2020 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    control module

    8 unsafe

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "VEHICLE IS BRAND NEW AND HAS BEEN IN MY POSSESSION FOR 7 DAYS. CAR-NET MODULE AND BLUETOOTH AUDIO MODULES HAVE BOTH FAILED. CAR-NET FAILED ON DAY 5, BLUETOOTH ON DAY 6. PRESCRIBED RESOLUTION INVOLVES PULLING THE APPROPRIATE FUSE TO RESET THE SYSTEM. AFTER THIS…"complaint #1701631
    • "Hit a pot hole in the road and vehicle completely shut down and will not crank. Diagnostic code U0100 is saying that the ecm and pcm are no longer communicating. If I had been on the highway or in a high traffic area that could have been a life threatening sit…"complaint #1860922
    • "I live in a very hot area where the temperatures rise to well above 100°. My dashboard gets hot. I imagine that the computer system is in the dashboard after the car has been in the sun I get into my vehicle start my engine things seem fine and then I’m drivin…"complaint #1909061
    • "The SOS emergency that is supposed to work when you press the button or if your car is stolen the module failed and on months of back order"complaint #1977657
    • "After buying this vehicle in June 2020, and the "Emergency SOS Module" never malfunctioning once, I enrolled in VW's free "Safe and Secure" service through the myVW mobile application on March 7, 2024, and immediately received an "Emergency SOS Error" light. T…"complaint #1979801
  2. #2

    engine stall or no start

    8 unsafe

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=8)

    • "THE EPC LIGHT COMES ON RANDOMLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN REVVING UP THE ENGINE TO OVERTAKE CARS. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY BOGS DOWN AND ENGINE RPMS ARE LIMITED TO 3000 WHEN LIGHT IS ON. IT COULD BE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE THE CAR WILL NOT WANT TO AC…"~6,000 mi, complaint #1688181
    • "VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN PARKING SPOT AND UPON IGNITION BEGAN REVVING UNCONTROLLABLY AND THREW UP ERROR CODES "ENGINE SPEED MAX. 4000 RPM" AND "START-STOP SYSTEM ERROR", ALONG WITH EPC AND ENGINE LIGHTS. THE BRAKE WAS ALSO DEPRESSED. UPON PUTTING INTO REVERSE…"~14,000 mi, complaint #1740229
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving uphill at 55 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly shut off with an unknown warning light flashing on the instrument panel. Despite the failure, the contact was able to restart the vehicle and…"~46,625 mi, complaint #1970740
  3. #3

    glass and windshield

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the panoramic sunroof shattered without impact. The contact stated that he was cut by shards of falling glass from the sunroof. The contact stated that no medical attention was…"~42,829 mi, complaint #1861111
  4. #4

    transmission automatic

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Internal Component on Transmission has failed, Vehicle is Available for inspection (Niello Volkswagen has already confirmed). The vehicle shakes when shifting which could potentially cause an accident. Yes, Niello Volkswagen confirmed the issue. Dealer for…"complaint #1930630
    • "I recently purchased a vehicle on July 11th, and on July 12th, I noticed a significant issue with the transmission. Specifically, the vehicle began grinding when I attempted to engage reverse gear. Concerned for safety, I promptly contacted the dealership. Ini…"complaint #2011454
    • "This is the same thong that was recalled on the other 2020 vw jetta..I also had a 2016 jettabefore I was allowed to trade it in for the 2020 jetta and the air went out on the both of them before the car was 2 years old. Now the 2020 has rain water coming in h…"complaint #2110237
  5. #5

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "AS I WAS DRIVING HOME LATE LAST NIGHT FROM WORK ON A CITY STREET , MY CAR SUDDENLY WOULD NOT ACCELERATE IN SPEED WHILE IN MOTION BUT YOU CAN HEAR THE CAR ACCELERATE WHEN I WAS PUSHING ON THE GAS. IT FELT AS IF THE CAR HAS TURNED OFF BECAUSE THEN MY STEERING WH…"~843 mi, complaint #1720795
  6. #6

    adas collision warning

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "2 SEPARATE INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE EPC. ONE WAS ABOUT 10 DAY'S AGO, JULY 9TH GETTING ON THE FREEWAY IN HOUSTON. CAR THREW UP NUMEROUS ERROR CODES, IT AUTOMATICALLY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES UPON ENTERING THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE FREEWAY, GAVE AN EPC ERROR CODE, TRAN…"~4,950 mi, complaint #1678056
    • "IN HEAVY RAIN OR ADVERSE WEATHER THE SONAR IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR FOR CRASH AVOIDANCE FAILS AND STATES THAT IT'S UNABLE TO PROTECT ME AND MY PASSENGERS! THE DEALER HAS HAD THIS CAR FOR 3 TIMES AND THE OWNERS MANUAL DOESN'T TELL THAT IN THOSE SITUATIONS THAT T…"~7,902 mi, complaint #1686311
  7. #7

    fuel tank and lines

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The fuel door would not open for me to put gas in my car. I cannot drive my car without fuel. If I can’t get to my gas tank because the fuel door has malfunctioned I become a danger to those who drive as well as myself and my vehicle. My car tells me everythin…"complaint #2000226
    • "Will not take fuel. Even when the gasoline tank is empty it will not accept fuel properly. Fuel seeps out and leaks. Problem presents identically to the 2015-2020 VW & Audi recall. VW doesn’t acknowledge my VIN as a vehicle with the problem. My car is on…"complaint #2014955
  8. #8

    starter

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Incident Occurred in May. Was on Reddit and saw someone say to report any issues to NHTSA so that's what I'm doing At the end of the month in May (2023) when starting my car after work that had been sitting in the sun, it turned on but then turned off about…"complaint #1933262
    • "Mid-drive, the vehicle gave me a "check starter system" warning, a known 2020 VW Jetta issue. However, my car has not gotten a recall message yet. The message also disappeared again after I turned off the car for 10 minutes and started it again. "complaint #1990832
  9. #9

    sunroof

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "MY SUNROOF WAS EXPODED during I drive to home."complaint #1908108
    • "The sunroof shattered after closing the car door from the pressure or motion of the car door closing. The sunroof glass panel popped up in the center and all the shattered glass was in an upward motion indicating the cause was from the pressure in the cabin. T…"complaint #1931136
  10. #10

    suspension struts shocks

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The front strut spring broke. The dealer warned against driving it at all, since it could cut open the tire or damage other parts that would cause a lot of control. The vehicle is just past the three year warranty. But it is too new for aftermarket parts, so I…"complaint #1960937
    • "Rear left coil spring snapped mid driving, breaking off a 3 inch piece. Car now rattles when it goes over bumps. Upon looking under the car, the right rear coil spring is corroded and snapped as well. "complaint #2200645
  11. #11

    alignment and pull

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WILL SWAY TO THE RIGHT AND AT TIMES VERY ABRUPTLY GOING OVER OR NEAR THE LANE DIVIDERS WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL REMAINS STRAIGHT BUT IT FEELS LIKE I'M DRIVING WITH A STRONG CROSS WIND THE ENTIRE TIME."complaint #1697214
  12. #12

    brake pads and rotors

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My brakes have always sounded weird to me. But the dealer and my mechanic assured me that they were fine. On Saturday 7/6/24, I noticed a horrible grinding noise. I took it to my mechanic and was told that due to a faulty brake caliper the passenger side front…"complaint #2006006
  13. #13

    engine turbo supercharger

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "October 9, 2025 EPC light on. October 10, 2025, called Brown's VW in Charlottetown, PEI and brought the car in. The EPC light was off. The scan revealed that turbo on the vehicle had a seized wastegate. The cost of repair is $4,026.85 and a wait for parts.…"complaint #2138493
  14. #14

    evap system

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My check engine light came on on Sunday Dec 1. I immediately took it to a diagnostic service station in my local area. They diagnosed that my car has a vent control valve malfunction. This issue is a KNOWN problem to Volkswagen. They do not replace this part i…"complaint #2045011
  15. #15

    fuel pump

    1 stranded

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "CATASTROPHIC FUEL PUMP FAILURE AT 14,000 MILES ' BOTH FUEL PUMP AND FUEL PUMP MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY ACCORDING TO SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE STANDARDS."~14,000 mi, complaint #1741379
  16. #16

    infotainment head unit

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The built-in navigation and apple carplay periodically show the wrong location, offset by several hundred feet from the real one. A huge number of cases on the Internet, Volkswagen does nothing about it. They update the software, but it doesn't help."complaint #2004429
  17. #17

    instrument cluster

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while exiting a parking lot, the instrument panel went blank without warning. The contact turned off the vehicle and after several attempts was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to t…"~25,000 mi, complaint #1906779
  18. #18

    mirror

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "SUNGLASS HOLDER KEEPS BREACKING WHICH PREVENTS ME FROM SEEING REVIEW VIEW MIRROS. THIS IS AN ONGOING VW ISSUES THAT HAS NOT BEEN FIXED FOR MANY YEARS. IT IS CHEAP AND BREAKS EASILY ."~500 mi, complaint #1739462
  19. #19

    other

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V492000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of…"complaint #1782419
  20. #20

    parking brake

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "MY CAR ROLLED INTO A WALL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A PARKING LOT WHILE I WAS INSIDE THE OPPOSITE BUILDING. THERE IS NO ALERT/INDICATOR/NOTIFICATION THAT THE E-BRAKE IS ENGAGED. THERE ARE ALERTS FOR THE SEAT BELT, AIR BAG, TRUCK/DOOR OPENED, LOW GAS, LIGHTS, ETC. T…"~2,200 mi, complaint #1674108
  21. #21

    phone connectivity

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The problem I am facing is with making calls in the car both via android auto and Bluetooth. When making a phone call, if the volume is adjusted during the call, the other person will hear a very bad echo of their own voice. The echo only occurs when the call…"complaint #1842109
  22. #22

    seat mechanism

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "There is a spring that it out of place and when I turned to get out of the seat it scratched my back. "complaint #2001835
  23. #23

    software or update

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Volkswagen mandatory software update/campaign 24Fi corrupted the OCU/Telematics firmware on my vehicle. This firmware corruption deactivated the critical emergency SOS safety system (Automatic Crash Notification), leaving a persistent red fault light on the ov…"complaint #2208332
  24. #24

    transmission manual clutch

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "THE HILL HOLD ASSIST DID NOT DISENGAGED QUICKLY WHEN STOPPED ON AN INCLINE, BURNING THE CLUTCH TO GET THE VEHICLE TO MOVE FORWARD. THIS CAUSED SMOKING FROM THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND WE WERE THEN FORCED TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF A VERY CONGESTED HIGHWAY AND WAIT FOR…"~8,000 mi, complaint #1719029
  25. #25

    wheel or rim

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Since I PURCHASED MY Jetta SEL the car IN 2020 March the back right tire will not hold air. Have taken to the dealership and the young man said it was the valve stem and simple fix small issue. Claiming had an stem issues. Leaving the dealership 15 minutes l…"complaint #1784245
  26. #26

    wiring harness

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 70-80 MPH, the electronic parking brake engaged independently. The message "Driver's Side Door Fault" and a message indicating that the auto Start/Stop feature was unavailable were disp…"~65,789 mi, complaint #1941627

NHTSA investigations

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for VOLKSWAGEN JETTA directly.