Volkswagen Jetta years to avoid
Every Volkswagen Jetta model year on file (2012-2025), ranked worst to best by severity index - the share of owner complaints that report a crash, fire, injury or fatality.
2016
Worst year on file
105.3
Severity index
Engine
Most-reported system
2013
Cleanest year on file
Ranked worst to best
| # | Model year | Severity | Complaints | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016 Volkswagen Jetta | 105.3 High | 161 | Engine |
| 2 | 2017 Volkswagen Jetta | 101.1 High | 160 | Engine |
| 3 | 2021 Volkswagen Jetta | 95.2 High | 69 | Service Brakes |
| 4 | 2025 Volkswagen Jetta | 71.5 Medium | 30 | Forward Collision Avoidance |
| 5 | 2019 Volkswagen Jetta | 65.8 Medium | 549 | Power Train |
| 6 | 2014 Volkswagen Jetta | 61.0 Medium | 387 | Engine |
| 7 | 2015 Volkswagen Jetta | 58.1 Medium | 194 | Electrical System |
| 8 | 2012 Volkswagen Jetta | 53.4 Medium | 527 | Electrical System |
| 9 | 2020 Volkswagen Jetta | 52.6 Medium | 54 | Electrical System |
| 10 | 2024 Volkswagen Jetta | 51.3 Medium | 46 | Service Brakes |
| 11 | 2018 Volkswagen Jetta | 49.6 Medium | 31 | Unknown Or Other |
| 12 | 2022 Volkswagen Jetta | 45.4 Low | 43 | Engine |
| 13 | 2023 Volkswagen Jetta | 45.4 Low | 43 | Engine |
| 14 | 2013 Volkswagen Jetta | 33.5 Low | 518 | Electrical System |
A high rank here means a larger share of this year's complaints described a crash, fire or injury - not that the vehicle is unsafe to drive, and not a reliability or repair-cost rating. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold.
Volkswagen Jetta complaints and recalls by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 527 | 8 | 24 | 7 | 53.4 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2013 | 518 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 33.5 Low | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2014 | 387 | 5 | 20 | 2 | 61.0 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2015 | 194 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 58.1 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2016 | 161 | 5 | 18 | 5 | 105.3 High | ENGINE |
| 2017 | 160 | 7 | 18 | 3 | 101.1 High | ENGINE |
| 2018 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 49.6 Medium | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2019 | 549 | 11 | 19 | 3 | 65.8 Medium | POWER TRAIN |
| 2020 | 54 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 52.6 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2021 | 69 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 95.2 High | SERVICE BRAKES |
| 2022 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 45.4 Low | ENGINE |
| 2023 | 43 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45.4 Low | ENGINE |
| 2024 | 46 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 51.3 Medium | SERVICE BRAKES |
| 2025 | 30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 71.5 Medium | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE |
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.