What 537 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta

Only on days where I leave my car in the direct heat under the sun for a few hours I go to get in and start and it starts up at first and then the dashboard displays "check starter system" soon after all the electrical work in the car shuts down and doesn't turn on again until the car cools down or when the sun goes down. I live in phoenix where it's hot everyday so this issue is happening frequently with my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11542930

Starter Ignition failed on my screen as a turned on a street with oncoming traffic. Car shut down and engine stayed on. Has been happening when my car is sitting in the heat.Going to the dealership to get it diagnostic tomorrow.

NHTSA ODI 11543016

Car stalled out while driving, restarted, car said, "check starter system". Restarted again, engine stayed running, no lights at all (brake, headlight or tail light), however the hazards still seemed to work.

NHTSA ODI 11542673

While driving car ignition shuts off. Gas and breaks still work, but no lights, no speedometer, nothing else, ignition completely off. Has happened on 5 different occasions on days the temperature is 90 degrees. Volkswagen dealership aren't able to fix it.

NHTSA ODI 11542708

205/60 R 16 I was driving on the Loop 101 South in Scottsdale, Arizona going highway speeds when I heard my passenger side rear tire explode. There were no preceding warning lights or tire pressure warnings before it happened. I pulled over and say that the sidewall blew out on both sides. There were no puncture marks on the tire that would have caused the blowout except for the sidewall failing.

NHTSA ODI 11542727

Ignition gets very hot, when I put the key in the ignition, it also gets very hot, car will run for a minute or so and then lose power. The car shut off could be very dangerous if going down the road. Warning to check starter system came on.

NHTSA ODI 11539719

When the vehicle gets hot, above 85 degrees Fahrenheit the electric system including, speedometer and other internal lighting as well brake lights and turn signals completely stop functioning. Windows and locking system is also affected. The engine remains on. But if the car is turned off, it will not turn back on.

NHTSA ODI 11538943

While driving the 5 miles to the store, we got half way there and an error stating "check starter system" and to find a safe place to pull over. The cars engine remained running, allowing us to get to a grocery store parking lot, but all other mechanical instruments died. Screen backed out. Not able to see speed, non use of signal or break lights. After sitting in the parking lot for a few minutes, we tried starting the car up again. It started back up with no issues. We decided to try driving it back home to see if happened again. After about 2 miles of driving, the same error and screen black out happened again. We were able to safely get home, taking back roads to avoid traffic. Extremely unsafe to not have working tail/break lights or even a speedometer. Since my mechanic was already closed for the day, we looked online to see if we could troubleshoot. Finding this is a known issue and many people arrive reporting heat seems to trigger the issue. It was 103 out yesterday. This is my teen son's first car. We have only had it a couple months and this is the first time this had happened. It's also the first time it's been THIS hot (if that is in fact a factor to this issue), since having the car. I can't believe how many complaints there are for this same exact issue, yet VW is not recalling this. This is a huge safety concern. Very disappointing that my kid saved his money for this car and now it is going to have to sit parked, till we can get it addressed, because I will not allow a new driver to be in this vehicle. Dangerous!!

NHTSA ODI 11538563

While driving, ignition shuts off. Vehicle relays “ignition off” message. Has only happened on 85+ degree days while car is in the sun. No mechanic has been able to diagnose and fix the issue

NHTSA ODI 11537763

When the 8-speed automatic transmission attempts to shift from 3rd to 4th gear it will slip into neutral causing the engine to redline at maximum RPM. The accelerator pedal does not function and poses a serious safety issue. The vehicle will unexpectedly stall when the auto start stop is used and intermittently requires you to shift into park and restart the engine. The transmission also has difficulty shifting into reverse and puts the vehicle in neutral until it slams into gear.

NHTSA ODI 11537311

The vehicles infotainment or screen often malfunctions creating hazardous conditions. The monitor that is the only way to access certain vehicle setting and systems, intermittently shuts off completely, changes screens or settings, disconnects from cell phone or distorts audio and changes audio volume to inappropriate levels. The suspension during weather changes makes loud creaking noises and during cold months has choppy suspension that makes it difficult to see when going over imprefections or bumps, and during warm months is unreasonably bouncy creating the same issue. The blind spot monitoring seems to not detect a vehicle while it is actually in the blind spot and doesn’t produce the warning light or noise. The blind spot monitoring only detects the other vehicle once it is out of the blind spot and visible from the driver’s peripheral and continues to display until they have fully passed. It’s ridiculous this model year wasn’t fully recalled due to its extensive issues that affect almost all dimensions of the 2019 VW Jetta’s basic functionality, safety, and performance.

NHTSA ODI 11537313

My 2019 Volkwagen Jetta Sunroof shattered, while I was driving on the highway. It sounded like a shotgun sound, when it happened. I've only owned this car for 2 years. Also, I only drive 60 miles per hour, never any higher. Thank you, [XXX] Downers Grove, IL INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11536898

Door lock actuator is breaking and it’s a hit or miss on locking the door.

NHTSA ODI 11536374

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at slower speeds or slowing for traffic signals at approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle would jolt as the transmission automatically downshifted. The contact stated that the vehicle would also jolt into gear and hesitate while depressing the accelerator pedal to accelerate. The contact stated that the transmission in emergency mode warning light recently illuminated during a transmission hard shift failure. The contact stated that almost one year ago the check engine warning light illuminated while the transmission was shifting roughly. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure and the jolting of the transmission while shifting, with the vehicle shaking abnormally. The contact had taken the vehicle to an auto parts vendor who ran a diagnostic test and retrieved the following codes: P0562 (Power Train - System Voltage Low); P0733 (Gear 3 Incorrect Ration); P072B00 (Stuck In Reverse). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11535913

Car shut off while turning left. Display says check starting system. Car restarted

NHTSA ODI 11534961

When vehicle would be in heat of over 80 degrees, car would start, I would start driving, then an alert saying “Check Starter System” would occur and all electrics would shut off. Couldn’t use turn signals or anything. Happened a few times and my car would sometimes even shut off completely if it occurred as I was stopped/at a red light. Took it to a mechanic that said it was the ignition switch/relay that was overheating and causing the problem. So original ignition switch on the car was the problem while under warm weather.

NHTSA ODI 11535160

My VW Jetta 2019 car just stopped twice with “Check Starter System” error and failed to turn on right in the middle of the road which might have lead to some serious accident. Once on a light the steering and brakes both got locked and all the electrics (dash, radio etc) shut off and so had to somehow safely get on the side of the road and had to use the handbrake abruptly to stop the car which was a difficult situation. Tried turning on the engine again but it kept on giving me “CHECK IGNITION” switch and “STARTER SYSTEM” errors and all the electrical parts turned off including the engine. It could have been a fatal accident and calls for serious service negligence on VW part. I see so many complaints in different forums for the same ignition switch and electrical failure on 2019 VW Jetta models but never a recall from VW to fix the issue. That’s a big lapse in safety issue and Volkswagen should be sued for neglecting such life threatening damages which might lead to severe consequences like a fatal accident if car stops with no proper warning beforehand.

NHTSA ODI 11534707

On hot days in the summer, when I start driving the car, a notice that states “systems start failure” appears. The air conditioning turns off. The speedometer turns off. The brake lights don’t work, and the turn signals do not work. The car still drives, but due to the brake lights turning off and turn signals not working, I believe this poses a safety risk to myself and others. I believe this to be an ignition switch problem, as many others have stated online that getting a replacement for the ignition switch has solved the problem. The problem has been reproduced by a service center. The problem has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives.

NHTSA ODI 11534874

While driving the Please “check starter system” error and “ignition switch error” popped up and the dashboard died , AC died, no brake lights, no speedometer but the car kept running. There is no check engine light. I live in Texas where temperature is 105+ which could be the reason. This only happens if my car is sitting in the sun for hours, verses me driving it in the morning and then throughout the day. This is dangerous because I was on a busy highway, and should be a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11534699

Passenger side daytime running light LED has gone dim. This reduces the visibility of the vehicle in daytime conditions. The dealer has confirmed that the light is bad but the manufacturer says since there is no active recall for it, it is not covered.

NHTSA ODI 11534404

The ignition switch for my 2019 Jetta randomly went out, while driving the vehicle in the middle of summer, temperature on dash read 111, I'm assuming this caused the ac and radio to go out, as well as the speedometer and other tracking system's on the dashboard to display as if the car was not on when the engine was still running. I have read online in several places that this is a common issue for the 2019 Jetta's and at this point the ignition switch failure should be treated as a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11534455

My car started fine, but turned off in the middle of my drive. I live in Las Vegas, NV so the extreme heat and a faulty car is very dangerous. There has been many issues with the ignition switch on the 2019 Jettas. Unfortunately the switch is on backorder.

NHTSA ODI 11534165

“Please check starter system “ error popped up and the dashboard died , AC died but the car kept running saying please drive to safety

NHTSA ODI 11533944

Driving at 30 mph in 100 degree heat, a/c shut off, and a "check the starter system" warning appeared on my display. The temperature gauge flattened to cold as well.

NHTSA ODI 11533324

The ignition switch for my 2019 Jetta randomly went out, while driving the vehicle in the middle of summer, this caused the AC and radio to go out, as well as the spedometer and other tracking system on the dashboard to display as if the car was not on when the engine was still running. I have read online in several places that this is a common issue for the 2019 Jettas and at this point the ignition switch failure should be treated as a recall. Volkswagon service initially diagnosed as faulty battery which did not resolve the issue and the same thing happened 7 days and $300 later. I was able to find the issue with a quick google search.

NHTSA ODI 11533075