Problems · NHTSA complaints
2014 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen problems
Owners filed 412 complaints about the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen with NHTSA between Nov 2013 and May 2026. The most-cited component is engine (112).
Complaints
412
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
22
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
21
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine112
- Electrical system97
- Power train75
- Fuel/propulsion system43
- Air bags40
- Exterior lighting24
- Suspension18
- Service brakes18
- Steering18
- Vehicle speed control12
- Electronic stability control (esc)10
- Structure8
- Tires5
- Visibility/wiper5
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
36
25
26
48
47
81
42
26
36
19
17
6
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 36 |
| 2015 | 25 |
| 2016 | 26 |
| 2017 | 48 |
| 2018 | 47 |
| 2019 | 81 |
| 2020 | 42 |
| 2021 | 26 |
| 2022 | 36 |
| 2023 | 19 |
| 2024 | 17 |
| 2025 | 6 |
| 2026 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Engine
112 reports4 crashes
“My cars consumes oil like crazy. I'd say every week I am adding a quart to two quarts of oil. I would lose power while driving. Sometimes the car would just shut off And then it would take a few times to get it started. I was in the middle of driving when the car just completely shut off on me and it will not start at all. It will crank and sound like it's going to turn over but it won't. I've been told it's most likely a timing chain issue.”
Electrical system
97 reports3 crashes1 fire
“Auxiliary Heater, Part# 1KO 963 235 H, Melted at the grounding post, potentially damaging wiring harness. Fire started in driver side footwell on 11/5/2025. Included is a photo of where the fire originated from. Medium burning to hands, and smoke inhalation from my passenger.”
Power train
75 reports2 crashes
“I was driving down the Highway at 65 miles per hour when my vehicle suddenly appeared to go into neutral and I lost power in the middle lane and almost was rear-ended. I was able to move over to the side shoulder just gliding. The vehicle starts but while driving it the transmission suddenly appears to go into neutral. The symptoms are consistent with the Recall 34J6 but when I look up my VIN it does not show any pending recalls.”
Fuel/propulsion system
43 reports1 crash
“WHAT HAPPENS IS MY CAR SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AFTER ME GETTING GAS SOMETIMES AND ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR. WHEN SHUTTING DOWN A QUICK FLASH OF BATTERY LIGHT SHOWS UP, NOW ENGINE LIGHT IS ON LONGER AND THE CAR POWER JUST SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN AS IF THE BATTERY IS DEAD NOTHING WORK BUT WITH A JUMP I WAS ABLE TO MOVE CAR AND WHEN I CUT IT OFF IT SHUT DOWN AGAIN THIS BEEN GOIN ON FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH ADVANCE AUTO TEST IT AND SAID IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY FUEL PUMP DON'T REMEMBER THE CODE BUT ENGINE KEEP COMING ON VERY OFTEN.”
Air bags
40 reports12 crashes1 related recall
“During this summer (2024), I got a warning with three beeps then warning lights came on, went off for a several months, and now have come on and stayed on (ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE, AIRBAG, Tire Pressure). This has to be an issue with VW. There was close to 63,000 miles on the car at the time. Now there's only 64,000 miles on the car. The dealer service center couldn't really determine the cause but still quoted a repair of nearly $4,000.”
Exterior lighting
24 reports
“IN THE FOLLOWING, LB/HB IS LOW BEAM, HIGH BEAM: ' THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR FOR HB IS ALWAYS ON, EVEN WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN LEVER IS ON LB AND LIGHTS ARE REALLY LB. ' THE TURN SIGNAL DASHBOARD LIGHT BLINKS FAST -- LIKE THERE IS A BURNT-OUT BULB -- BUT THEY ACTUALLY FLASH FINE. ' WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN LEVER IS SET TO HB, ALL LIGHTS ON THE DRIVER SIDE ARE DEAD; OR, THE HB BULB DOESN'T LIGHT AT ALL AND THE LB BULB GOES FAINT. ' WHEN I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, THEY STAY ON ' SAY I'M DRIVING AT NIGHT ALL EVERYTHING IS FINE. I TURN THE CAR OFF; WHEN I START IT UP AGAIN SECONDS LATER, THE LIGHTS ARE MESSED UP FINALLY, THE LIGHTS USUALLY STAY EITHER WORKING OR ARE MESSED UP WHILE DRIVING, BUT ONCE IN A WHILE, THEY WILL GO FROM WORKING TO MESSED UP OR VICE VERSA WHILE DRIVING. BUT I WORK AT NIGHT AND LIVE ONLY ONE MILE FROM MY JOB, SO I HAVE NOT HAD THIS CAR ON THE ROAD AT NIGHT FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT LENGTH OF TIME. THE MOST COMMON SCENARIO IS THAT THE CAR HAS SAT FOR HOURS; I START IT, AND THE LIGHTS ARE EITHER MESSED UP OR WORKING FINE, AND THEY STAY THAT WAY UNTIL THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND STARTED AGAIN.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.