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What 158 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Volkswagen Jetta

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 (158)Crash / fire / injury (20)Fuel system (41)Electrical system (33)Engine (31)Airbags (21)Brakes (15)Steering (14)Transmission & drivetrain (14)Speed control (7)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (5)Lights (5)

5 of 158 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Dec 7, 2019BrakesCrash1 injury

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY CITY STREET, GOING ABOUT 30 MPH. I NOTICED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS STOPPED FROM 100 FEET BACK AND I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES. MY CAR DID NOT STOP, IT DID NOT SLOW DOWN AT ALL. THE WEATHER WAS WARM, THE ROAD WAS DRY AND IT WAS LIKE TRYING TO STOP ON AN ICY ROAD AND I REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EITHER. THE OTHER CAR HAD MINIMAL DAMAGE TO HER BACK BUMPER. SHE WAS INJURED, I HAD MINOR WHIPLASH.

NHTSA ODI 11287677

Nov 12, 2019SteeringElectrical systemBrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V615000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING). WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT CALLED NEW MOTORS SUBARU (8670 PEACH ST, ERIE, PA 16509, (814) 868-4805) AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

NHTSA ODI 11279613

Apr 1, 2019Speed controlBrakesCrashFire

TAKARA RECALL- MY BRAKES JAMMED UP AND WOULD NOT STOP, WHICH RESULTED IN A VEHICLE COLLISION ON NOVEMBER 29, 2018. I TRIED PRESSING THE BRAKES, HOWEVER, THEY JUST WOULD NOT STOP. I WAS DRIVING HOME ON A CITY STREET. THEY HAD DONE THIS AFTER I GOT THEM SERVICED BEFORE AND I NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP, HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THEY WERE FINE.

NHTSA ODI 11192914

Aug 10, 2018BrakesCrash1 injury

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD I REALIZED DEAD ENDED, I ATTEMPTED TO APPLY MY BRAKES AT WHICH TIME THEY DID NOT WORK, I LOOKED TO ENSURE NOTHING WAS UNDER IT AND WHEN I SEEN THERE WAS NOTHING ATTEMPTED TO APPLY AGAIN, UNFORTUNATELY THEY DID NOT WORK AGAIN. I ENDED UP CRASHING INTO A BARRIER AND TOTALED THE VEHIUCLE AND SUSTAIN INJURIES BECAUSE OF THE DEFECT.

NHTSA ODI 11118907

Jan 22, 2018SteeringBrakesEngineCrash

I NEEDED TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN FROM A STREET INTO A COMPLEX, WAS STILL MOVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25MPH AND WHEN I WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SLOWING OR STOPPING. AS I CONTINUED TRYING TO MAKE THE TURN, THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN UNTIL I HIT THE CURB AND LATER THE WALL WHERE I CAME TO A STOP.

NHTSA ODI 11064284

Working with the data? Download all 158 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 7, 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 2017 Volkswagen Jetta verdict →