Home · 2019 Volkswagen Jetta Hev · Complaints

What 541 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 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 (541)Crash / fire / injury (34)Transmission & drivetrain (162)Electrical system (152)Engine (146)Brakes (29)Fuel system (29)Lights (26)Visibility & wipers (23)Body & structure (22)Airbags (16)Speed control (16)

Newest first · 541 complaints · page 22 of 22

Dec 5, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

WELL AGAIN MY I HAD TO TAKE MY 2019 JETTA BACK TO LUNDE'S IN PEORIA, AZ. AFTER THE TRANSMISSION LEAK WAS FIXED IN AUGUST, I NOTICED ABOUT A MONTH LATER THE CAR WAS JERKING A LOT AND NOT ACCELERATING WHEN I HAD MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. ( LIKE WHEN YOU PUSH ON THE GAS, BUT DISCOVER YOUR CAR IS NEUTRAL AND NOT DRIVE.) THIS BECAME VERY DANGEROUS AND THE DELAY TIME WAS GETTING LONGER AND LONGER TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS ABOUT HALF A MINUTE BEFORE IT WOULD ACCELERATE. OR WOULD BE ACCELERATING FINE THEN MID DRIVE OR WHEN TURNING, IT WOULD JUST STOP AND COAST AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN WHEN YOU PUSHED YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS OTHER THEN THE CAR REVVING AND NOT MOVING. I TOOK MY JETTA BACK INTO LUNDE'S (AGAIN) AND THEY HAD MY CAR FOR A MONTH. THEY REPLACED THE O RINGS, AS PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED ON HERE AND I WAS TOLD THAT NOW VW HAS REMADE ALL THE O RINGS TO WORK AND FIT PROPERLY IN THE TRANSMISSION. I PICKED UP MY CAR AT LUNDE'S AND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO GET GAS. I WAS WAITING IN LINE WITH THE CAR IN PARK & STILL RUNNING. WHEN I WENT TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE SAID RESTART ENGINE! SO THE CAR SHUT OFF ON ME! I CALLED LUNDE'S BACK AND WAS TOLD IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN TO CALL THEM. WELL, IT DID, AND I DID NOT CALL THEM BACK BECAUSE I OPENED UP A CASE WITH VW OF AMERICA TO TRY TO GET A BUYBACK OR REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. NOW I HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE IF MY AUTO LOAN COMPANY FIRST INVESTORS WILL PROCESS THE SUBSTITUTION OF COLLATERAL REQUEST. THIS WAY I CAN KEEP EVERYTHING THE SAME ON MY LOAN (BC I UPGRADED AND NOW HAVE NEGATIVE EQUITY THE BUY BACK OPTION IS NOT FINANCIALLY A GOOD OPTION FOR ME) SO OF COURSE MY AUTO LOAN COMPANY STATES "THEY DO NOT DO THAT ANYMORE". SO NOW I AM GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM SO I AM NOT STUCK IN AN UNSAFE CAR. DO NOT BUY A 2019 JETTA UNTIL VW GETS IT FIGURED OUT ON ALL THE FAULTY PARTS AND DO NOT GET AN AUTO LOAN WITH 1ST INVESTORS. WHY IS THIS CAR NOT RECALLED YET?

NHTSA ODI 11156413

Nov 25, 2018Body & structure

GLASS PANEL AT LEADING EDGE OF ROOF SHATTERED WHILE PARKED. LATERAL "CRACK" FROM SIDE TO SIDE APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF TORSIONAL LOADING. GLASS WAS NOT DAMAGED WHEN VEHICLE WAS INITIALLY PARKED.

NHTSA ODI 11153594

Nov 18, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

HEAVY ABRUPT GRIND WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. SOMETIMES REFUSES TO EVEN GO INTO REVERSE WITHOUT MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS AND FORCING SHIFTER. TO AVOID, DRIVER MUST FIRST SHIFT TO 1ST GEAR, THEN SHIFT TO REVERSE WITHOUT EVER LIFTING OFF OF THE CLUTCH DIRING THAT SEQUENCE. AND WHEN EXECUTING THAT SEQUENCE, SOMETIMES THE TRANSMISSION DOEA NOT GO INTO REVERSE COMPLETELY CAUSING GEAR GRIND WHEN THE DRIVER RELEASES THE CLUTCH.

NHTSA ODI 11152301

Nov 12, 2018Airbags

THE CAR IS DISPLAYING AN ERROR, IR SAYS. 'ERROR:AIRBAG'. IS DISPLAYING THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG AS DISABLED. (THE LIGHT IS LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL DASH) AND IT GOES OF IF YOU DRIVE, MY CAR IS A WEEK NEW, AND I'M ABOUT TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. I GOT PICTURES OF THE MESSAGES IF YOU WANT. THE PROBLEM SHOW WHEN YOU TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH ON, AND THEN WHEN YOU DRIVE FOR A 15 MINUTES IT KEEPING REMINDING THE PROBLEM AND THEN MAGICALLY GOES OFF.

NHTSA ODI 11151100

Nov 7, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

GRIND NOISE AT 30 MPH, DIMINISHES AFTER THAN STARTS AGAIN MORE FAINTLY AFTER 40 MPH. OCCASIONAL HARD DOWN SHIFTS WHEN COMING TO A STOP.

NHTSA ODI 11149868

Nov 5, 2018

FORWARD COLLISION ASSIST SYSTEM UNABAILABLE

NHTSA ODI 11149565

Nov 4, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

GRINDING NOISE AT LOW RPM UNDER LIGHT THROTLE LOADS AND OIL LEAK ON TRANSMSION UNDERSIDE. PLEASE SEE THIS VIDEO OF NOISE HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/PCV7O3SXZPU. ON VWVORTEX.COM FORUM OTHER JETTA MK7 DRIVERS HAVE POINTED SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11145263

Nov 2, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

THERE IS A LOUD AND PROMINENT GRINDING NOISE THAT PRESENTS ITSELF WHEN ACCELERATING, USUALLY THROUGH 5TH GEAR. IT CAN BE MINIMIZED BY ACCELERATING VERY AGGRESSIVELY, BUT ANY LESS AND THE GRINDING NOISE WILL BE HEARD.

NHTSA ODI 11144909

Oct 30, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

AFTER PURCHASING MY VEHICLE 2019 JETTA AT THE END OF JUNE, I HAD TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION LEAK FIXED AND THE TRANSMISSION REPAIRED FOR A LARGE LEAK. IT TOOK OVER 2 WKS TO GET THE CAR BACK. THEN FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW, THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING ROUGH, NOT ACCELERATING WITHOUT A HUGE DELAY & JERKING. IT'S LIKE THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL WHEN YOU TRY TO STEP ON THE GAS. THE DEALER SAID THEY HAVE TO SEND A REP OUT FROM VOLKSWAGEN TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG THAT WILL TAKE SO I WILL HAVE THE LOANER VEHICLE INDEFINITELY. I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER CARE TO OPEN A CASE TO SEE IF I CAN GET A BUYBACK OPTION BECAUSE THE DEALER STATED THERE IS NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO AT THIS POINT.

NHTSA ODI 11144125

Oct 25, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THE 2019 JETTAS (AUTOMATIC). WHEN DRIVING IN LOW RPM'S BETWEEN 25-30MPH, THERE IS A LOUD GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE CAR. THIS AFFECTS HOW YOU MUST DRIVE. AS SOMEONE ELSE STATED YOU MUST DRIVE MORE AGGRESSIVELY TO ELIMINATE THE SOUND. THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTS OF THIS WITH OTHER JETTA OWNERS IN MY AREA. THIS HAPPENS CONSTANT. IT IS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT. I HAVE REPORT THIS TO MY DEALERSHIP AS WELL.

NHTSA ODI 11142694

Oct 20, 2018Speed control

THE JETTA DOES NOT MAINTAIN SPEED WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ENGAGED. THE JETTA INCREASES SPEED UP TO AN INCREASE OF 20 MILES AND HOUR, WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED WHILE GOING DOWN HILL.

NHTSA ODI 11141605

Oct 17, 2018Speed controlCrash

TRUNK LID DOES NOT STAY OPEN UNLESS IT IS PUSHED UP ALL THE WAY, MULTIPLE PASSENGERS WHEN USING THE TRUNK IN DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WERE HIT BY THE TRUNK LID. WHEN TRAVELING LOW SPEED ON CRUISE CONTROL VEHICLE SPEED WILL BE LOWERED WHEN GETTING CLOSE TO ANOTHER VEHICLE IN ITS LANE BUT IF THE IMMEDIATE CAR SWITCH LANE AT THE SAME TIME ANOTHER VEHICLE GET INTO YOUR LANE, THE FORWARD COLLISION SYSTEM HAS A DELAY IN DETECTING IS THERE VEHICLE THERE OR MAY NOT IDENTIFY THE VEHICLE JOINING YOUR LANE AS A VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AND MAY SUDDENLY INCREASE SPEED AS NO VEHICLE WAS DETECTED AND RESULT IN A REAR-END COLLISION.

NHTSA ODI 11141116

Sep 28, 2018Lights

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SHEEHY VOLKSWAGEN OF SPRINGFIELD (6601 BACKLICK RD, SPRINGFIELD, VA 22150, (703) 544-2973), BUT AFTER SEVERAL REPAIRS, THE HEADLIGHTS WERE STILL FAULTY. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE COULD NOT EXCHANGE HIS VEHICLE FOR ANOTHER ONE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE CONTACT BACK IF THE VEHICLE COULD BE EXCHANGED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24.

NHTSA ODI 11132075

Sep 20, 2018Speed control

THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT DISENGAGE WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS TAPPED OR FULLY PRESSED. AS SOON AS THE CLUTCH IS RELEASED THE CAR RESUMES THE PREVIOUS SET SPEED. THIS BEHAVIOR WHICH IS INCONSISTENT WITH ANY STANDARD VEHICLE I HAVE EVER DRIVEN CREATES AN UNSAFE SITUATION IF THE CAR IS IN CRUISE, APPROACHING A SLOWER CAR, AND THE SPEED IS DECREASES BY COASTING. UPON RE-ENGAGING, THE CAR SPEEDS UP AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HIT A CAR IN FRONT OF ME.

NHTSA ODI 11130485

Aug 15, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER IN THE 2019 JETTAS (AUTOMATIC). WHEN DRIVING IN LOW RPM'S, THERE IS A LOUD GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THIS AREA. THIS AFFECTS DRIVE-ABILITY, AS YOU NEED TO DRIVE MORE AGGRESSIVELY TO ELIMINATE THE SOUND. THERE ALSO ARE MULTIPLE REPORTS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKS. THESE ISSUES ARE ON BRAND-NEW MODELS OF THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11120020

Aug 6, 20181 injury

REAR TRUNK LID DOES NOT REMAIN OPEN RESULTING IN THE LID CRASHING DOWN ON MY HEAD WHEN I'M PUTTING STUFF IN THE TRUNK OR TAKING STUFF OUT OF THE TRUNK.

NHTSA ODI 11118125

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Working with the data? Download all 541 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 2019 Volkswagen Jetta Hev verdict →