LOOKED LIKE IT HAD EXPLODED UPWARD WITH NO SIGN OF ANYTHING HITTING IT FROM ABOVE AND NO DAMAGE TO THE SHADE OR EXTERIOR BODY OF THE CAR. MY EARS WERE RINGING AND THUMPING FOR A WHOLE DAY AFTERWARDS - I’M CERTAIN MY BABYS EARS WERE HURTING AS WELL BUT COULDN’T CONFIRM OF COURSE BECAUSE HE WAS 8 WEEKS OLD. I’M CERTAIN IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE MANUFACTURING OF THE GLASS OR THE INSTALLATION AND NOTHING HIT THE GLASS. I AM SO SURPRISED THIS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED YET - SO UNSAFE FOR THE DRIVER, PASSENGERS I.E. MY INFANT, AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI 11674833

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated upon activating the defroster, the defroster only engaged while the switch was turned to maximum, and there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from underneath the dashboard. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a common failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

NHTSA ODI 11665315

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front passenger’s seat air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the passenger’s side occupant sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V627000 (AIR BAGS). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11663177

As I’m driving the car, the gear ship suddenly won’t go into gear to downshift and grind for a second so I stopped trying to change gears and I just close to the end of the exit. Finally able to get it back into gear drive down the road and the clutch is really loose and almost like it’s not connecting to anything. I’ve heard this has been a problem with the gearshift mechanism on other Volkswagens. And there have been recalls on that I don’t know why there’s no recall showing for my 2015 Volkswagen Jetta with this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11658692

I’ve been experiencing intermittent start failures with my 2015 Volkswagen Jetta. The issue typically occurs after driving short distances, turning off the engine, and attempting to restart the vehicle within 15–45 minutes. The dashboard lights stay on, but the engine fails to crank. After extended wait times (1–3 hours or more), it will sometimes start again. A diagnostic scanner showed DTC IM 00, indicating an immobilizer system malfunction, meaning the car isn’t recognizing the key properly. I’ve tested both keys and various conditions (locked/unlocked, sun/shade, full/low gas tank), and the issue continues to be unpredictable. When the car was towed to the dealership, they were unable to replicate the problem since it started by the time they checked it, and they were unwilling to investigate the immobilizer issue without charging me for a wide range of unrelated tests. This is becoming a safety issue, especially if the vehicle stalls or won’t restart in isolated areas or during hot conditions. It is not acceptable for a known electronic security feature to randomly disable the vehicle from functioning.

NHTSA ODI 11653341

I hardly used this car and had it diagnosed and new battery but the car intermittently won’t start some times but there is no reason known

NHTSA ODI 11644963

I was driving along the I-25 highway south. I was no where near any bridges and was in the right lane with a safe following distance from the car in front of me. Suddenly out of no where with no warning lights, and nothing that could have possibly been flung towards my car, my sunroof exploded. Thankfully the inside cover was closed, and I was not using the sunroof or the glass would have been blown into the car on me and my passenger. I pulled onto the shoulder and got out to look at it. It looked like it had been imploded from the inside, and there was no damage to the inside cover, giving me reason to believe the glass just exploded with no impact from anything else. There was also no thumping noise of another object when it happened. Luckily no other cars were involved and I was able to get off the highway safely. Still waiting to get my sunroof fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11623005

My Volkswagen vehicle (Jetta Model 2015, MOdel 4DJSA, VIN [XXX] ) had a first event on [XXX] where the car suddenly stop in the middle of [XXX]. The car was taken to Volkswagen at Inver Grove and the cause was related to failure in a piston. The car was fixed without cost as it was covered by the guarantee of the vehicle. Again, around [XXX], the car again suddenly stopped working and needed to be thawed to Volkswagen at Inver Grove, the diagnosis done was extreme misfires on all cylinders that cause the car to die while in operation. The root cause was due to excessive oil inside the cylinder. In this occasion, the repair would not be covered under the guarantee and thus the option provided was to replace the motor at an estimated cost of $11,000 USD which is above the cost of the vehicle. It is important to notice that the car was routinely checked and serviced by Volkswagen at Inver Grove during the time we have owned the vehicle. There were not diagnostic tools that we could have to address this issue, to our knowledge there is nothing we did to cause this catastrophic failure. This recurrent incident could be likely a manufacturing issue and thus it is not caused by the user. The damage of the cylinder was not isolated to just one, all four have the same issue. Our car is currently parked (we are paying storage insurance on it) and we cannot use it. Our ask is for Volkswagen to repair the vehicle at no cost to us as we were not at fault for this issue. We kindly ask you for your support on this matter. Respectfully. [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11619688

I drove over a commercial-grade water hose unraveled in the middle of the lane. It had metal couplings on it and my oil pan was damaged due to the low riding body of the VW to the road. The vehicle was drivable for 5 minutes afterward & the low engine pressure light turned on, but I was in a dangerous area with traffic during rush hour in the evening. It was congested with multiple avenues of transportation via buses, scooters, and pedestrian crosswalks. I started to lose power steering and the gas pedal would not accelerate the car, but the brakes still worked. I was able to coast the car to a stop & nearby a Midas car shop. Midas replaced the damaged oil pan and did not have any other damage reported. Midas informed me that my vehicle would not start, but failed to mention that the safety of my vehicle was compromised with rolled down windows. I inspected my car on 8.20.24, the battery was still working & powered the lights but the window power and engine would not operate. On 8.22.24 I paid for the work & noticed the windows were now rolled up & Midas said an employee used the power from the battery to override the window system but the car still would not start and needed to go to a dealership to access the engine codes for this hybrid vehicle. Towed the vehicle to VW, who said that Midas was not accurate in their description, as there were no access codes needed for the vehicle & it should have started once the oil pan was replaced. The VW diagnostic results showed a “bad” battery and the transmission failed/ stopped engaging and needed a replacement of the transmission along with the battery which would total $11K! The VW agent recommended that I contact other car repair companies to rebuild it for a more affordable solution. Midas and VW were the only car repair companies to evaluate my car and it is currently at VW where it can be inspected if needed. The safety recall code: 34J6, of 2015 VW Jetta Hybrids somehow exclude some VINs until owners had issues.

NHTSA ODI 11612065

My car has been recalled twice for a camshaft which is making a ticking noise inside still. I reached out to dealership and they said they can only handle the situation once they get approval from NHTSA. Please help me out with this issue. Below are the recall codes 23R1 - Camshaft 24DR - ECM Thankyou.

NHTSA ODI 11607248

Camshaft and Timing chain. Only 116,000 miles . Based on the conversation with the dealership this seems to be a common issue wit the 1.8ltr engines

NHTSA ODI 11602623

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and shutoff. The failure also occurred while driving on a busy highway. After the failure had occurred, the vehicle was restarted and operated normally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the engine misfire was caused by a faulty ignition coil and ignition lead. The ignition coil and lead were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 53,000.

NHTSA ODI 11564921

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts being on backorder. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11542886

The small PLASTIC button to engage the emergency hand brake, popped off. When inspecting it, the internal plastic is broken, unable to re-attach. Unable to engage emergency break without it. This is for a manual transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11540569

With no warning, the transmission/mechatronics unit in this 2015 Jetta Hybrid, reported an error code. This "error" results in the car not being able to enter the Hybrid (electric motor) mode when asked for by driver. Also, the car no longer goes into Stop/Start mode when stopped (engine cycles on and off). Car thus failed state inspection due to error code. Dealer tested and found code "P0841". Dealer reported failure in power train, needing a full replacement at over $7,000 cost. Review with VIN shows not within a Recall which was offered for this model. Yet failure seems to be same as that which led to Recall on same models. Dealer cannot verify the actual fault w/out a full tear down, which they don't want to do. Thus, they suggest a full replacement of transmission and control module (mechatronics). I feel the car should be repaired by manufacturer.

NHTSA ODI 11534529

The contact's wife owns a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound. The contact veered to the side of the road and opened the hood. The contact stated that he noticed that coolant had leaked onto the engine, and the coolant reservoir was empty. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact who is an independent mechanic, replaced the heater core hoses and added coolant to the vehicle; however, the failure recurred after 2,500 miles. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could be diagnosed, and a warranty claim could not be initiated because the check engine warning light was not illuminated. The low coolant pressure warning light was illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 73,860.

NHTSA ODI 11533331

Vehicle transmission went out. I had only had this vehicle for a couple months. So I purchased it in June of 2023

NHTSA ODI 11532421

The transmission of the 2015 VW Jetta Hybrid failed at about 81,000 miles. The transmission began to behave erradically while it was idling, with the engine coming on and off every 5 seconds. The check engine light and EPC lights illuminated. I was able to get the vehicle to an auto parts store to check the codes. The codes that came back indicated that there was transmission related issues. Unfortunately the vehicle did not start again when I was ready to leave the auto part store and I had to tow it to the dealership. The local dealership indicated that there was metal fines in the transmisison fluid. Their workflow indicated that the transmission was shot. Please note that VW replaced the mechatronic unit of this transmission in 2019 at nearly 43.000 miles and there's a recall on transmissions for this vehicle's model. However, the VIN of my vehichle was not included in the recall. We were grateful that the transmission begin to fail while we were in a large city, as we had traveled 8 hours already the day the transmission failed.

NHTSA ODI 11531408

The engine light on my 2015 VW Jetta Hybrid was enabled and my car stuttered and stopped while idling at stop lights, and in some cases projected my car forward slightly while pressing the brake. I brought my vehicle for diagnosis and was told that the cause was failure from the mechatronics unit and that my car should essentially be scrapped since they cannot locate a replacement part. I understand that this is a significant safety issue as the engine can simply stop working at any time. I have learned that my VIN was included in the NHTSA recall 19V-866 for the "Interim repair" portion of the recall, but it was NOT included in the "Part 573" final remedy portion of the recall, which included a corrective action to "install a mechatronic unit repair kit". As my VIN number was somehow removed from the second step of this recall, it has now posed a significant safety issue. I have read a similar complaint on this site that was posted in February of this year for this same issue and car model. I completely concur with that consumer that more investigation on this recall needs to be done to allow for additional VINs to be included in this recall. I believe my vehicle should have been included in the repair portion of this recall - which may have been an error on the part of VW.

NHTSA ODI 11523661