Home · 2023 Volkswagen Jetta Hev · Complaints

What 42 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 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 (42)Crash / fire / injury (1)Brakes (11)Engine (11)Electrical system (9)Driver assistance (5)Speed control (3)Fuel system (2)Lane Departure (2)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Airbags (1)Backup camera & sensors (1)

9 of 42 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters

May 8, 2026Electrical system

The SOS Module failed three times and was replaced three times under warranty. The failure mode is a battery that cannot be ordered due to manufacturer issues. The failed module limits crash reporting. I have attached the three work orders for this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11736502

Nov 26, 2025Electrical systemBackup camera & sensors

The backup camera in my 2023 VW Jetta has been malfunctioning since the car was new. It intermittently fails to display an image when shifted into reverse, creating a serious safety hazard. Backup cameras are federally required safety equipment, and when it doesn’t work, visibility behind the vehicle is completely lost. This failure also affects all associated safety systems, including rear cross traffic alerts and lane assist, reducing driver awareness and increasing the risk of a collision. We were advised early on that the issue would probably be resolved through a future software update, but that never happened. The issue continues without warning and has been documented on video. Despite this, Murdock Volkswagen in Logan Utah refuses to perform warranty repairs because no diagnostic trouble codes are present. They have been offered video proof but declined to review it. According to the dealer, VW policy requires technicians to personally witness the malfunction or retrieve a fault code, otherwise Volkswagen will not approve warranty work. This policy effectively blocks repair of an ongoing federally mandated safety feature failure and raises serious concerns about compliance with safety obligations. I have had a lot of trouble with this car with mechanical and electrical issues. The manufactures policy of no pay if no codes is not acceptable and making our highways more dangerous than they should be. I bought the car in part because of all the safety features.

NHTSA ODI 11701619

Jul 21, 2025Electrical system

The SOS Module has failed three times over 24 months of ownership. Each time, the dealer replaced the module and the faults comes back. This failure means I cannot contact VW for help in case of accident or breakdown. Part number: SWA-035-283-D

NHTSA ODI 11675004

Dec 10, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemSpeed control

The follow failed module faults have REPEATEDLY FAILED: U010400 lost communication with cruise control module, U112100 databus missing message & U112300 databus error value received, C110BF0 Adaptive Cruise Control Sensor, C111207 Haldex Clutch Pump Mechanical Malfunction, P030400 Cyl 4 Misfire, ***P085000 Park/Neutral Switch Input Circuit Open or Short***, U105400 Information Electronics Control Module 1 No Communication. I’ve had it repaired once by VW. Been at dealership multiple times for all of these issues. Currently, they are not helpful. My car does not recognize PARK, it thinks it’s in NEUTRAL.

NHTSA ODI 11629906

Oct 15, 2024Electrical system

The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that upon coming to a complete stop on an incline, the hill start assist system activated but activated the brakes for an extended period causing the contact to stall the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose a failure. The contact was informed that the system was functioning as intended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 0.

NHTSA ODI 11619883

Oct 2, 2024Electrical systemSpeed control

While in operation the dash cluster goes completely black. Aprox 45mph. Dealer had to replace entire dash cluster

NHTSA ODI 11617764

Feb 15, 2024Electrical systemBody & structure

When driving roughly 75mph on the interstate the passenger door opened on its own. No warning was shown for 10 minutes or 8 miles. When taken to get serviced I was told it was due to freezing from the cold weather and the latch couldn’t latch. This not only confused me because I’ve never had that issue with any vehicle but the vehicle also did not show a warning of it earlier. This was extremely scary due to the fact I had a passenger in the vehicle at the time who could have been injured or someone else could have.

NHTSA ODI 11572022

Feb 5, 2024Electrical systemDriver assistance

Car has multiple electrical issues that can affect the safety of driving. OCU Module is the main one which allows for 911 services to be called in case of an accident. This module failed in September and now it failed again in January. The cruise control also sometimes doesn't work and the front assistance sensor doesn't seem to always work as indicated in the screenshots.

NHTSA ODI 11569918

Oct 27, 2023Electrical system

After parking the car one day the remote app functions stopped working. The next morning, a scary warning came on the dash stating: SOS Error: Emergency Call Function! Service Vehicle! It also blocks off many functional areas of other dash display and the error will not go away. The bluetooth in the car no longer works and the post-crash and SOS emergency calling are disabled.

NHTSA ODI 11552197

Working with the data? Download all 42 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 2023 Volkswagen Jetta Hev verdict →