2021 Volkswagen Jetta: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 4 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
66
Complaints
4
Recalls
3
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
1
Injuries
151.5
Severity index
Severity index 151.5 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 90 2021 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta ranks 7 of 90 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 92% of its model-year peers. See the full 2021 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES | 25 | 37.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 12 | 18.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 10 | 15.2% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 9 | 13.6% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 8 | 12.1% |
| ENGINE | 5 | 7.6% |
| LANE DEPARTURE | 4 | 6.1% |
| AIR BAGS | 4 | 6.1% |
The single most-reported system is SERVICE BRAKES, cited in 25 of 66 complaints (37.9%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 | 21 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 5 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 2.6x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V038000 | 01/02/2021 | SEATS | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Long Wheelbase and Jetta vehicles. Bolts may be missing from the front seat tracks. |
| 21V492000 | 30/06/2021 | AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Jetta and Jetta GLI vehicles. The air bag control module was welded in the incorrect position. |
| 20V716000 | 18/11/2020 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan LWB, Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas FL and Arteon vehicles. The rear view camera could malfunction during an ignition cycle, leading to a black screen or infotainment system |
| 22V514000 | 20/07/2022 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainm |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.