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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)

4 of 537 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Apr 16, 2025Electrical systemAirbagsDriver assistanceCrash4 injuries

While traveling on [XXX] in Van Buren, Arkansas, I was involved in a hit-and-run accident. The impact caused significant front-end damage and resulted in physical injuries. The vehicle’s dashboard/electrical system indicated AIRBAG:ERROR, and the police report reflects that airbag deployed yet we have photo evidence that the airbag did not deploy. However, photo evidence clearly shows that no airbags deployed for any occupants. The airbags remained completely intact following the crash. The vehicle is a certified pre-owned 2019 Volkswagen Jetta that was still under warranty at the time. This raises serious safety concerns regarding the accuracy of the airbag deployment system and the failure of the airbags to function during a serious collision. The vehicle is being held for preservation at the co-part yard. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11655105

Apr 24, 2023SteeringElectrical systemEngineCrash

The vehicle steering has been off and alignment when driving. My gas gauge has been off constantly, since I've owned the vehicle. I documented this many times and reported this to the dealership under warranty and Volkswagen care.

NHTSA ODI 11518599

Nov 11, 2019Electrical system1 injury

WHEN GRABBING THINGS FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW, PUSHING YOUR BODY AGAINST THE DOOR WITH KEYS IN A POCKET MAY COST THE VEHICLE TO THINK THAT YOU ARE PUSHING ON THE DOOR LOCK BUTTON AND HENCE CLOSING THE WINDOWS WHEN YOU ARE RETRIEVING THINGS INSIDE AND THE WINDOWS TAKE TOO LONG OF A TIME TO SENSE THAT SOMETHING IS BLOCKING THE WINDOWS AND HURT WHOEVER IS RETRIEVING ITEMS.

NHTSA ODI 11279327

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 →