FaultScore

2005 Volkswagen Jetta acceleration problems

11 of the 354 complaints about the 2005 Volkswagen Jetta are about the throttle and cruise control — 3% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 38,000 miles.

B

11

Complaints

0

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Vehicle Speed Control 9 81.8%
Accelerator Pedal 2 18.2%

Acceleration & Cruise Control across every Volkswagen Jetta year

1999 27 10.3%
2000 19 7.3%
2001 14 5.4%
2002 17 6.5%
2005 11 4.2%
2006 18 6.9%
2009 29 11.1%
2010 31 11.9%
2011 26 10.0%
2012 14 5.4%
2013 16 6.1%
2014 11 4.2%
2016 12 4.6%
2019 16 6.1%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Stone-Mountain, GA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

MY CAR WHILE PARKED AND THE ENGINE GOING WILL STOP. ALSO WHEN I'M ON THE FREEWAY THE EPC LIGHT WILL TURN ON AND FEEL LIKE I HAVE A LOSS OF POWER AND IT FEELS LIKE IT IS ACCELERATING. MY MECHANIC HAS NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY CAR.

NHTSA complaint #11406795 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 250,000 miles Clifton, NJ

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 279,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT CONSUMER STATED INCIDENT HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN.

NHTSA complaint #11097963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 165,273 miles Longview, WA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND IT NEVER GOES OFF WHEN I FIRST START IT IT HAS A WARNING NOISE AND SAYS AIRBAG FAULT THEN THE LIGHT STAYS ON THE CAR ALSO WHEN DRIVING IT SOMETIMES GETS STUCK IN THE RPM WINDOW BETWEEN THE 2 AND THE 3 AND IT WONT WANT TO GET UNSTUCK YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR FOOT COMPLETELY OFF THEN PLACE BACK ON THE PEDAL AND THEN IT JERKS AWAY

NHTSA complaint #11057010 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 119,000 miles LA Vista, NE Fire

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

FUSE BOX ON THE TOP OF THE BATTERY CAUGHT FIRE AND MELTED THE FUSIBLE LINK FROM THE ALTERNATOR TO THE BATTERY CONNECT. GOING AT 40 MILES PER HOUR AND CAR SHUTS OFF, NO BRAKES NO POWER ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS OFF DASH LIT UP LIKE CHRISTMAS TREE. THANK GOD FOR THE DITCH AND THAT WE WEREN'T ON INTERSTATE OTHERWISE SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED SUCH AS MY PREGNANT WIFE.

NHTSA complaint #10760846 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 118,000 miles Prescott Valley, AZ

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

2005.5 JETTA--VEHICLE HAS ROUGH SHIFTING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS. AS WELL AS DOWNSHIFTING. WHILE DRIVING ON A MOUNTAINSIDE, GOING 65 MPH, THE CAR SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED TO 3RD GEAR AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I HAD TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN, WITH CARS FLYING BY ME. THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS UNTIL TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN. THIS IS NOW HAPPENING DURING REGULAR ACCELERATION AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN, AS I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE DUE TO LOSS OF POWER/SPEED.

NHTSA complaint #10533883 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Glen Rose, TX

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

AS I TRY TO ACCELERATE THE GEARS JUMP ERRADICALLY.

NHTSA complaint #10443877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 2,000 miles Long Meadow, MA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL*THE CONTACT LEASED A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE VEHICLE IS A DRIVE BY WIRE VEHICLE AND THERE IS NO MECHANICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ENGINE. THE DRIVE BY WIRE IS PART OF THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CONTACT IS A TWO FOOT DRIVER AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MODIFIED. WHILE ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE FAILS TO MOVE FORWARD. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO AN INTENTIONAL COMPUTER PROGRAM, WHICH PREVENTS SIMULTANEOUS BRAKING AND ACCELERATING IN ORDER TO PREVENT STRAIN TO THE DRIVE TRAIN. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO REPAIR AVAILABLE TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. ON OCCASION, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AGAINST TRAFFIC OR TRYING TO MERGE, THE VEHICLE FAILS TO MOVE FORWARD. WHEN THE VEHICLE DOES MOVE FORWARD, IT ACCELERATES AT HIGH SPEEDS, APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AND CAN BE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THERE HAVE BEEN 15 OR MORE NEAR CRASHES. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE COMPUTER INTERLOCK BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS WERE FEDERALLY MANDATED. THIS DELAY IS TO PREVENT A CRASH IF THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR FAILS IN THE OPEN POSITION. ON NOVEMBER 7, 2007, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE VOLKSWAGEN MANUFACTURER DROVE THE VEHICLE AND DUPLICATED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR WHEN DRIVING WITH TWO FEET OR ONE FOOT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 13,850. EQ-10209410-4200. 12/12/07. UPDATED 12/12/07

NHTSA complaint #10209410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 38,000 miles Winfield, WV

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, MY 2005.5 VW JETTA TDI HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY BEEN LOSING POWER UPON ACCELERATION. UNFORTUNATELY, I NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN; THUS IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU GO TO PULL INTO TRAFFIC AND HAVE NO ACCELERATION POWER. MY CAR, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER'S CARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, HAS BEEN IN THE "SHOP" SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO *FIX* AS OF YET. THOUGH VW AND THEIR NUMEROUS TECHNICIANS KEEP *GUESSING* AND REPLACING PARTS, THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST. FOR THOSE OF US DRIVING THESE AUTOMOBILES, WE ARE VERY LUCKY IF WE GO WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR BEING THE CENTER OF AN ACCIDENT WHEN YOU HAVE NO ACCELERATION POWER.

NHTSA complaint #10199920 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 12,600 miles Richland, GA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE WILL MOVE FOR A SPLIT SECOND THEN STOP. IF THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF FOR 15 MINUTES, IT WILL GO FOR 10 MILES. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOUR TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE A PROBLEM, BUT HAS REPLACED MULTIPLE COMPONENTS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS RESET THE CODES, REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY CONTROL VALVE MODULE, THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, THE WIRES CONNECTING THE ECM, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, 18 CONNECTORS, THE WIRES TO THE PEDAL, BOLTS, AND INSTALLED A HARNESS. THESE EFFORTS HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE PROBLEM AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA complaint #10151392 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 3,000 miles Richmond, VA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN ACCELERATING BETWEEN 25-30 MPH THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND LURCHED FORWARD. THIS PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT IN NATURE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES. HOWEVER , THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE.

NHTSA complaint #10145649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 928 miles Coral Springs, FL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. HE IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE WHEN HE NEEDS IT TO. WHEN HE TURNS THE CAR OFF AND LETS THE COMPUTER RESET THEN START THE VEHICLE IT WILL ACCELERATE. HE TOOK CAR TO A DEALER, AND SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WHILE HAVING THE CAR FOR EIGHT DAYS.*AK

NHTSA complaint #10122055 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2005 Volkswagen Jetta problems

← Full 2005 Volkswagen Jetta report