364 of the
13,865 complaints filed about the Volkswagen Jetta
are about the throttle and cruise control —
3% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2010.
364
Complaints
3%
Share of all complaints
34
Crashes
3
Fires
Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year
I own a Silver 2024 Volkswagen Jetta. My car stopped accelerating while I was driving on the freeway on 7/18/2026 which was a huge safety issue resulting in my car needing to be towed to the dealership because it was not drivable. The warning lights came on after the car stopped accelerating on the freeway. My car needs a ECM replacement which is covered by the Federal Emissions Warranty and I received a call from my Volkswagen representative on the case at Family Volkswagen of Burleson. The representative with Volkswagen told me on 7/25/2026 that the ECM needs to be replaced as they did not think it was safe for them to release the vehicle until this repair has been made and they were waiting for Volkswagen to authorize the repair. The representative later stated that Volkswagen will not authorize the replacement of the ECM and this is a safety concern. The dealership has not completed a repair for this issue and this vehicle does not need to be on the road for the safety of me and others. The dealership have told me I can pick up the vehicle and just bring it back if the safety issues occurs again, I refuse to pick up this car due to the safety issues and concerns. I have contacted the corporate office of Volkswagen and they have not responded to me on why they declined the authorization for this repair.
NHTSA complaint #11754339 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
"My 2025 Volkswagen Jetta is subject to Safety Recall 26V185 (90Z5). The vehicle's instrument cluster fails to display speed, RPM, and safety warnings upon startup, creating a severe safety hazard. I visited Heritage Volkswagen Catonsville on 04/07/26, and they officially documented that the 'REPAIR NOT YET AVAILABLE.' Volkswagen Customer Care has refused to open a repurchase case or provide a safe solution. I am unable to use the vehicle safely and I am requesting an immediate intervention to address this safety issue."
NHTSA complaint #11729887 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle lost automotive power intermittently, and the vehicle shuddered abnormally. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer stated that the cause of the failure was unknown. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.
NHTSA complaint #11719231 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
[XXX] driving on [XXX] , my car accelerated to almost redline without me pushing the pedal, I tried the brake only to find it didn't control the car., it died in the slow lane, no power anything. Eng lite was on, towed to my mechanic, he couldn't find why but the code said EGR, so he cleaned and replaced glow plugs, & regen'd the DPF to 0.. so I picked up the car, and a few days later, it did it again through a 4way stop. I called vw & was told to go to the dealer. Oakland VW inspected & said need new DPF $6K. Since the filter doesn't affect throttle, I declined, plus in 2022 on an extended warranty I went to dealer to have the filter replaced, instead they regen'd it & left the bad part in my car. Now the corporate Care Manager wants the DPF replaced for $6K b4 proceeding with any further testing to identify the source of the acceleration problem. The shop mgr, Joseph, was test driving & the car did take off and was not stoppable with the brakes. That was confirmed, yet VW of America is still in a holding pattern and cannot explain why this is happening. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM. The car takes off out of control unexpectedly, and the brakes won't stop the force forward. PLEASE help me, I cannot stress enough the danger this car puts me and others in, and it is my only vehicle. The dealer is trying but corporate is being difficult and are not interested in compromise. The DPF, emissions issues they have had, have nothing to do with the acceleration and they just refuse to move forward or discuss anything else. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11677411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated to 70 MPH. The contact immediately depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact pulled over onto the side of the road and the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that there was no fault found with the vehicle. The contact continued driving however, while driving uphill at 25 MPH and approaching a stop sign at an intersection, the vehicle independently accelerated to 50 MPH, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact shifted to neutral(N) and allowed the vehicle to slow down before driving to a local dealer for the vehicle to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that additional diagnostic tests were needed to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.
NHTSA complaint #11674105 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When you turn on the vehicle, the abs and traction light illuminates. The light that says "BRAKE" also illuminates and the vehicle beeps 3 times. When driving the vehicle, the red light "BRAKE" flashes constantly, while the ABS and traction control light remains illuminated but no flashes. The dealership says it's a fault ABS module and Hydraulic Pump Assembly. I researched and found a Volkswagen safety recall code: 45F2 (published March 17, 2017) that seems very applicable to my vehicle. Safety concerns include but are not limited to the following: loss of vehicle control, failure to brake properly, auto engagement of brakes not by the driver, etc. All safety concerns may cause my life or the life of another individual.
NHTSA complaint #11662407 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The car has turned off at idle and at low speeds, almost causing accidents and to be rear ended in busy streets and during stop and go traffic on the highway. After numerous mechanic diagnostics at both Volkswagen Dealership service departments and third party mechanic shops, no one seems to be able to give me an answer or condition to what is causing the problem. With no error codes being brought up nor any other underlying issues that could be causing this issue, with a car having minor wear. This is a problem that has been reported by many other Volkswagen Jetta owners on online forums and no one seems to have a specific answer as to what is causing this accident prone issue!
NHTSA complaint #11660505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Because of recall, car was not engaged in park completely like it stated after I got out it rolled away down the hill and hit a tree, therefore the recall caused my accident. Yes the problem has been confirmed it is a recall. No it has not been inspected by dealer or police. Volkswagen will not engage in any further investigations they say it's my fault. There were no warning lamps.
NHTSA complaint #11656916 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated without a warning light being illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 5,000.
NHTSA complaint #11646795 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The follow failed module faults have REPEATEDLY FAILED: U010400 lost communication with cruise control module, U112100 databus missing message & U112300 databus error value received, C110BF0 Adaptive Cruise Control Sensor, C111207 Haldex Clutch Pump Mechanical Malfunction, P030400 Cyl 4 Misfire, ***P085000 Park/Neutral Switch Input Circuit Open or Short***, U105400 Information Electronics Control Module 1 No Communication. I’ve had it repaired once by VW. Been at dealership multiple times for all of these issues. Currently, they are not helpful. My car does not recognize PARK, it thinks it’s in NEUTRAL.
NHTSA complaint #11629906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHAT HAPPENS IS MY CAR SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AFTER ME GETTING GAS SOMETIMES AND ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR. WHEN SHUTTING DOWN A QUICK FLASH OF BATTERY LIGHT SHOWS UP, NOW ENGINE LIGHT IS ON LONGER AND THE CAR POWER JUST SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN AS IF THE BATTERY IS DEAD NOTHING WORK BUT WITH A JUMP I WAS ABLE TO MOVE CAR AND WHEN I CUT IT OFF IT SHUT DOWN AGAIN THIS BEEN GOIN ON FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH ADVANCE AUTO TEST IT AND SAID IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY FUEL PUMP DON'T REMEMBER THE CODE BUT ENGINE KEEP COMING ON VERY OFTEN.
NHTSA complaint #11579775 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When driving above 45 mph, at time the EPC light will pop up on the dash and power will be slightly lost to the vehicle. Almost immediately after this happens, the oil light will pop on despite the oil being changed and done on a beyond routine basis. we have brought the vehicle into be serviced at the Volkswagen dealership numerous times and the same thing continues to happen. Recently, when driving on the interstate the EPC light came on and the vehicle stalled in the middle of the interstate. Luckily, no accident was caused but it was a near miss. This has been an issue since purchasing the vehicle and the oil is required to be changed much sooner than necessary. Volkswagen keeps "fixing" it but it continues to happen but we have paid over $3500 in getting it "fixed." The problem seems to occur at random times but most notably when going over 45mph.
NHTSA complaint #11568336 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This vehicle has a "digital cockpit" without traditional analog gauges. It completely shut down on me while driving on the freeway, leaving me without a speedometer, and a red caution "do not drive" warning indicator. I have a video of this incident captured by my partner that I can share, as well as a static image, which I attach therein. Prior to this incident, it repeatedly shut down while driving, but in those cases would come back up in 5 to 10 seconds. This may have been a computer "crash" as it came back up with 0 on the trip odometers. The dealer seemingly fixed this problem with a reset process described in a TSB. In the most recent incident, the display never came back online, and I was unable to safely continue driving. There are also random issues with this display locking into "night" mode during the day, usually after backing out of a dark garage or going through a tunnel, which leaves the display impossible to read in bright sun. The only fix when this happens is to pull over, turn the car off, wait 5 minutes, and resume driving.
NHTSA complaint #11566906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Horn only occasionally works when honking and/or locking car, which increases the risk of a crash since I can’t always use my horn to alert other drivers of presence. One front headlight only occasionally works (lightbulb is not the issue), which increases the risk of a crash since other drivers may not be able to see me as well & I am not able to see the road as well in the dark. Cruise control does not work at all, which increases risk of speeding and therefore increases risk of crash. Dealer has inspected horn/headlight issue but could not determine cause. No warning signs. Issues first appeared a couple years ago.
NHTSA complaint #11547246 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When the vehicle gets hot, above 85 degrees Fahrenheit the electric system including, speedometer and other internal lighting as well brake lights and turn signals completely stop functioning. Windows and locking system is also affected. The engine remains on. But if the car is turned off, it will not turn back on.
NHTSA complaint #11538943 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When the 8-speed automatic transmission attempts to shift from 3rd to 4th gear it will slip into neutral causing the engine to redline at maximum RPM. The accelerator pedal does not function and poses a serious safety issue. The vehicle will unexpectedly stall when the auto start stop is used and intermittently requires you to shift into park and restart the engine. The transmission also has difficulty shifting into reverse and puts the vehicle in neutral until it slams into gear.
NHTSA complaint #11537311 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle problems experienced on 7/22/23. Traveling on Route 93 north to exit 17 just north of Concord, NH at 8:00pm. Used cruse control for most of trip, set to 60mph and 65 mph. The distance feature was working, what a PITA it is. Some where around Concord, NH a warning message in orange was displayed, “Engine speed max 4000” in center of display, an orange triangle with an “!” marked appeared just below the temperature gauge on left side of display, a yellow car with “!” on side appeared just below the estimated mileage remaining – it switched between that car and “EPC” cruse control was no longer available Stopped, checked the engine for over heating however it did not seem tooo hot, fans were not running (engine was off) Started again, lights were OFF. Rest of trip was on local roads so never tried cruse control. Left to return home around 2:00pm all warning lights OFF. Some where around Manchester, NH same thing happened plus orange picture of engine on right was illuminated, Cruse control would not maintain speed and then said unavailable. On hills vehicle would not move along with traffic even when foot was put to the floor. Drove directly to Colonial VW, did not shut vehicle OFF however nobody was available to read the computer codes. Scheduled appointment for Friday Driving home it was almost impossible to merge onto Route 93 even with accelerator pushed to floor. What ever the problem with your programming is the major fact that the vehicle is not able to keep up or merge with traffic even on local streets it a Major Hazard. VW may be concerned with saving their engine – I’m Concerned for my LIFE
NHTSA complaint #11533858 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.