2011 Volkswagen JETTA

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2011 Volkswagen JETTA has 880 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 11.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (22% of all complaints), specifically: new car manual transmission, car stalls out at low speeds on snow covered roads. rpm's 1400 - 2000 can stop problem if traction control is disabled. i have driven manuals for over 30 years and it is not operator error it is a problem with the traction control and computer system - it dies in traff. ⚠️ 11 fire reports filed.

11 fire reports 30 crash reports 21 injuries

880

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

11.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

193 complaints

22%

• NEW CAR MANUAL TRANSMISSION, CAR STALLS OUT AT LOW SPEEDS ON SNOW COVERED ROADS. RPM'S 1400 - 2000 CAN STOP PROBLEM IF TRACTION CONTROL IS DISABLED. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUALS FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND IT IS NOT OPERATOR ERROR IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL AND COMPUTER SYSTEM - IT DIES IN TRAFF
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND HAD TO BE PUSHED INTO A PARKING LOT. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED A
• I OWN A 2011 VW JETTA WHICH IS EQUIPPED WITH THE NEW INTELLIGENT CRASH RESPONSE SYSTEM (ICRS) WHICH WAS PUT INTO PLACE TO MAINTAIN SAFETY DURING A FRONT END COLLISION BY TURNING CAR OFF, UNLOCKING DOORS, SHUTTING OFF FUEL SUPPLY, AND DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY FROM THE ALTERNATOR. I HAVE CONFIRMED WI

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 4 fire reports💥 7 crashes

“NEW CAR MANUAL TRANSMISSION, CAR STALLS OUT AT LOW SPEEDS ON SNOW COVERED ROADS. RPM'S 1400 - 2000 CAN STOP PROBLEM IF TRACTION CONTROL IS DISABLED. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUALS FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND IT IS NOT OPERATOR ERROR IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL AND COMPUTER SYSTEM - IT DIES IN TRAFF”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

174 complaints

20%

• MY 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI HAD IT'S FUEL PUMP FAIL LEAVING MY WIFE AND CHILD STRANDED. THE CAR WAS STARTED AND SUDDENLY LOST POWER ON THE ROADWAY. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. PUMP FAILURE WAS CATASTROPHIC SENDING METAL SHARDS THROUGH
• 1 RECENTLY PURCHASED A (2011) VW JETTA AT "CHAPMAN VOLKSWAGEN" IN TUCSON, ARIZONA.IT SEEMED TO RUN WELL THE FIRST DAY I DROVE IT,BUT ON THE SECOND DAY OF PURCHASE I MADE U-TURN TO PROCEED ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND IT MYSTERIOUSLY DECELERATED. I PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AS I WAS GOING ONTO THE ON-RAMP AND
• 2011 VW DIESEL JETTA SIX SPEED MANUAL. THE COMPUTER IS PROGRAMMED TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AT ABOUT 750 RPM THIS NUMBER APPEARS TO BE ARBITRARY OR POSSIBLY PICKED FOR SOME FUEL ECONOMY TRADEOFF. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS CAUSES SOME VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS IN TRAFFIC. NORMALLY A DIESEL CAN BE B

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“MY 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI HAD IT'S FUEL PUMP FAIL LEAVING MY WIFE AND CHILD STRANDED. THE CAR WAS STARTED AND SUDDENLY LOST POWER ON THE ROADWAY. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. PUMP FAILURE WAS CATASTROPHIC SENDING METAL SHARDS THROUGH”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

115 complaints

13%

• 18 DAYS AND 400 ODOMETER MILES AFTER PURCHASING MY 2011 JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI, THE 'GLOWLIGHT' WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE 'GLOWLIGHT' BEGAN TO BLINK, THEN THE 'CATALYTIC' WARNING LIGHT ALSO BEGAN BLINKING. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP THE SAME DAY. AFTER (REMOTE) DIAGN
• THIS IS AN ADDENDUM TO COMPLAINT ODI# 10362604 AND REFERENCES 6 ADDITIONAL "GLOWPLUG" WARNING LIGHT ODI COMPLAINTS FILED FOR THE 2009 MODEL YEAR. (THE 3 REFERENCES IN THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINT WERE ONLY FOR THE 2010 MODEL YEAR.). THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL TO 9 OTHER VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI INCIDENT
• MY NEW 2011 VW JETTA SPORTSWAGEN DECELERATED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE LOST MOST OF ITS POWER AND THE CAR COULD ONLY GO AT ABOUT 30 MPH. THE CAR REGAINED ALL ITS POWER AFTER THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. I CONSIDER THIS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE CAR.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 3 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“18 DAYS AND 400 ODOMETER MILES AFTER PURCHASING MY 2011 JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI, THE 'GLOWLIGHT' WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE 'GLOWLIGHT' BEGAN TO BLINK, THEN THE 'CATALYTIC' WARNING LIGHT ALSO BEGAN BLINKING. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP THE SAME DAY. AFTER (REMOTE) DIAGN”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

75 complaints

• FROM TIME TO TIME, WHEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE (ENTERING HIGHWAY VIA ON RAMP, CLIMBING MODERATE HILL OR GRADE, PASSING SLOWER VEHICLE) THERE IS INITIALLY NO ACCELERATION, THEN A SUDDEN SURGE OF POWER CAUSING AN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION.
• WHILE DRIVING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD RANDOMLY CREEP UP THE WINDSHIELD AND WHEN THE WIPERS GOT ALL THE WAY TO SERVICE MODE, ALL THE DOORS WOULD UNLOCK. THE RADIO WOULD FADE IN AND OUT AND THE WHEN ADJUSTING THE SOUND ON THE RADIO LOUD CRACKING, POPPING AND STATIC SHOULD WOULD COME FROM THE RADIO
• TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION IN THE VEHICLES OWNERS MANUAL ABOUT THE WEIGHT LIMIT FOR THE LATCH SYSTEM USED WHEN INSTALLING A CHILD SEAT. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY INFORMATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“FROM TIME TO TIME, WHEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE (ENTERING HIGHWAY VIA ON RAMP, CLIMBING MODERATE HILL OR GRADE, PASSING SLOWER VEHICLE) THERE IS INITIALLY NO ACCELERATION, THEN A SUDDEN SURGE OF POWER CAUSING AN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

54 complaints

• TWICE THE CAR GOES INTO REVERSE IN ALL SIX GEARS. IT HAPPENS WHEN I TRY TO COME OUT OF A FULL STOP. IT HAPPENS ON FLAT GROUND. THE FIRST TIME IT SEEMED TO FIX ITSELF AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF MY FIDDLING, BUT I CAN'T SEE WHAT I DID TO MAKE IT WORK. I HAD STOPPED QUITE A FEW TIMES BETWEEN ONE TIM
• WHILE ACCELERATING NORMALLY FROM A STOP SIGN IN SPORT MODE (SPORT MODE FOR RESPONSIVENESS, NOT A DRAG RACE), THE CAR JERKED WHILE SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. IT WAS A HALF SECOND HESITATION BUT NOTICEABLY LOST POWER AND RECOVERED BUT NOTICEABLE ENOUGH FOR ME TO REPORT IT. *TR
• FROM TIME TO TIME, WHEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE (ENTERING HIGHWAY VIA ON RAMP, CLIMBING MODERATE HILL OR GRADE, PASSING SLOWER VEHICLE) THERE IS INITIALLY NO ACCELERATION, THEN A SUDDEN SURGE OF POWER CAUSING AN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 5 crashes

“TWICE THE CAR GOES INTO REVERSE IN ALL SIX GEARS. IT HAPPENS WHEN I TRY TO COME OUT OF A FULL STOP. IT HAPPENS ON FLAT GROUND. THE FIRST TIME IT SEEMED TO FIX ITSELF AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF MY FIDDLING, BUT I CAN'T SEE WHAT I DID TO MAKE IT WORK. I HAD STOPPED QUITE A FEW TIMES BETWEEN ONE TIM”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 880 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: NEW CAR MANUAL TRANSMISSION, CAR STALLS OUT AT LOW SPEEDS ON SNOW COVERED ROADS. RPM'S 1400 - 2000 CAN STOP PROBLEM IF TRACTION CONTROL IS DISABLED. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUALS FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND IT IS NOT OPERATOR ERROR IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL AND COMPUTER SYSTEM - IT DIES IN TRAFF
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: MY 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI HAD IT'S FUEL PUMP FAIL LEAVING MY WIFE AND CHILD STRANDED. THE CAR WAS STARTED AND SUDDENLY LOST POWER ON THE ROADWAY. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. PUMP FAILURE WAS CATASTROPHIC SENDING METAL SHARDS THROUGH
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: 18 DAYS AND 400 ODOMETER MILES AFTER PURCHASING MY 2011 JETTA SPORTWAGEN TDI, THE 'GLOWLIGHT' WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE 'GLOWLIGHT' BEGAN TO BLINK, THEN THE 'CATALYTIC' WARNING LIGHT ALSO BEGAN BLINKING. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP THE SAME DAY. AFTER (REMOTE) DIAGN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: FROM TIME TO TIME, WHEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE (ENTERING HIGHWAY VIA ON RAMP, CLIMBING MODERATE HILL OR GRADE, PASSING SLOWER VEHICLE) THERE IS INITIALLY NO ACCELERATION, THEN A SUDDEN SURGE OF POWER CAUSING AN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)