What 537 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta

2019 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. CONSUMER IS ALSO SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS MADE ON VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11492058

I AM A AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN AT AVIS BUDGET. I ORDERED A NEW FUEL TANK FOR THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR CAR. I GOT TOLD BY THE DEALER , TO INSTALL THE NEW TANK "WITHOUT HEATSHIELD" WHERE THE EXHAUST WRAPPES AROUND THE PLASTIC TANK. THE VIN I REPORTED=WE SEND TO THE DEALER FOR SAME REPAIR. I TOOK PICTURE, SEALER DID NOT INSTALL "A HEATSHIELD" TO PROTECT TANK FROM EXHAUST HEAT. ON A 2021 MODEL "VW IS USING THIS NEW TANK" BUT WITH HEATSHIELD." I AM FORCED NOW, TO INSTALL THE NEW TANK WITHOUT HEATSHIELD ! I DONT WANT TO BE RESPOSIBLE, IF THE CAR KILLS SOMEONE. SAME DEALER PERFORMED PRIOR REPAIRS, WHERE ONE CAR COUGHT FIRE, BECAUSE DEALER DID NOT INSTALL A HEAT WRAPP ON A REPLACED OIL CONTROL FLOW VALVE, IN BACK OF ENGINE. PLEASE ADVISE !!!

NHTSA ODI 11490293

I have had to replace two manual transmission clutches. The first was at 19,261 miles. The second was at 50,358 miles. Both times the engine excessively revved up while driving without shifting and there was a putrid and foul smell of burning rubber along with smoke. VW repair shop isn't taking ownership of a defective transmission, defective clutch, or defective material. I had to have the vehicle towed both times because the vehicle was not safe to drive.

NHTSA ODI 11489319

As I was driving, all gauges went black. The vehicle continued to run until I came to a complete stop then the engine stopped. It would start for a few minutes. When it did it would shut down when I put it in gear. After letting it cool down, it started and I was able to get home. It still happens. Sometimes the lights will work when it happens other time they won't. I got it diagnosed and the could find any thing wrong. The check starter system warning comes on as well as ignition switch warning. It seems to happen during hot days.

NHTSA ODI 11487705

When going fast real quick the car start to smell like something is burning. My right light isn’t working right

NHTSA ODI 11484816

While driving yesterday afternoon, the electrical system shut down thrice. Everytime i had to restart the car. When it shuts off it pops up a notification that says “Please check the starter system”. Reddit has many complaints regarding the 2019 Jetta Shutoff problem while driving. https://www.reddit.com/r/jetta/comments/p5pmti/2019_jetta_shut_off_while_driving/

NHTSA ODI 11476831

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact while driving at 40 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle would not accelerate. After a couple of minutes, the vehicle eventually responded and increased in speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was not able to be determined. On a separate occasion, the contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, a sudden stop was made, and the front passenger seatbelt failed to retract and secure the passenger in their seat. The vehicle was not diagnosed for the seat belt failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11476506

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle would stall upon the depression of the accelerator pedal, with the ignition switch warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the gear shifter would intermittently fail to move out of park(P) and the windows would fail to operate as needed. The manufacturer and the dealer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11476563

On my recent drive on the 2019 Jetta, I was traveling at a speed of 10-15 miles when all of a sudden the dashboard went blank, including the turn signals, side, and front warning indicators. Though the car continued to be in motion, it was very disturbing to drive without visibility to the dashboard. I had to stop the car in a strip mall and then restart the car at which point the dashboard came on again. This was the second time this happened while the car was in operation. Let me know if other car owners have reported similar issues. I think this is a big Safety issue and will get drivers into accidents.

NHTSA ODI 11475521

I was in a collision in my 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. Upon impact the airbags deployed, however the airbag that deployed from the steering wheel gave me a severe laceration/burn on my forearm in the shape of the Volkswagen emblem. This is problematic, as the function of airbags is to keep you safe, not to provide additional injury.

NHTSA ODI 11475318

The heating/air conditioner has failed twice within one year preventing defrost during incliment weather especially rain and frost.

NHTSA ODI 11473632

Had a 2019 Jetta 1.4 Turbo and kept hearing the same grinding noise over and over that everyone says. I couldn’t determine if it was coming from the transmission or torque converter or something else. I took it to the VW dealership twice and both times they claimed they couldn’t hear anything and kept my car all day long without calling me or anything. They also said it was normal. I know quite a bit about cars and that’s not normal. It’s kinda like the dealership didn’t want to help. They kept saying it’s still under warranty, so we are documenting it. Ok, I get that, but that’s not helping me at all. They are not worried about it because it’s not their car. Got to the point I finally got fed up with it and sold it. I traded a perfectly good car in to have a newer one only to have problems. It’s gone now of course, but I will never get my other perfectly good car back. Not pleased with Volkswagen and will never buy another one.

NHTSA ODI 11471052

My car battery would not start, nor would the car click over. The system kept saying “turn off infotainment center” or “drive car to charge batter” but this did not allow for the car to be turned on. Prior to this issue, I had to reset the car infotainment center due to it not recognizing a cd or a Bluetooth connected device. This is in addition to me having to get work done, since purchase, to repair dimming headlights, window functions and other “electrical” aspects

NHTSA ODI 11470188

Car misreads gas, such as I can be driving and the gas meter will continue to rise. This will happen if/when the car is turned off for various periods of time. On occasion it might correct itself. Usually is will jump drastically. For example, my average is 440 per gallon. If I drive around town, it might go up to 550 in that drive. I can park, turn off, and restart, and the gas mileage might be the same or it might lower. During one drive it will jump from 550 to 320, or whatever.

NHTSA ODI 11470191

On Jun 4, while driving on southwards on HW17 the steering became unresponsive. Eventually, the car, with four passengers, hit the curb. The vehicle is yet to be inspected by dealership, VW representative or repair shop person. I plan to take the car to repair shop, when they open on Monday, Jun 6. The car Engine Malfunction Light had turned on.

NHTSA ODI 11467553

Car started making a weird noise after service. It sounded like a tractor trailer idling next to me. Brought the car up to the dealership and determined it was due to a faulty engine. Luckily I didn’t avoid the sound since there was metal shavings in my oil pan which could have caused a complete engine failure. Car only had 27K miles on at the time.

NHTSA ODI 11466154

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that when depressing the brake pedal the vehicle would lunge forward. While driving approximately 40 mph and suddenly depressing the brake pedal the vehicle lurched forward and crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. During the crash, the driver sustained an injured left hand. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.

NHTSA ODI 11463071

Issue: 2019 VW Jetta, the problem first occurred at 46,000 miles and has occurred approximately 8 times while in operation both when at a full stop and in motion at speeds from 10 to 50mph. When this happens all electronics shut off, dashboard goes blank, to include turn signals, side and front warning indicators, head lights and brake lights. This appears to happen in elevated outside temperatures. The vehicle will still drive, however without any electronics, lights etc. Vehicle starts up again with full electronics after stopping and restarting engine, usually takes two or three attempts. This has put my safety and drivers around me at risk of accident. I took the vehicle to the VW dealership, they did not observe the problem to my knowledge but said diagnostics indicated the original battery was malfunctioning and needed replacement, which I had done, not by VW. After battery replacement and recoding of electronics according to VW specifications, same issue occurred again two days later. Dashboard warning message, “Please check starter system” appears when this failure happens. Also states pull over immediately and address problem. Research online indicates this is a common problem in VW’s and appears to be an electrical switch problem. See attached VW Dealership docs.

NHTSA ODI 11462219

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 85 MPH, the vehicle experienced phantom braking, causing the vehicle to skid. The contact was afraid the vehicle would flip while driving at high speeds whenever the failure occurred. The dealer and Gunther Volkswagen Delray Beach (2401 N Federal Hwy, Delray Beach, FL 33483) were made aware of the failure but informed the contact that she needed to pay out-of-pocket for the diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

NHTSA ODI 11460061

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that after the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a software update; after the software update was performed, the HVAC system failed to operate as designed. The contact stated that the heater would temporarily operate to a set temperature and then the system would then become inoperable. The contact was concerned about the extremely conditions and driving the vehicle without heat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to 2 dealers and repairs were not made on the vehicle. Also, the car failed the admissions test and will not operate correctly under cold weather conditions.

NHTSA ODI 11458136

I stopped at a red light and when it turned green the car wouldn't move and the RPM's were hung. I was almost rear ended and stuck in an intersection due to this failure. After getting the car to go about 5 MPH without being able to switch gears I was able to pull over to a safer location. I had the car towed to my dealer but they deemed it was a wear and tear issue and blamed bad driving style and cost $3,130 to replace the clutch and flywheel. There were no signs of wear on the clutch and no vehicle indications from the control panel. In addition, the car was brought in for a tire rotation and complementary VW multi-point inspection with no issues cited just a week before this failure.

NHTSA ODI 11457327

Metal on metal sound at low speeds, whirring grinding noise. Then when it gets a little gas it lurches forward like a maniac and the sound goes away til speeds drop again. If the Jetta starts leaking fluids like others complain of then maybe VW will have to acknowledge that this cars transmission and turbo systems are truly messed up. Someone is going to get hurt.

NHTSA ODI 11451773

Only exit vehicle in P position. Service vehicle. I'm still under manufacturer warranty but from what I can see this is an ongoing issue with Volkswagen.

NHTSA ODI 11450861

I have a 2019 Jetta R line Series, last year in the winter time the casing for the driver side mirror melted. I went 2 times to Volkswagen, and to other body and paint shops and no one has seen anything like this before? Finally I had to file a claim for Vandalism. I had to pay $750 to the body shop and it was repaired. All Summer, Spring, and Fall, it was fine. Well It happened again on the same side and almost exactly 1 year later from the first one. Took it Volkswagen after speaking Customer Service as an elevated evaluation. I was there for 2 hours, the conclusion again is that "It's an OUTSIDE INFLUENCE" I have done a lot of research and found that other makes and models have had this happen as well. All the other car makers gave the stock answer "OUTSIDE INFLUENCE"! How does this happen twice to the same car. I am on Disability, and hardly drive. Right now I only have 8 thousand miles on the car. I go to the supermarket park in handicap and come home and park in handicap. There is something wrong with this car and I'm afraid that something may catch on fire. The only other thing I can think of is that it has something to do with the main heater and defroster for the whole car. It got very cold here and I had to use both the heated and defroster. Now it has almost completely melted. -- [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11446480

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front passenger’s side air bag system had erroneously deactivated while a passenger was seated in the seat. Occasionally, the system activated while no passenger was seated in the seat. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated, and no issue was found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 900.

NHTSA ODI 11443066