658 of the
13,891 complaints filed about the Volkswagen Jetta
are about the glass, mirrors and wipers —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1999.
658
Complaints
100%
Share of all complaints
6
Crashes
3
Fires
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers complaints by model year
I was driving and the passenger side rearview mirror glass delaminated and separated from the vehicle leaving non-reflective adhesive residue. The blind spot monitoring light and sensor still function correctly. Car is a 2019 (almost 7 years old), 72,180 miles, and regularly maintained.
NHTSA complaint #11764216 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am the owner/operator of a 2025 Volkswagen Jetta S and am submitting this complaint regarding recurring optical distortion in the windshield within my normal driving field of view. The vehicle has undergone four windshield replacement attempts for this same condition, yet the distortion remains present. The distortion appears as a rippling or “funhouse” effect that can cause objects and straight lines viewed through the windshield to appear distorted while driving. The dealership and Volkswagen have inspected the vehicle on multiple occasions. Although the condition has not been consistently reproduced by every inspector, I continue to experience the distortion during normal driving. Following the most recent replacement, I believe the distortion is more noticeable than before. Volkswagen has been notified of the problem and has assigned corporate case number REF 07697200. The dealership has documented my continuing complaint and Volkswagen Customer Retention is currently involved. I am requesting that NHTSA document this complaint and consider whether recurring optical distortion in the driver’s field of view in this vehicle or windshield application may represent a safety-related defect.
NHTSA complaint #11761784 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Description of Safety Defect The vehicle has experienced significant optical distortion in the driver’s primary line of sight with three separate replacement windshields. The distortion has included noticeable rippling, warping, and a “funhouse” effect that causes straight objects and the surrounding environment to appear distorted when viewed through portions of the windshield directly in front of the driver. Component or system that failed or malfunctioned The affected component is the windshield/front windshield glass, specifically its optical quality in the driver’s field of view. The vehicle has had three windshield replacements, and visual distortion has been present with each replacement. The current windshield is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle is also available for inspection. The concern is not simply cosmetic variation at the edges of the windshield. The distortion occurs in the driver’s normal viewing area and is noticeable during ordinary driving. How was safety put at risk? The distortion affects the driver’s ability to clearly and accurately perceive objects and road features through the windshield. Straight objects can appear wavy, bent, or distorted, and the image can appear to move or change shape as the vehicle or driver’s head moves. Because the distortion is located directly within the driver’s normal line of sight, it can interfere with accurate visual perception while driving and can be distracting. This creates a potential safety risk because the windshield is the primary viewing surface through which the driver observes traffic, road markings, vehicles, pedestrians, and other hazards. The concern is particularly significant because the distortion is present in the driver’s primary field of view rather than being limited to a peripheral area. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed? Yes. The optical distortion in the current windshield was personally demonstrated to and confirmed by the dealership service ma
NHTSA complaint #11759293 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a loud booming sound coming from the roof of the vehicle. The contact later discovered that the glass sunroof had exploded outward from the roof. At the time of the failure, the sunroof was closed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 13,000.
NHTSA complaint #11757675 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While sitting in the passenger seat of the car, the sunroof spontaneously exploded, causing shards of glass to go everywhere and putting my and the driver’s safety at risk while traveling at 70 mph. No one has inspected it yet and there were no warning messages prior to this issue. This happened on July 3rd, 2026 at 2pm.
NHTSA complaint #11748390 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was a loud explosion, and the sunroof exploded. There was no impact that would have caused the sunroof to shatter. The contact sustained ear injuries, and medical attention was needed. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was inspected. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.
NHTSA complaint #11724122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. Upon further inspection, the sunroof glass panel had shattered. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the failure was not identified, and the vehicle was left for further investigation. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,888.
NHTSA complaint #11720998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the heater and the defroster were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the heater core was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where it was determined that the vehicle was designed with a silica bag near the coolant reservoir, and the silica bag had ruptured, causing silica to leak into the engine compartment and to clog the heater pipe. The mechanic was able to flush out a significant amount of silica; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that she resided in a small country area, where it was significantly cold, and the defroster and heater failure had reduced the contact's ability to see the roadway while driving in cold weather and to remain warm inside the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that all the compromised hoses, pipes, and parts might need to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11705543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Front Windshield wipers randomly go on causing a distraction almost resulting in a accident. The vehicle was taken in for this problem to Colonial VW located at 200 W Street RD, Feasterville PA 19053. Service rep stated he knows of the issue but there is currently no fix for it. This problem first stared approximately 1 month ago. No warning lights or alerts are present on the vehicle. Issue seems to happen more in bright sunlight but can happen at anytime with multiple wipes at once. The issue will go away for a few mins to a day then reappear out of no where sometimes coming and going the whole trip A google search reveals this maybe a a more common problem than just my vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11691489 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My driver side mirror is over-corrected/magnified. If I need to navigate to left lane, the magnification makes the vehicle in my blind spot appear too close. Same in a situation where I am performing a zipper merge to the left. I have driven 50 years in different cars, including Volkswagens, and never in an accident. This mirror seems hazardous and dangerous because trusting the instrument for left visuals of oncoming cars isn't accurate in a 1:1 ratio. The dealership replaced the mirror and it appears the same. All VW service techs, and other drivers who I have asked for evaluation, agree the mirror is not right.
NHTSA complaint #11683437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Shifting vehicle into reverse, turns of back up camera, then shifting into drive camera remains on for a set period of time, if shifted back into reverse as camera turns off, camera will not come back on. Android Auto was being used.
NHTSA complaint #11668317 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT
The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated upon activating the defroster, the defroster only engaged while the switch was turned to maximum, and there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from underneath the dashboard. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a common failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
NHTSA complaint #11665315 — 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.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH on a rainy day, the windows were foggy and the contact was not able to view the roadway. The contact attempted to veer to the left when the vehicle slid until it impacted a concrete barrier. The driver's front side and the front and back bumper were impacted, and the tire was torn. No warning lights illuminated. The contact called 911, and a police officer was dispatched to prevent other vehicles from hitting the contact. The police officer helped the contact push the vehicle. No injuries were sustained. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and an alignment was performed, the axle was repaired, a new windshield was placed, and a tire was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not destroyed. The vehicle continued to experience failures with the windshield, and the fuel pump was also experiencing a failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure, and a report was submitted. The failure mileage was 17,000.
NHTSA complaint #11654455 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that whenever the temperature fell below 20 degrees, the windshield wipers became inoperable. The contact stated that the Body Control Module (BCM) had previously been replaced, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the Body Control Module (BCM) needed to be replaced a second time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,900.
NHTSA complaint #11651070 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Under 20,000 miles, but over 1 year old (leased new february 12, 2021). VW dealership and secondary party reported rear brake pads and rotors were worn down to 1mm and that the car was unsafe to drive. This cost $500 to repair and I had to pay it for a car that was just over 1 year old. The dealership wanted to charge double to replace. The brakes are only warrantied for 1 year, and because most don't hit 20k miles for a year, they know that the parts are unsafe and will wear down at 20,000 miles (as reported by many many others for the 2021 VW Jetta). I have receipts of inspection and for part replacement by Brakes Plus. There were NO warnings, just the tires squeaking when the weather got cold in December. Also, ABS issues - car stalled twice in the middle of a busy street in the first 6 months of use.
NHTSA complaint #11645459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I'm noticing that the driver side wiper blade is not locked in the arm. It's not getting lost, but I have to reinstall the blade when I clear the snow off the vehicle. No inspection because I don't have a reliable shop that can get it looked at in a timely manner. They want it left over night, but I live over an hour away and I don't have other travel options.
NHTSA complaint #11622726 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.