2019 Volkswagen Jetta reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 548 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta over 8 years — 96 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Jetta years on this site. NHTSA has 11 recalls on file, including Fuel system, gasoline, Instrument cluster, and Switch.

2012 Volkswagen Jetta — Photo by ChengH, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Complaints

548

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (162 of 548), then Electrical system (154) and Engine (147). Those filings include 19 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 23 that report an injury.

Next to 2018 and 2020

The 2018 Jetta has 31 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2020 has 52 complaints, 7 per year. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (11)

Recall Fuel system, gasoline 2024-02-14 · NHTSA campaign 24V110000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a problem with a suction jet pump seal inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system and possibly leak out of the charcoal canister.

Remedy Dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are VW: 20UF/Audi: 20YF. Vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-647 will need to have the new remedy completed. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 16V-647.

Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2023-09-06 · NHTSA campaign 23V619000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Jetta vehicles. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 114, "Theft Protection."

Remedy Dealers will update the instrument cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 3, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 90W7.

Recall electrical system, ignition, switch 2023-08-30 · NHTSA campaign 23V604000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf Sportwagen, 2019-2020 Golf GTI, and Jetta vehicles equipped with a conventional ignition switch. The ignition switch may fail, especially in high temperature environments.

Remedy Dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 1, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 28H7.

Recall tires, tire pressure monitoring 2022-10-31 · NHTSA campaign 22V815000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

Remedy Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audis customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.

Recall Wheels 2019-12-11 · NHTSA campaign 19V879000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Jetta GLI, Golf Alltrack, and Golf GTI vehicles. The front wheel bearings may have been improperly machined, potentially causing excessive stress on the wheel, wheel bolts, or wheel bearings.

Remedy Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the wheel bearing assemblies, wheels, and wheel bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40P1. Note: The affected owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repairs have been made.

Recall Unknown or other 2019-09-25 · NHTSA campaign 19V679000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and 2012-2013 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2008-2010 Beetle, and Beetle Convertible vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D7. Note: This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 18V-329.

Recall suspension, rear, springs, coil springs 2019-03-06 · NHTSA campaign 19V188000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J5.

Recall air bags, frontal 2019-02-20 · NHTSA campaign 19V110000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Jetta vehicles. An incorrect driver frontal airbag may have been installed during a service/repair visit.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag with the correct part, free of charge. The recall began April 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Y7.

Recall suspension, rear, springs, coil springs 2018-12-19 · NHTSA campaign 18V904000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.

Remedy Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began January 31, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J2/42J3.

Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2018-11-26 · NHTSA campaign 18V824000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 90L3 and 90L4.

Recall exterior lighting, headlights 2018-09-26 · NHTSA campaign 18V671000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles equipped with LED headlights. The passenger side headlight may be incorrectly positioned, reducing the driver's visibility when it is dark. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side headlight, free of charge. The recall began November 2, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L1.

Complaints by component (548 total)

Powertrain

162

Electrical system

154

Engine

147

Service brakes

Exterior lighting

Fuel and propulsion system

Structure

Visibility and wipers

Air bags

Speed control

Suspension

Forward collision avoidance

Steering

Lane departure

Visibility

Seat belts

Wheels

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Fuel system, gasoline

Tires

Engine and engine cooling

Seats

Latches, locks, and linkages

Parking brake

Show 16 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"My problem is the same as Recall 28H7/or 23V604. I have the some make and model and ignition as the Jettas with the recall but for some reson it is not a part of the recall. When the car gets hot the ignition cuts off…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-09-16
"I was driving and the passenger side rearview mirror glass delaminated and separated from the vehicle leaving non-reflective adhesive residue. The blind spot monitoring light and sensor still function correctly. Car is…"
Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-09-14
"On July 24,2026 my 2019 VWJetta with 44,000 miles on the odometer was brought to a local independent service center for routine maintenance and a NY State inspection. Surprisingly, it failed inspection due to a broken…"
Suspension · filed 2026-09-13
"Left coil spring suddenly broke while driving at highway speed which could have punctured the tire. This is part of NHTSA 19V188000, however my VIN was not included in VW recall code 42J5."
Suspension · filed 2026-08-13
"Ignition switch off, safely stop the vehicle” or “Starter system faulty” Error was shown on a hot day. The vehicle turned off"
Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-08-06

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Jetta	1.4L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Front-wheel drive	30	40	34 MPG	$1900
Jetta	1.4L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	30	40	34 MPG	$1900
Jetta GLI	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S7)	Front-wheel drive	25	32	28 MPG	$2300
Jetta GLI	2L, 4-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	25	32	28 MPG	$2300

Specs and fitment

Mk7 (A7), 2019–present

Body styles Sedan

Oil VW 508.00 0W-20 (1.4L/1.5L turbo; see manual for 2.0L) , 4.8 qt capacity

Tire size 205/55R17

Known issues for this generation

Recall 18V-904 covers certain 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles among other VW models: rear coil springs may prematurely fracture and damage a rear tire, causing loss of control; dealers replace the rear axle coil springs. Recall 18V-671 covers certain 2019 Jetta vehicles with LED headlights: the passenger-side headlight may be incorrectly positioned, reducing nighttime visibility and failing FMVSS headlamp aim requirements; dealers replace the passenger-side headlight. Confirm VIN applicability because related campaigns also list Atlas and other nameplates under shared totals.

Compare

Previous year 2018 Volkswagen Jetta Next year 2020 Volkswagen Jetta See every Volkswagen Jetta model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta reliable?

What are common problems with a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta?

Is the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2018 Jetta has 31 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2020 has 52 complaints, 7 per year. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

Has the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta been recalled?

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta has 11 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta?

Owners have filed 548 complaints about the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta is 31 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Volkswagen Jetta use?

VW 502.00/504.00 5W-30 or 0W-20 (engine dependent)

What does NHTSA recall 20V-648 cover on the Volkswagen Jetta?

NHTSA safety recall 20V648000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

What generation is the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta?

Mk6 (A6) (2012-2018).