2019 Volkswagen Jetta
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 549 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 26 Jetta model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 19 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 36 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasolineFeb 14, 2024
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a problem with a suction jet pump seal inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system and possibly leak out of the charcoal canister.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are VW: 20UF/Audi: 20YF. Vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-647 will need to have the new remedy completed. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 16V-647.
Campaign 24V110000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, instrument cluster/panelSep 6, 2023
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Jetta vehicles. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 114, "Theft Protection."
Without an audible warning, the driver may be unaware that the key is left in the ignition, which can increase the risk of vehicle theft or a crash.
Dealers will update the instrument cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 3, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 90W7.
Campaign 23V619000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, ignition, switchAug 30, 2023
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf Sportwagen, 2019-2020 Golf GTI, and Jetta vehicles equipped with a conventional ignition switch. The ignition switch may fail, especially in high temperature environments.
Ignition switch failure can cause the electrical system to shut down and the engine to stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 1, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 28H7.
Campaign 23V604000 on NHTSA.gov
Tires, pressure monitoring and regulating systemsOct 31, 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audis customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
Campaign 22V815000 on NHTSA.gov
WheelsDo not drive until repairedDec 11, 2019
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Jetta GLI, Golf Alltrack, and Golf GTI vehicles. The front wheel bearings may have been improperly machined, potentially causing excessive stress on the wheel, wheel bolts, or wheel bearings.
The excessive stress can cause steering, traction or other stability issues or breakage relating to the front wheels, and increase the risk of a crash.
Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the wheel bearing assemblies, wheels, and wheel bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40P1. Note: The affected owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repairs have been made.
Campaign 19V879000 on NHTSA.gov
Other or unspecifiedSep 25, 2019
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and 2012-2013 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2008-2010 Beetle, and Beetle Convertible vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D7. Note: This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 18V-329.
Campaign 19V679000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rear, springs, coil springsMar 6, 2019
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.
If a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J5.
Campaign 19V188000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalFeb 20, 2019
Volkswagen Group of America (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Jetta vehicles. An incorrect driver frontal airbag may have been installed during a service/repair visit.
In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the wrong air bag may not work correctly, increasing the risk of injury.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag with the correct part, free of charge. The recall began April 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Y7.
Campaign 19V110000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rear, springs, coil springsDec 19, 2018
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.
If a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began January 31, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J2/42J3.
Campaign 18V904000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, instrument cluster/panelNov 26, 2018
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
If the driver is not notified by an audible noise that the key is left in the ignition, it can increase the risk of vehicle theft or crash.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 90L3 and 90L4.
Campaign 18V824000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, headlightsSep 26, 2018
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles equipped with LED headlights. The passenger side headlight may be incorrectly positioned, reducing the driver's visibility when it is dark. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
A reduction in the driver's visibility can increase the risk of a crash.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side headlight, free of charge. The recall began November 2, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L1.
Campaign 18V671000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
549 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Jun 21, 2022
My car battery would not start, nor would the car click over. The system kept saying “turn off infotainment center” or “drive car to charge batter” but this did not allow for the car to be turned on. Prior to this issue, I had to reset the car infotainment center due to it not recognizing a cd or a Bluetooth connected device. This is in addition to me having to get work done, since purchase, to repair dimming headlights, window functions and other “electrical” aspects
Steering, Engine, Jun 4, 2022, crash
On Jun 4, while driving on southwards on HW17 the steering became unresponsive. Eventually, the car, with four passengers, hit the curb. The vehicle is yet to be inspected by dealership, VW representative or repair shop person. I plan to take the car to repair shop, when they open on Monday, Jun 6. The car Engine Malfunction Light had turned on.
Engine, May 25, 2022
Car started making a weird noise after service. It sounded like a tractor trailer idling next to me. Brought the car up to the dealership and determined it was due to a faulty engine. Luckily I didn’t avoid the sound since there was metal shavings in my oil pan which could have caused a complete engine failure. Car only had 27K miles on at the time.
Service brakes, May 2, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that when depressing the brake pedal the vehicle would lunge forward. While driving approximately 40 mph and suddenly depressing the brake pedal the vehicle lurched forward and crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. During the crash, the driver sustained an injured left hand. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Apr 26, 2022
Issue: 2019 VW Jetta, the problem first occurred at 46,000 miles and has occurred approximately 8 times while in operation both when at a full stop and in motion at speeds from 10 to 50mph. When this happens all electronics shut off, dashboard goes blank, to include turn signals, side and front warning indicators, head lights and brake lights. This appears to happen in elevated outside temperatures. The vehicle will still drive, however without any electronics, lights etc. Vehicle starts up again with full electronics after stopping and restarting engine, usually takes two or three attempts. This has put my safety and drivers around me at risk of accident. I took the vehicle to the VW dealership, they did not observe the problem to my knowledge but said diagnostics indicated the original battery was malfunctioning and needed replacement, which I had done, not by VW. After battery replacement and recoding of electronics according to VW specifications, same issue occurred again two days later. Dashboard warning message, “Please check starter system” appears when this failure happens. Also states pull over immediately and address problem. Research online indicates this is a common problem in VW’s and appears to be an electrical switch problem. See attached VW Dealership docs.
Forward collision avoidance, Apr 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 85 MPH, the vehicle experienced phantom braking, causing the vehicle to skid. The contact was afraid the vehicle would flip while driving at high speeds whenever the failure occurred. The dealer and Gunther Volkswagen Delray Beach (2401 N Federal Hwy, Delray Beach, FL 33483) were made aware of the failure but informed the contact that she needed to pay out-of-pocket for the diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
Visibility, Mar 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that after the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a software update; after the software update was performed, the HVAC system failed to operate as designed. The contact stated that the heater would temporarily operate to a set temperature and then the system would then become inoperable. The contact was concerned about the extremely conditions and driving the vehicle without heat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to 2 dealers and repairs were not made on the vehicle. Also, the car failed the admissions test and will not operate correctly under cold weather conditions.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Mar 18, 2022
I stopped at a red light and when it turned green the car wouldn't move and the RPM's were hung. I was almost rear ended and stuck in an intersection due to this failure. After getting the car to go about 5 MPH without being able to switch gears I was able to pull over to a safer location. I had the car towed to my dealer but they deemed it was a wear and tear issue and blamed bad driving style and cost $3,130 to replace the clutch and flywheel. There were no signs of wear on the clutch and no vehicle indications from the control panel. In addition, the car was brought in for a tire rotation and complementary VW multi-point inspection with no issues cited just a week before this failure.
Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 13, 2022
Metal on metal sound at low speeds, whirring grinding noise. Then when it gets a little gas it lurches forward like a maniac and the sound goes away til speeds drop again. If the Jetta starts leaking fluids like others complain of then maybe VW will have to acknowledge that this cars transmission and turbo systems are truly messed up. Someone is going to get hurt.
Electrical system, Feb 7, 2022
Only exit vehicle in P position. Service vehicle. I'm still under manufacturer warranty but from what I can see this is an ongoing issue with Volkswagen.
Other or unspecified, Jan 6, 2022
I have a 2019 Jetta R line Series, last year in the winter time the casing for the driver side mirror melted. I went 2 times to Volkswagen, and to other body and paint shops and no one has seen anything like this before? Finally I had to file a claim for Vandalism. I had to pay $750 to the body shop and it was repaired. All Summer, Spring, and Fall, it was fine. Well It happened again on the same side and almost exactly 1 year later from the first one. Took it Volkswagen after speaking Customer Service as an elevated evaluation. I was there for 2 hours, the conclusion again is that "It's an OUTSIDE INFLUENCE" I have done a lot of research and found that other makes and models have had this happen as well. All the other car makers gave the stock answer "OUTSIDE INFLUENCE"! How does this happen twice to the same car. I am on Disability, and hardly drive. Right now I only have 8 thousand miles on the car. I go to the supermarket park in handicap and come home and park in handicap. There is something wrong with this car and I'm afraid that something may catch on fire. The only other thing I can think of is that it has something to do with the main heater and defroster for the whole car. It got very cold here and I had to use both the heated and defroster. Now it has almost completely melted. -- [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Air bags, Dec 8, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front passenger’s side air bag system had erroneously deactivated while a passenger was seated in the seat. Occasionally, the system activated while no passenger was seated in the seat. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated, and no issue was found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 900.
Lane departure, Nov 30, 2021
While using the lane keeping assistance function, driving at night, if a vehicle in the oncoming lane has bright lights or a larger vehicle with lights mounted higher, the system will pull sharply into the oncoming traffic and will, if not corrected, cross over the center line. This happens when the system shows two green lines indicating it is active and has identified the lane lines. The behavior is very consistent. I have not noticed a relationship between the behavior and speed.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Vehicle speed control, Nov 29, 2021
dash goes dark a check engine start system comes up. I have no lights inside or outside no turn signals or brake lights no heat, the engine still runs and drives but with the windows not working I cannot use hand signals. I took it to a dealer in Bend Or they did not fix the problem. It happened again in Boise Id. that was fun.I called the dealer in Bend and have an Appointment the end of December does not help if it goes out again. This has happened several times since June? it is happening more and more
Engine, Oct 18, 2021
Low level oil It has problem with oil Vw cannot fixes
Forward collision avoidance, Oct 13, 2021
warning display for autonomous braking / vehicle too close has intermittently and randomly come on a few times I've noticed it when stopped or starting and it is too quick to see what the massage is. Last week my wife was driving on a straight country road with no one around when the breaks unexpectedly applied for about 3 seconds (probably less). The emergency braking display on dash was lit only during the brake application. There were no other vehicles in the area. No injuries; no further problems getting the car home. Dealer was called but did not understand or had not previously experienced this problem. We have since been driving with the system disabled.
Structure, Oct 13, 2021
We were driving on highway 90 from Del Rio to San Antonio Texas when our sunroof exploded without any signs. No signs of impact or anything just exploded. Dealership declined any warranty coverage as they stated that something could have hit the sunroof weeks prior to the incident. There are no signs of impact on the sunroof and you can see the broken bits bending outward on the glass and not inward.
Exterior lighting, Oct 8, 2021
The contact's wife owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact's wife started noticing that the passenger’s side headlight had started to dim while driving. His wife took the vehicle to a dealer where she was informed that the passenger’s side headlamp needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V671000 (Exterior Lighting) which he linked to the failure; however, the dealer had informed him that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electrical system, Engine, Sep 28, 2021
The hill start assist is dangerous. Unlike most hill start assists, the one in this car doesn’t let go when you release the clutch, it waits about 2-3 seconds every time. I’ve had several incidents with this but just recently I was starting on a not very steep hill and forgot about the fact I have to compensate for this system, and tried to start normally and stalled. Thankfully the person behind me was my friend and was paying attention, but people don’t usually expect a car to sit there not moving once the brake lights go off, and then shudder to a stop because it has just stalled, and is possible for rear end collisions, as well as other more dangerous ones to happen depending on the situation. The system is working as designed; I’ve heard many complaints from other people that theirs does the same thing. It is dangerous as it doesn’t let you move for 2-3 seconds even if you really need to in an emergency situation.
Service brakes, Sep 25, 2021
Recurrent, ringing/squealing and grinding of brakes. Rotors and Brake pads are defective warp faster than normal even after being repaired. My 2019 VW jetta needed New brake rotors and the brake pads re-surfaced with only 24,107 miles on the odometer, 3 months later the brakes are ringing/squealing/and grinding again at 27,601 miles. It has only been 3,000 miles. The speed at which the brakes wear out on the VW jetta is excessive and most likely is a vehicle defect. I am now being told that the car needs new brake pads. The dealer has told me I drive the car too hard and brake too hard. I have never had this problem with any other brand of car I have owned in the past. The jetta has low mileage for all these break issues that are never fully fixed. I am awaiting a recall on this by volkswagen or some type of resolution as this seems to be a defect in quality craftmanship.
Power train, Aug 20, 2021
2019 VW Jetta SE 1.4 tsi *82000 miles *regular car maintenance There is a weird grinding/ whirring noise when accelerating around 1500-2500 rpm id say 2ed or 3ed gear so around 25-35mph. I havent got any warning lights and from what i can read online from numerous others with the same year make and model i have this is a known problem. Ive tried getting it into the dealership but they keep telling me they dont have any loaner cars for me to use because 2021 customer's are priority reason for the loaner is because it takes 3 days for them to be able to proform a full diagnosic on the car but i have took the car to the VW dealer in union city ga 2 times the first time they said the noise was the turbo wastegate and after 8 long hours in the waiting room i get the car back and the dar after the noise is back (on the paper from them the part number isnt a wastegate repair its a boost sensor and my research shows the turbo that VW puts on the car dont make just the wastegate to repair the whole turbo has to be replaced) the second time i took it up there for the same problem they lied about having a loaner car and made me waste a hour drive and gas and i had to ask for the day off to do this. The safty issue concerned with is that when this noise happens its like the car has low power the the specified rpm/mph and when it passes that threshold it takes off and jerks my head back to the headrest reguardless how much the gas pedal is being pushed with the sudden power it could cause me to rear end someone. Another thing im concerned about is that this problem could be due to another car component failing witch could become something serious to be a newer car i dont believe this should be happening ive tried to get it seen about and have had nothing but problems and feel like its getting worse is there anything that could be done to get this looked at and again there are numerous reports online about the same exact problem im having with the 2019 VW jetta se 1.4tsi
Engine, Aug 13, 2021
1999 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OVER 25-35 MPH THEY HEAR A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER ADVISED THE TURBO WASTE GATE HAS PLAY IN IT WHICH IS COMMON IN THIS MODEL VEHICLE.
Other or unspecified, Aug 7, 2021
While driving our 2019 Volkswagen Jetta R-Line on East on I-40 we heard a loud explosion (like a gunshot) and glass rained down on the interior of our car from the sunroof. We pulled off the interstate at Exit 242, to call the Arkansas State Troopers. They arrived, checked the interior of the car for any object that could possibly have caused the damage and found nothing. They filed an incident report on our behalf D-08121-422 or D-08/21-422. Report will be ready in eight days.
Other or unspecified, Jul 18, 2021
Once I parked my 2019 VW Jetta, the dashboard had "YELLOW" triangle image. The error message displayed states: ONLY EXIT VEHICLE IN "P" POSITION. PLEASE SERVICE VEHICLE. I purchased this vehicle from Avis Rentals and Sales in 9/2020. I haven't had an issues with the vehicle and it didn't come with a service warranty. I entered my VIN and it states no recalls; however, I've checked and at some point there was a recall but it looks like my VIN was not entered.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jun 30, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the turbo was making an abnormal loud mechanical grinding sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken three times to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was working as designed. Additionally, the contact was informed that the wastegate turbo had a lot of play and the wind was causing the abnormal sound. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 600.