522 of the
13,865 complaints filed about the Volkswagen Jetta
are about the lighting —
4% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2001.
Since October 2025 I have had Tail Lamp Assembly VW Part #17A-945-093-D (the trunk rear light) on order with no expected delivery date. Once the lens is cracked or broken you can not properly maintain the car and are at risk of receiving a ticket due to the broken light. The last time I checked their was 130 on back order. That is affecting 130 vehicles which have a broken tail lamp assemble. This is a safety issue and the owner of the vehicle is at high risk of being ticketed.
NHTSA complaint #11729543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sometimes I feel as if my car is possessed I own a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta and sometimes the passenger headlight works sometimes it doesn't I've replaced the bulbs doesn't matter. My sunroof All of a sudden stopped working. My turn signals on the right side don't work when the headlight is not on. I have no sound from my stereo cuz my speakers automatically went out. It has a lot of electrical issues not sure why.
NHTSA complaint #11724289 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I'm not exactly sure on what happened but when using the lane stay assist it doesn't read the lines correctly causing the car to abruptly jerk in a unexpected direction! doing this during certain scenarios would cause an accident for sure. also the headlight auto switching for high beams malfunctions often causing the lights to flicker
NHTSA complaint #11711130 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving my car on a 100 degree day and and after about a block, a warning popped up on the little screen behind the steering wheel that said "Ignition switch off, safely stop the vehicle". I feel like the engine may have shut off, but I'm not sure as I just rolled to the side of the road and turned off my car as fast as a could. I waited a few minutes and turned it on, drove about a block, and it said, "Starter system faulty, please service vehicle". I once again turned it off, waited a few minutes. I googled on my phone instances of this and people saying they were still able to drive that car, so I turned it back on and started to drive it the two blocks back to my house, the "Starter system faulty" message popped up again and suddenly all of the electrical in the car shut off (the engine was still running). My radio, speedometer, everything was just off. I made it home, got on my computer and found an article about a recall that match my car's make, model, year, and key rather than button ignition. It described my exact experience. I looked up my car to see if it had a recall and it didn't. I called the dealership and they were no help, so I called the Volkswagen of America customer care line. They told me my VIN didn't qualify "probably" because it wasn't within the "manufacturing dates". I'm having a hard time understanding that since everything else lines up. Additionally, I just purchased this vehicle used from a VW dealership less than two months ago. The dealer plates are still on the car. According to them, the car was in great condition...
NHTSA complaint #11680499 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
As reported by many other drivers on this website and all over the internet that 2019 having ignition switch problem in 2019 Volkswagen jettas. I started having the same problem aswell. This has happened several time already and now I am scared to drive this car on the highways. It is clearly mentioned that 2019 and 2020 ignition systems are faulty than why vw is not helping people who have those year cars. This is the big safety concern and I believe it should not be overlooked. I tried searching with my plates and vin but it’s says 0 recalls. Every thing shuts off inside (ac, infotainment screen, all the dash lights, wiper blades, speedometer, rpm meter, everything) I hope NHTSA will take this problem seriously as not hundreds but thousands of vehicles are affected with this problem so far. Thank you
NHTSA complaint #11658850 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Without any warning whatsoever the entire electrical system goes completely off while driving the vehicle after 5 mins of it being on. This means that the lights including blinker and brake lights go off, air conditioning stops, and the entire dashboard goes off. The engine is still able to run. I am able to use the gas and breaks but I do not know what my speed is or any other information that is typically available via the dashboard. I have tried to do a reset when the problem occurs but that does not help the situation. The safety of myself and others is definitely at risk when this happens since the break lights and turning signal will no longer function at all. I can only use the hazard lights to indicate the hazard this presents. I’ve brought this issue up to multiple Volkswagen dealerships having paid the $200 diagnostics fee every time and they inform me that they are not recognizing the issue. I ask if this has anything to do with a recall that had happened to this car and been “fixed” in 2021 and they do not answer the question. I ask if it is possible that the recall was not fixed correctly and that is why I am having issues and they do not answer the question. I have also emailed customer support at Volkswagen worldwide and they state that my car never had any recalls done which is so incredibly false. I have the paperwork to confirm that it had a total of 6 different recalls done in 2021. I believe one of the recalls was never fixed properly and has only deteriorated worse since 2021. Volkswagen dealership of San Bernardino does not give any codes or anything that is more specific than possible alert to car battery/terminals/cables/clamps issues. Their recommendation was to change the car battery but that was already replaced in Aug 2024. They also recommended to change my oil filter but I had an oil change less than 5 days before at a different location. The pep boys diagnostic Revealed code P253200 which indicates a problem with the ignition switch
NHTSA complaint #11644314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Without any warning whatsoever the entire electrical system goes completely off while driving the vehicle after 5 mins of it being on. This means that the lights including blinker and brake lights go off, air conditioning stops, and the entire dashboard goes off. The engine is still able to run. I am able to use the gas and breaks but I do not know what my speed is or any other information that is typically available via the dashboard. I have tried to do a reset when the problem occurs but that does not help the situation. The safety of myself and others is definitely at risk when this happens since the break lights and turning signal will no longer function at all. I can only use the hazard lights to indicate the hazard this presents. I’ve brought this issue up to multiple Volkswagen dealerships having paid the $200 diagnostics fee every time and they inform me that they are not recognizing the issue. I ask if this has anything to do with a recall that had happened to this car and been “fixed” in 2021 and they do not answer the question. I ask if it is possible that the recall was not fixed correctly and that is why I am having issues and they do not answer the question. I have also emailed customer support at Volkswagen worldwide and they state that my car never had any recalls done which is so incredibly false. I have the paperwork to confirm that it had a total of 6 different recalls done in 2021. I believe one of the recalls was never fixed properly and has only deteriorated worse since 2021.
NHTSA complaint #11644221 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What system component failed or malfunctioned? Is it available for inspection upon request? The car boards are left inoperative. If the entire car loses power Don't grab the car How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I'm driving down the road and suddenly the car no longer works. It doesn't start and the drivers behind me have to avoid me. On many occasions I have had to leave the car on while I run errands because I have had to ask for help to turn it on, so I don't turn it off because I don't know if it will turn on again. And this is a dangerous practice since they can steal my car and what I have inside since I have to leave it on. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by an independent dealer or service center? Every time I bought it and took it to the dealer, they indicated a different fault. At first they indicated that it was the electrical part and they made changes to it. Then apparently it was the battery but it was not safe. They have taken it apart several times but have not been able to fix it, since each time it seems to have a different error. The last scan showed a ground short circuit. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? I have always taken the vehicle to the dealer who sold it to me. Were there warning lights, messages or other symptoms of the problem before the failure and when did they first appear? The first time he took it was because the dashboard went out, the electrical part was left not working. If you are unsure, simply indicate UNKNOWN and provide your best assessment of the incident and cause in your description.
NHTSA complaint #11615365 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am continually have issue with my headlights bi-xenon ds3 bulbs going out. I have replaced the ballast and the bulb w oem parts and the issue continues. My day runner LED lights work on the passenger side but the HID bulb does not work. I have no low beam. Everything else works. Same issue on drivers side until I replaced the entire housing unit. Regardless both lights DO NOT REFLECT IN DISTANCE making it EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT forcing me to have to drive w my fog lights on just to see.
NHTSA complaint #11587771 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FRONT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY: 1) the HID HALOGEN lights- (a.) the main DS3 buld continues to burn out not lasting longer than a month. (b.) the ballast also than shorts out (c.) the HIGH BEAM does the reverse effect making everything black (d.) the LOW BEAM do not work right as i cannot see obstacles in the road clearly- WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT; I ONLY HAVE MY FRONT DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT AND FOG LIGHT ASSEMBLY TO DEPEND ON PRIMARILY. THE PASSENGER LIGHTS WHEN SOMEWHAT WORKING; ARE DIM AND WHEN THE HID BULB BURNS OUT- ALL I HAVE TO DEPEND ON (for that side of car) ARE MY DAY RUNNING AND FOR LIGHTS. 2.) FORWARD COLLISION WARNING SENORS ARE NOT WORKING MAKING IT TOO LATE IF OBSTACLES DETECTED 3.) THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT WARMER STOPPED WORKING
NHTSA complaint #11571202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the contact became aware that the front and rear exterior lights were not functioning as needed. The headlamp warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed an electrical fault with the exterior lights. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
NHTSA complaint #11570563 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have had my headlights replaced 3 times by a certified mechanic within the last year. While I was driving on the highway, my low beams and high beams on both sides went out. Extreme safety issue!
NHTSA complaint #11569159 — 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.
Only on days where I leave my car in the direct heat under the sun for a few hours I go to get in and start and it starts up at first and then the dashboard displays "check starter system" soon after all the electrical work in the car shuts down and doesn't turn on again until the car cools down or when the sun goes down. I live in phoenix where it's hot everyday so this issue is happening frequently with my vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11542930 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car stalled out while driving, restarted, car said, "check starter system". Restarted again, engine stayed running, no lights at all (brake, headlight or tail light), however the hazards still seemed to work.
NHTSA complaint #11542673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving car ignition shuts off. Gas and breaks still work, but no lights, no speedometer, nothing else, ignition completely off. Has happened on 5 different occasions on days the temperature is 90 degrees. Volkswagen dealership aren't able to fix it.
NHTSA complaint #11542708 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On hot days in the summer, when I start driving the car, a notice that states “systems start failure” appears. The air conditioning turns off. The speedometer turns off. The brake lights don’t work, and the turn signals do not work. The car still drives, but due to the brake lights turning off and turn signals not working, I believe this poses a safety risk to myself and others. I believe this to be an ignition switch problem, as many others have stated online that getting a replacement for the ignition switch has solved the problem. The problem has been reproduced by a service center. The problem has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives.
NHTSA complaint #11534874 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Passenger side daytime running light LED has gone dim. This reduces the visibility of the vehicle in daytime conditions. The dealer has confirmed that the light is bad but the manufacturer says since there is no active recall for it, it is not covered.
NHTSA complaint #11534404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Front left headlight has no power going to it. Rear right tail light has no power going to it. Third, brake light has no power going to it. Wind shield washer pump has no power going to it. Both rear doors do not lock. This issue is all connected with each other because it fixed itself. Once and they all came back on together and then it went back out.
NHTSA complaint #11533842 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.