What 537 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta

Hot day (~107f), car started fine but after a mile of driving ALL ELECTRICAL systems appeared to STOP with the following error: "Starter System Faulty. Please Service Vehicle." The engine kept going, and the car was driven home (with no signals, speedo, air conditioning, lights etc.) If this had happened in a more demanding situation (e.g. weather, night or traffic) there could have been an accident. There are numerous threads online about this happening to 2019 Jettas in hot weather, and the ignition switch being blamed. I recreated the issue in the heat of the day, but the car worked fine later on when the day cooled down.

NHTSA ODI 11532838

Ignition system (available for inspection upon request) malfunctioned, which disallowed the engine from starting. After multiple attempts, the engine started and I was able to drive and indicate turns, but there was no dashboard display such as speed, gas level, etc. Since the first incident, this has happened 3 times. At one point while driving with no screen display, I forgot to turn off the option for the engine to stop when the car has come to a complete stop. When I stopped at a light, the engine stopped and I was unable to get it to start again for several minutes, causing me to block traffic. There was no warning prior to the failure, just beeping and a screen notification while it was failing. The problem has not been replicated/confirmed, and the vehicle has not been inspected since the issue began to happen. Each time this failure happens, it is during a hot day after the car has been parked in direct sunlight.

NHTSA ODI 11532844

Car shut off but still running while driving. Check the starter system came on. Did it twice. Not sure because of heat but dash board and a/c shuts off but car still running.

NHTSA ODI 11532619

As I was driving the vehicle the car just randomly shut off. It turned off the air conditioning and wiper blades as it was raining. It said to check starter system or ignition system or something like that. I recently had the software update recall done at the dealer also had a new battery installed by the dealer between two days. Also said something about checking the key battery. It has happened on two separate occasions this week alone.

NHTSA ODI 11532302

When it's really hot outside my car while just shut off while driving. Then I get a "Please check the starter system" message. The radio,ac, and eveything electrical turns off as well. This is the second time it has happened in a month.

NHTSA ODI 11532382

Left my work parking lot and my jetta said there was an ignition problem and “starter system failure”. Then all electronics systems went dark but the engine kept running, until I came to a stoplight and stopped. I pulled over and turned it off. Then restarted. This is VERY DANGEROUS

NHTSA ODI 11532119

Jan 2023-check engine light for oil came on-just had oil change November 21, 2022 and only went 3000 miles. No oil in engine so it was topped off at a local Volkswagon Satellite and inspected for leaks no leaks found. Mid Feb 2023 had to put 2 quarts oil in car and high pitch noise/humming coming from car when driving. Mar 2023 went to VW dealership and explained noise and oil. They said noise was bad wheel bearings and it was ok to drive until backorder came in to replace. Was told the oil consumption is normal for VW despite us telling them it’s not normal consumption and they told us to read the owners manual. They couldn’t find leak, they topped it off and sent us on our way. April,May 2023 humming noise louder and a creaky, clanking, cricket chirp noise began and gear shifting became delayed. Made an appoint with VW dealership for June 2023 for wheel bearings to be replaced and told them about oil (we had to put 2 quarts in June)and new noise, and shifting. Wheel bearings are replaced, noise continued and they replaced front axle, different noise continued and now they are replacing transmission. They said they were going to prep car for oil consumption test but DO NOT have my car back from the shop to drive it to determine the cause. Called sales to get quote on extended warranty as mine is about to expire in about 8000 miles. I was “told it is not an inexpensive car to warranty and was quoted $5749.00 for a 4 yr 60k warranty (it’s in an email I have) My worry is “what else is going to break or even possibly hurt or kill my daughter”. This was her graduation present to get her through college and on her feet with a job. She attended undergrad out of state and now attending her graduate school out of state. 97% of her miles 62-64k are highway miles. She has kept up with all service requirements for her vehicle and has never been in an accident (carfax). All her records are in her car and can upload once we get her car back. Car is at Sheehey VW

NHTSA ODI 11531816

Engine started and running but no lights on dashboard ac and signals not working even windows not rolling Message displayed as check starter system

NHTSA ODI 11531864

Vehicle at 40,000 miles needs a clutch repair. I have owned a standard vehicle my whole life and never had this issue. Looking online there are tons of reports of others having the same issue and Volkswagen not saying there is an issue.

NHTSA ODI 11531914

My 19 year old was driving down the road and all electrical systems in the car shut in the car and told her to check starter system.

NHTSA ODI 11531215

Car turns off with a message relaying on the screen “please check starter system”

NHTSA ODI 11530816

When interior gets hot, check starter system message displays and all gauges, air conditioning system, infotainment system and all associated systems become inoperable. This becomes especially dangerous as it will happen while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11530013

A minute after starting my car sitting in a hot parking lot, the entire car and engine shut off. A message popped up saying “please check starter system”. I looked this up and seems to be an extremely common issues with 2019 Jettas, and everyone has had issues with getting it fixed. Mechanics have said there’s “no issue” with the car because it won’t shut off every time. Some even had their cars shut off on the highway. My car has about 25,000 miles and is in great shape. I’m terrified to drive it for safety reasons, and I don’t have money to take it in anywhere. I’m so disappointed there has not been a recall on this common, extremely dangerous issue. There were no prior warning lights or signs.

NHTSA ODI 11530043

When interior gets hot, check starter system message displays and all gauges, AIR conditioning system, infotainment system and all associated systems become inoperable. This becomes especially dangerous as it will happen while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11529453

Starter System Faulty. Please service vehicle. Warning shows on screen when high temperature outside. Car will not start/turn on if the weather is hot outside. I researched the issue and multiple 2019 Jetta users have the same issue when weather is hot outside.

NHTSA ODI 11529123

Driving down the highway and received a “starter system failure” message. All electronics in the car shutoff. Engine continued to run normally.

NHTSA ODI 11528187

I purchased the vehicle on 6/10/3023 and that evening I noticed a dashboard error message that the Rear View camera was unavailable. Due to my work schedule I was unable to get back to the dealership until Monday, 6/12/2023. On Monday I asked [XXX], my sales representative, and [XXX], a sales manager, what it meant and how to fix it. They offered Wes, a repair technician, to come look. [XXX] left rapidly and never returned, so I left for work. On 6/15/2023 I had the car inspected by my mechanic for an assessment and he stated that I needed a new electrical body harness for the repair. This part costs over $5K, plus labor; total estimate $12,742.14. My safety is at risk because this electrical issue not only renders (this list is not exhaustive): the back-up camera useless, but also the seat belt sensor, side mirror lights, and the front proximity sensors work only intermittently. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11527475

When the car sits in direct sunlight and the interior temperature raises above 100F, the car will start and all is well for a minute or so and then the ignition fails. Dash says check starter system and all gauges, clusters, infotainment system, interior and exterior lights turn off. The car thinks that it is off electronically but it still runs, shifts, and drives. Attached photo was taken after I left home, traveling on highway at ~55mph.

NHTSA ODI 11527355

Driving my car in 85+ degree weather and an alert came on that said “check starter system,” “find a safe place to park,” “ignition shutting off.” My car shut off on the highway. A quick google search found that hundreds of people with 2019 jettas were having this exact same problem. This issue has now happened twice with my car, both when temperatures exceeded 85 degrees.

NHTSA ODI 11526711

Car stalled and turned off after a red light turned green and pressed on the gas pedal. Error message popped up: Error: Start-Stop System. The red triangle with exclamation point symbol appeared. The check engine light has been on since. I had to immediately put my hazard lights on, put the car in park, press the start button to turn on again. It happened again immediately afterwards when the red light turned green again. Thankfully I was able to pull over safely. Will be sending the car to VW dealership tomorrow to be serviced to diagnose issue.

NHTSA ODI 11526445

When vehicle is at a stop and then goes to accelerate, between 25 and 30MPH there is a low growl from the engine area and a lag in acceleration and a drop in power, which has proved dangerous when trying to avoid a collision when someone ran a stop sign and I had to try and hurry through to avoid being hit. Sometimes if foot is not on accelerator letting the vehicle coast and then reapplied with vehicle going a decent speed there is also a jumping/jerking motion. Also, the blind spot censor illuminates when nothing is present.

NHTSA ODI 11525623

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle lost electrical power; however, the engine remained running. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the “STOP Safely” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11525429

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the check starting system warning light illuminated. The contact stated he had experienced the failure a total of four times within two months. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and continued to experience the failure in warmer weather. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,400.

NHTSA ODI 11523270

The Car lost all electrical components, gauges, turn signals, and possibly break lights while in operation. If I had been unlucky, I could have been rear-ended or ended up in an accident if my brake lights were not working and I could not tell how fast I was going. First, the car dinged and said "Please check starter system" while I was downshifting while coming to a stop. The engine remained running, but I lost all gauges, dashboard lights, cabin controls, and turn signals.

NHTSA ODI 11523348

There is a confirmed evap recall for my year and model, recall number 20CQ. When I check against my vin, it says my vehicle has zero recalls however I have the exact symptoms and issues as described in the recall. The recall is for a faulty evap purge valve and I don't think it is coincidence that my vehicle has a check engine light on for a Very small evap leak. I've had it checked my multiple mechanics and no one can identify what the issue is and we've tried multiple troubleshooting steps. At this point the most logical issue is the purge valve. I believe there are more affected cars with the same make and model than the recall is projecting.

NHTSA ODI 11522558