Home · 2021 Volkswagen Jetta Hev · Complaints

What 66 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta Hev

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 (66)Crash / fire / injury (3)Brakes (25)Electrical system (12)Fuel system (9)Driver assistance (8)Engine (5)Airbags (4)Lane Departure (4)Visibility & wipers (4)Seat belts (3)Steering (3)

4 of 66 complaints match · Visibility & wipers · clear filters

Jun 21, 2025Electrical systemVisibility & wipers

Shifting vehicle into reverse, turns of back up camera, then shifting into drive camera remains on for a set period of time, if shifted back into reverse as camera turns off, camera will not come back on. Android Auto was being used.

NHTSA ODI 11668317

Feb 28, 2025BrakesVisibility & wipersDriver assistance

Under 20,000 miles, but over 1 year old (leased new february 12, 2021). VW dealership and secondary party reported rear brake pads and rotors were worn down to 1mm and that the car was unsafe to drive. This cost $500 to repair and I had to pay it for a car that was just over 1 year old. The dealership wanted to charge double to replace. The brakes are only warrantied for 1 year, and because most don't hit 20k miles for a year, they know that the parts are unsafe and will wear down at 20,000 miles (as reported by many many others for the 2021 VW Jetta). I have receipts of inspection and for part replacement by Brakes Plus. There were NO warnings, just the tires squeaking when the weather got cold in December. Also, ABS issues - car stalled twice in the middle of a busy street in the first 6 months of use.

NHTSA ODI 11645459

Sep 6, 2024Visibility & wipers

Rearview Mirror detached from windshield while car was in motion. There was no force of any kind applied to the mirror, and nothing hanging from it.

NHTSA ODI 11613060

May 23, 2023Visibility & wipers

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof exploded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

NHTSA ODI 11523430

Working with the data? Download all 66 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 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 2021 Volkswagen Jetta Hev verdict →