Home · 2019 Volkswagen Jetta · Complaints

What 537 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 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 (537)Crash / fire / injury (34)Transmission & drivetrain (161)Electrical system (149)Engine (144)Brakes (29)Fuel system (29)Lights (26)Visibility & wipers (23)Body & structure (22)Airbags (16)Speed control (16)

8 of 537 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jun 27, 2026BrakesLane DepartureCrash

DRIVING ON WESTLAKE DRIVE IN WIMAUMA FL PREPARING TO TURN LEFT TOOK FOOT OFF GAS PUT FOOT ON CLUTCH PUT CAR IN 2ND GEAR WITH FOOT ABOVE BRAKE TO MASH DOWN, PCOULD WOULD NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN HIT ELECTRIC POLE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CAR WAS IN SHOP PRIOR TO ACCIDDENT AT BOB BOAST VOLKSWAGEN IN BRADENTON FL.

NHTSA ODI 11746925

Jun 25, 2026AirbagsBody & structureBrakesCrash1 injury

There was an intersection, I hit a car head on and no airbags went off

NHTSA ODI 11746389

May 2, 2022BrakesCrash1 injury

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

Aug 27, 2020SteeringElectronic Stability Control (esc)BrakesCrash1 injury

I SUSPECT THAT MY 2019 VW JETTA COMPUTER SYSTEM/CAR WAS HACKED/DRIVEN REMOTELY ON 12/3/2019 THAT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT (PHOTOS ATTACHED) THAT LED TO MY CAR BEING A TOTAL LOSS. I SUSTAINED INJURIES AND WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE LOCAL ER FROM THE ACCIDENT. THIS CASE IS STILL INVOLVED IN COURT PROCEEDINGS AS OF TODAY. I WAS DRIVING HOME AND MY CAR SPEED ACCELERATED WITHOUT ME BEING ON THE GAS AND MY BREAKS WERE NOT WORKING. WITHOUT TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL I DROVE OFF TO THE RIGHT HITTING A PARKED CAR. THE POLICE REPORT INDICATED THAT AFTER IMPACT WITH PARKED CAR #1, I ROLLED BACK 55 FEET AND HIT ANOTHER PARKED CAR ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET. I DID NOT THINK ANY OF THIS WAS POSSIBLE UNTIL I WAS READING ABOUT CAR HACKING AND CARS BEING DRIVEN REMOTELY. I ALSO DID NOT THINK THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE WITH THE 'IMPACT SAFETY FEATURES' ON A VW JETTA, I COULD POSSIBLY ROLL BACKWARD AFTER THE IMPACT OF PARKED CAR #1? I AM LOOKING TO HAVE THIS ISSUE INVESTIGATED. I AM ALSO SENDING INFORMATION TO THE FBI INTERNET CRIME COMPLAINT CENTER.

NHTSA ODI 11351636

Apr 10, 2020WheelsBrakesCrash

REAR DIRVERSIDE ROTOR SHEERED OFF CAUSING WHEEL TO LOCK-UP AND VEHICLE TO SPIN-OUT RESULTING IN IMPACT WITH CURB

NHTSA ODI 11320782

Dec 13, 2019SuspensionTransmission & drivetrainBrakesCrash1 injury

SINCE DAY ONE CAR IS SHAKING LIKE A BOAT, WHEN I DRIVE IT ON A HIGHWAY MAKING IT NOT STABLE. BRAKES SQUEAK AND I SEE SIGNS ON THE BRAKE DISK.I AM WITH THE ORIGINAL BRAKES. CAR IS SHUTTING DOWN WHEN I PARK. WHEN I SWITCH AGAIN TO DRIVE, IT IS COMPLETELY OFF FROM ITSELF, KEY IS INSIDE AND I HAVE TO TURN THE KEY OFF AND THEN START THE CAR AGAIN. AIR CONDITION IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY VW SAID THEY HAVE BETTER 8 ZONES AIR CONDITION. I HAD OIL LAMP AROUND 5000-6000 MILES THEY SAID THAT THE CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE PROBLEMS TILL 10 000 MILES. I HAVE PROBLEMS ACCELERATING, I AM LOOSING POWER. I HAVE GRINDING SCRAPING NOISE FROM THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO TRANSMISSION JUMPS WHEN I DRIVE, SLOW RESPONSE. THE ENGINE IS GIVING ME LAG WHEN I AM AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, VIBRATION AND SHAKING. I MAKE MULTIPLE CALLS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA TO TOW AND FIX MY CAR THAT I LEASED. I EXPLAIN THAT THE CAR IS NOT SAFE. I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS. I AM NOT FEELING SAFE OPERATING THIS VEHICLE. IT'S BEEN MORE THAN HALF YEAR AND NOT ONE PROBLEM IS FIXED.

NHTSA ODI 11288963

Oct 1, 2019BrakesEngine1 injury

MY 2019 JETTA BEGAN EXPERIENCING BREAKING PROBLEMS IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. AFTER INITIAL START AND DRIVE AT IDLE, THE BREAKING PEDAL PRESSURE WAS ERRATIC AND CAUSING THE CAR TO SLAM TO A COMPLETE STOP. THIS CONDITION ONLY SEEMS TO OCCUR AT IDLE, AND I WAS TOLD AT BRINGING IT INTO SERVICE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. HOWEVER, THE CONDITION CONTINUES TO EXIST AND BEGINNING IN JUNE, I BEGAN HAVING MULTIPLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS FOR A EVAP LEAK. NOW AT THE 7 REPAIRS AND HAVING MULTIPLE PARTS REPLACED, THE SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP STATES THAT THE AIR INTAKE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE AIR INTAKE AND VACUUM SYSTEMS HAVE A DIRECT CORRELATION WITH THE BRAKE BOOSTER PRESSURE. HOWEVER, I RETURNED THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE BECAUSE THE READINESS MONITORS FOR THE EVAP WERE NOT SET, INDICATING THAT A POTENTIAL ISSUES STILL EXIST. ALTHOUGH THE CAUSE MAY NOT BE WITH AIR INTAKE, A VACUUM/PRESSURE ISSUE DOES EXITS CAUSING EFFECTS ON THE OTHER SYSTEMS. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD INJURED MY LEG IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND THE EXCESSIVE PRESSURE AT BREAKING CAUSED ME AGGRAVATE THE PREVIOUS INJURY. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I WAS TOLD BE THE DEALER SERVICE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY.

NHTSA ODI 11265502

Feb 28, 2019SteeringElectrical systemBrakes1 injury

THE CAR SHUT OFF, I LOST CONTROL OF THE POWER STEERING AND THE BREAKS FAILED TO STOP AFTER THE COMPUTER SHUT THE CAR OFF. NOW THEY CALM THE SHIFTER IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS REPLACED AFTER THERE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC CODES FAILED TO DETECT THE PROBLEM THE FIRST 2 TIMES AND A TEST DRIVE WOULD HAVE TOLD THEM THEIR WAS A PROBLEM BUT THEY REFUSED TO DO A TEST DRIVE AND RELIED AND FAULTY COMPUTER INPUT. THIS SERIOUS MALFUNCTION COULD HAVE RESULTED IN MY INJURY OR DEATH OR INJURY AND DEATH TO ANOTHER PARTY. THE DEFECTIVE SHIFTER HAS CAUSED INJURY TO MY RIGHT KNEE AND TENDONS. I WAS IN PARK, A PERSON ENTERED THE CAR. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND THE CAR SHUT OFF ROLLED DOWN THE HILL UNTIL IT STOPPED BY ROLLING IN REVERSE UP A HILL BEHIND ME. THE PERSON REFUSED TO BE IN MY CAR AS THE DANGER WAS OBVIOUS TO HER. THE ONLY REASON THE CAR STOPPED WAS BECAUSE OF THE HILL. I LOST CONTROL OF THE BRAKES AND POWER STEERING AS THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF. ANY CHILD OR ELDERLY PERSON BEHIND ME WOULD HAVE SUFFER SERIOUS INJURY. THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM IS REFUSING TO WRITE ANY OF THIS INFORMATION DOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11183080

Working with the data? Download all 537 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 11, 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 verdict →