2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI problems and recalls

Owner complaints on the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta GLI include 2 fatality reports, 3 crashes and 0 fires across 67 filings.

67
Complaints
0
Recalls
3
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
1
Injuries
96.4
Severity index

Severity index 96.4 High. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 96.4p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 8 of 92 by severity index among 2021 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 91% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2021 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

Service BrakesService Brakes: 25 complaints (37.3%)25 37%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 13 complaints (19.4%)13 19%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 11 complaints (16.4%)11 16%Fuel/Propulsion SystemFuel/Propulsion System: 9 complaints (13.4%)9 13%Forward Collision Avoid…Forward Collision Avoidance: 8 complaints (11.9%)8 12%EngineEngine: 5 complaints (7.5%)5 7%Lane DepartureLane Departure: 4 complaints (6.0%)4 6%Air BagsAir Bags: 4 complaints (6.0%)4 6%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
SERVICE BRAKES2537.3%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1319.4%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1116.4%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM913.4%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE811.9%
ENGINE57.5%
LANE DEPARTURE46.0%
AIR BAGS46.0%

Complaints filed per year

010212021: 52022: 122023: 132024: 212025: 102026: 6 (partial year)21222324212526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
20215
202212
202313
202421
202510
2026 (year to date)6
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 2.6x those in 2021 to 2022 (44 against 17).

Other Volkswagen Jetta GLI model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 2 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-05. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.