Problems · NHTSA complaints
2025 Volkswagen Jetta problems
Owners filed 32 complaints about the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta with NHTSA between Feb 2025 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is power train (8).
Complaints
32
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Power train8
- Forward collision avoidance7
- Fuel/propulsion system4
- Visibility/wiper3
- Electrical system3
- Service brakes2
- Lane departure2
- Seat belts1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Exterior lighting1
- Structure1
- Steering1
- Engine1
- Other / unknown6
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 Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
9
23
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 | 23 |
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
Power train
8 reports
“The car has randomly shifted out of a drive gear on two separate occasions. First time it happened I had car towed back to selling dealership for warranty repair but they found nothing wrong and said they reset a fault code. They also told me we would have to wait and see if it happened again. It did and I called dealership to speak to service manager or the GM and was told they were unavailable and would relay the message to them and someone would call me back. This was on Friday the 23rd. Today the 26th, there has not been a return call so far. This is a major safety hazard as this randomly happens and it will not go into fwd or reverse when it occurs while I’m driving the car. Warranty or not, VW of America should buy this defective safety hazard vehicle back.”
Forward collision avoidance
7 reports
“I am not sure. My brakes are making noise. I made multi complaints to dealer and vw. I saw owner with the same car and he had the same problem. Please look into this. Something is wrong with brakes on VWs”
Fuel/propulsion system
4 reports2 crashes
“I am reporting a safety concern involving unintended acceleration in a 2025 Volkswagen Jetta SE (VIN [XXX] ) Te vehicle has experienced two separate incidents in which it surged forward unexpectedly when shifting from park to drive while my foot depressed the brake pedal. The first incident occurred in approximately August 2025 while attempting to move the vehicle into a residential garage. When the transmission was shifted into Drive, the vehicle accelerated forward despite continued brake application and traveled approximately 30 feet before stopping. A collision with a structural wall was narrowly avoided. The second incident occurred on [XXX]. When shifting from Park into Drive with my foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle again surged forward unexpectedly and struck a storage cabinet inside the garage, causing property damage. A family member was nearby at the time. Following these incidents, the vehicle was taken to an authorized Volkswagen dealership (Garnet Volkswagen of West Chester, Pennsylvania) on December 15, 2025 for inspection. The dealership preformed diagnostic scans and reported no stored fault codes and was unable to duplicate the condition.…”
Visibility/wiper
3 reports
“I am the owner/operator of a 2025 Volkswagen Jetta S and am submitting this complaint regarding recurring optical distortion in the windshield within my normal driving field of view. The vehicle has undergone four windshield replacement attempts for this same condition, yet the distortion remains present. The distortion appears as a rippling or “funhouse” effect that can cause objects and straight lines viewed through the windshield to appear distorted while driving. The dealership and Volkswagen have inspected the vehicle on multiple occasions. Although the condition has not been consistently reproduced by every inspector, I continue to experience the distortion during normal driving. Following the most recent replacement, I believe the distortion is more noticeable than before. Volkswagen has been notified of the problem and has assigned corporate case number REF 07697200. The dealership has documented my continuing complaint and Volkswagen Customer Retention is currently involved. I am requesting that NHTSA document this complaint and consider whether recurring optical distortion in the driver’s field of view in this vehicle or windshield application may…”
Electrical system
3 reports2 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the infotainment screen was darkened and inoperative. There were several different unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (example: 26V185000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted however, the dealer confirmed the remedy was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”
Service brakes
2 reports
“The brake pads that are being used on Volkswagen are semi metallic and that causes the brakes to make a grinding noise which the dealer says is common on volkswagen. The problem you cannot tell if brakes need replacement. I have had my vehicle in service dept twice for the same problem. The noise is a grinding noise and that is a safety hazard. Now I have a warrantey on the entire car and I was told I have to pay 1100 dollars to have it repaired.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.