2016 Volkswagen JETTA

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2016 Volkswagen JETTA has 249 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 3.1x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (18% of all complaints), specifically: this is the base model s automatic transmission 1.4 tsi. this vehicle doesn't have a gauge for measuring the temperature. unable to make a decision promptly if the car starts to heat is a safety problem. the car apparently has a mechanism to lower the rpms if the car starts heating and has a light i. ⚠️ 6 fire reports filed.

6 fire reports 24 crash reports 18 injuries

249

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

3.1x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

44 complaints

18%

• THIS IS THE BASE MODEL S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 1.4 TSI. THIS VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE A GAUGE FOR MEASURING THE TEMPERATURE. UNABLE TO MAKE A DECISION PROMPTLY IF THE CAR STARTS TO HEAT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE CAR APPARENTLY HAS A MECHANISM TO LOWER THE RPMS IF THE CAR STARTS HEATING AND HAS A LIGHT I
• I JUST PURCHASED A 2016 VW JETTA S 1.4 GASOLINE TURBO ENGINE ON 3/5/16. IT HAS UNDER 400 MILES ON IT WITH LIGHT DRIVING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN A WEEK OF PURCHASE AND WAS TAKEN TO VW DEALER SERVICE IMMEDIATELY. I WAS TOLD ISSUE WAS "DEFECTIVE BRAKE VACUUM AND RELAY". THERE IS CURRENTL
• 2016 JETTA SE1.4 NEW FOR 18 YEAR OLD SON FOR COLLEGE. WITHIN A WEEK CAR WAS IN THE SHOP WITH ELECTRICAL ISSUES FOR LIGHTER AND USB SHORTING OUT PHONE + RADAR WHILE THE CAR WAS DRIVING. NO ISSUE FOUND WE DROVE 1000+MILES TO SCHOOL, CENTER CONSOLE WOULD BLINK ON AND OFF DURING THE TRIP. NEW DEALER ALS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“THIS IS THE BASE MODEL S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 1.4 TSI. THIS VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE A GAUGE FOR MEASURING THE TEMPERATURE. UNABLE TO MAKE A DECISION PROMPTLY IF THE CAR STARTS TO HEAT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE CAR APPARENTLY HAS A MECHANISM TO LOWER THE RPMS IF THE CAR STARTS HEATING AND HAS A LIGHT I”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

36 complaints

14%

• THIS IS THE BASE MODEL S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 1.4 TSI. THIS VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE A GAUGE FOR MEASURING THE TEMPERATURE. UNABLE TO MAKE A DECISION PROMPTLY IF THE CAR STARTS TO HEAT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE CAR APPARENTLY HAS A MECHANISM TO LOWER THE RPMS IF THE CAR STARTS HEATING AND HAS A LIGHT I
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE VEHICLE WAS SLOT TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS APPLIED. THE BRAKES WERE ALSO SLOW TO RESPOND WHEN APPLIED, WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT TO APPLY FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AFTER CHECKING THE BR
• 2016 JETTA SE1.4 NEW FOR 18 YEAR OLD SON FOR COLLEGE. WITHIN A WEEK CAR WAS IN THE SHOP WITH ELECTRICAL ISSUES FOR LIGHTER AND USB SHORTING OUT PHONE + RADAR WHILE THE CAR WAS DRIVING. NO ISSUE FOUND WE DROVE 1000+MILES TO SCHOOL, CENTER CONSOLE WOULD BLINK ON AND OFF DURING THE TRIP. NEW DEALER ALS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 1 crashes

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

35 complaints

14%

• JETTA ENGINE QUIT RUNNING WITH NO NOTICE IN BUSY HIGHWAY. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. CAR WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THREE WEEKS. THEY CITED LACK OF FUEL SYSTEM MANAGEMENT COMPUTER MODULE. IT WOULD TAKE 5-7 BUSINESS DAYS TO GET. FUEL COMPUTER MODULE AND FUEL PUMP WERE REPLACED. HAVE NO CONFIDENCE
• AT ANY TIME, DAY OR NIGHT, ANY TIME OF THE YEAR, WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP OR ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, THIS CAR WILL FAIL TO ACCELERATE WHEN PRESSING DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE DELAY CAN BE AS LONG AS 5 SECONDS AND SINCE I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN, I FEEL THE VEHICLE IS VERY UN
• VEHICLE PAUSES FOR UP TO 5 SECONDS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE ACROSS AN INTERSECTION OR WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS FAILURE HAPPENS SPORADICALLY WHETHER ON A PUBLIC STREET OR HIGHWAY. I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL OCCUR BUT HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES SEVERA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“JETTA ENGINE QUIT RUNNING WITH NO NOTICE IN BUSY HIGHWAY. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. CAR WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THREE WEEKS. THEY CITED LACK OF FUEL SYSTEM MANAGEMENT COMPUTER MODULE. IT WOULD TAKE 5-7 BUSINESS DAYS TO GET. FUEL COMPUTER MODULE AND FUEL PUMP WERE REPLACED. HAVE NO CONFIDENCE ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

35 complaints

14%

• I AM A VW FAN AND I AM HAVING SERIOUS ISSUES WITH REGARDS TO MY VW JETTA 2016 1.4. EVER SINCE MY 1ST SERVICE I ADVISED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT MY BREAKS ARE MAKING A NOISE AND EVERY TIME THEY SAY IT WAS FINE. THERE IS A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT SIDE WHEN IT IS SWITCHED ON AND
• CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. START/STOP HYBRID MOTOR STARTING EVERY THREE SECONDS WHEN VEHICLE STOPPED. APPLICATION OF BRAKES MEETS WITH OCCASIONAL SURGE IN SPEED.
• THIS CAR CONTINUES TO SPORADICALLY GO IN REVERSE WHILE I AM IN DRIVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE WAITING IN LIKE AT A DRIVE THROUGH, FOOT ON BREAK WHILE IN DRIVE WHILE WAITING FOR FOOD, THEN TOLD TO PULL UP ONLY TO NEARLY BACK INTO THE CAR IN LINE BEHIND ME. HAD TO PUT CAR IN PARK AND SHUT OFF ENGINE-

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

“I AM A VW FAN AND I AM HAVING SERIOUS ISSUES WITH REGARDS TO MY VW JETTA 2016 1.4. EVER SINCE MY 1ST SERVICE I ADVISED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT MY BREAKS ARE MAKING A NOISE AND EVERY TIME THEY SAY IT WAS FINE. THERE IS A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT SIDE WHEN IT IS SWITCHED ON AND”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

23 complaints

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND EMITTED AN ABNORMAL GRINDING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN IND
• I JUST PURCHASED A 2016 VW JETTA S 1.4 GASOLINE TURBO ENGINE ON 3/5/16. IT HAS UNDER 400 MILES ON IT WITH LIGHT DRIVING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN A WEEK OF PURCHASE AND WAS TAKEN TO VW DEALER SERVICE IMMEDIATELY. I WAS TOLD ISSUE WAS "DEFECTIVE BRAKE VACUUM AND RELAY". THERE IS CURRENTL
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE VEHICLE WAS SLOT TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS APPLIED. THE BRAKES WERE ALSO SLOW TO RESPOND WHEN APPLIED, WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT TO APPLY FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AFTER CHECKING THE BR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 9 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND EMITTED AN ABNORMAL GRINDING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN IND”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

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

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 249 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: THIS IS THE BASE MODEL S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 1.4 TSI. THIS VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE A GAUGE FOR MEASURING THE TEMPERATURE. UNABLE TO MAKE A DECISION PROMPTLY IF THE CAR STARTS TO HEAT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE CAR APPARENTLY HAS A MECHANISM TO LOWER THE RPMS IF THE CAR STARTS HEATING AND HAS A LIGHT I
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: THIS IS THE BASE MODEL S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 1.4 TSI. THIS VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE A GAUGE FOR MEASURING THE TEMPERATURE. UNABLE TO MAKE A DECISION PROMPTLY IF THE CAR STARTS TO HEAT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE CAR APPARENTLY HAS A MECHANISM TO LOWER THE RPMS IF THE CAR STARTS HEATING AND HAS A LIGHT I
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: JETTA ENGINE QUIT RUNNING WITH NO NOTICE IN BUSY HIGHWAY. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. CAR WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THREE WEEKS. THEY CITED LACK OF FUEL SYSTEM MANAGEMENT COMPUTER MODULE. IT WOULD TAKE 5-7 BUSINESS DAYS TO GET. FUEL COMPUTER MODULE AND FUEL PUMP WERE REPLACED. HAVE NO CONFIDENCE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: I AM A VW FAN AND I AM HAVING SERIOUS ISSUES WITH REGARDS TO MY VW JETTA 2016 1.4. EVER SINCE MY 1ST SERVICE I ADVISED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT MY BREAKS ARE MAKING A NOISE AND EVERY TIME THEY SAY IT WAS FINE. THERE IS A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT SIDE WHEN IT IS SWITCHED ON AND
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)