The best Jetta years to buy are 2018 and 2020. Avoid the 2019: transmission and starter faults give the first year of the new Jetta its highest complaint rate.
Best years: 20182020 Years to avoid: 2019
Every Jetta year compared
Owner complaints per 100,000 cars sold. Lower is better. The newest years have had less time to collect complaints, so they are marked too new to judge.
Known Jetta problems
Year by year
| Year | Complaints | Per 100k sold | Recalls | Top issue | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 46 | - | 0 | Brakes | Too new to judge |
| 2023 | 43 | - | 0 | Engine | Too new to judge |
| 2022 | 43 | 126 | 1 | Engine | Good year |
| 2021 | 71 | 129 | 4 | Brakes | Good year |
| 2020 | 54 | 59 | 6 | Electrical | Good buy |
| 2019 | 552 | 550 | 11 | Transmission and drivetrain | Skip this year |
| 2018 | 32 | 35 | 3 | Fuel System | Good buy |
| 2017 | 160 | 138 | 7 | Fuel System | Good year |
| 2016 | 165 | 136 | 5 | Engine | Good year |
| 2015 | 197 | 150 | 8 | Electrical | Good year |
| 2014 | 442 | 275 | 6 | Engine | Average |
| 2013 | 633 | 386 | 7 | Transmission and drivetrain | Watch out |
| 2012 | 527 | 309 | 8 | Electrical | Average |
About the Jetta
The Jetta is Volkswagen's compact sedan. 2012-2014 cars have DSG transmission and ignition complaints, particularly on the hybrid. The 2019 redesign had a rough first year with eight-speed transmission slips and starter and ignition faults. The 2018 and 2020 Jettas are the most trouble-free.
- 2011-2018: Sixth generation. DSG and ignition complaints on 2012-2014; very few by 2018.
- 2019 on: Seventh generation. 2019 launch problems; 2020 and later much better.
Jetta warranty extensions and special coverage
Carmakers sometimes extend the warranty on a part that fails too often, or pay for a fix outside a recall. These notices come from the dealer bulletins Volkswagen files with NHTSA. 3,508 Jetta bulletins are on file in total.
The Rear Brake Pad Limited Warranty Extension has been revised to include model year 2025 for Certain Volkswagen Jetta and Certain Volkswagen Taos vehicles.
This supporting FAQ is for the Turbocharger Limited Warranty Extension Class Action Settlement.
These documents are for the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Limited Warranty Extension as part of the Class Action Settlement
Volkswagen has extended the Warranty coverage for the Evap Leak Detection Pump (LDP) to 15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicles original in-service date, for certain 2022 Model Year Volkswagen vehic...
This Document informs dealers on the warranty extension for the Activated Carbon Filter Pipe
This Document informs dealers on VWP-18-11 for the Steering Wheel Clock Spring Limited Warranty Extension
This Document was revised.
This document informs dealers of an "Extended Emissions Warranty" Limited Warranty Extension for certain 2.0L TDI vehicles.
This document informs dealers of a revision to the claim coding for the "Extended Emissions Warranty" Limited Warranty Extension for certain 2.0L TDI GEN 3 vehicles.
This Document informs dealers the warranty extension for the steering column lock housing has been revised to include 2014 and 2015 model year
Ask a dealer to check a specific car by VIN. Extensions usually have a time or mileage limit.
Government investigations into the Jetta
NHTSA opens an investigation when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Some end in a recall and some close without one.
Recall query RQ23007 · 2019, 2020 · opened Dec 2023, closed Jul 2024 · led to recall 24V110
On December 12, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ23-007 to investigate the remedy repair effectiveness and scope of Volkswagen (VW) recall 16V-647.
Defect petition DP22005 · 2013–2016 · opened Jan 2023, closed Aug 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States.
Defect petition DP19003 · 2019 · opened Sep 2019, closed Jun 2020
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a defect petition received on 14 August 2019 requesting an investigation of an alleged defect of the manual transmissions in Model Year (MY) 2019 Volkswagen (VW) GTI, Golf GTI and Jetta GLI vehicles.
Engineering analysis EA18003 · 2012–2014 · opened Apr 2018
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Recall query RQ17009 · 2012–2014 · opened Nov 2017, closed May 2018
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Preliminary evaluation PE15010 · 2012–2014 · opened Mar 2015, closed Sep 2015 · led to recall 15V483000
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of steering wheel clock spring/steering column control module (SCCM) failures in model year (MY) 2012 Volkswagen Passat and CC models.The SCCM is a module within the steering column that incorporates a spiral conductor (a...
Preliminary evaluation PE11023 · 2012 · opened Aug 2011, closed Dec 2011 · led to recall 11V490000
By letter dated October 3, 2011, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Engineering analysis EA11003 · 2012 · opened Feb 2011, closed Mar 2015
The Office of Defects Investgation (ODI) opened EA11-003 on February 7, 2011, based on 160 complaints to ODI and Volkswagen involving high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures in model year (MY) 2009 through 2010 Volkswagen Jetta and Golf and Audi A3 TDI vehicles and questions regarding fuel sample results provided by...
Jetta vs rivals
Questions
What is the best year for the Volkswagen Jetta?
2018 and 2020. The best Jetta years to buy are 2018 and 2020. Avoid the 2019: transmission and starter faults give the first year of the new Jetta its highest complaint rate.
Which Volkswagen Jetta years should I avoid?
2019. These drew far more owner complaints per car sold than the Volkswagen Jetta average.
Is the 2019 Jetta reliable?
It had more complaints than any other recent Jetta, mostly the eight-speed automatic slipping and starter or ignition switch faults. Many were fixed under warranty, so ask for service records.
Based on 2,965 complaints filed by owners with U.S. safety regulators for model years 2012 to 2024, and U.S. sales by calendar year. How we score.