What are the most common problems with the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta?

Owners filed 549 complaints with NHTSA. The biggest groups are the power train with 162 complaints, the electrical system with 154 and the engine with 148.

Does the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta have recalls?

Yes, the page lists recalls for this model year, and the by-year fact gives the count. See the Recalls section for the full list.

How reliable is the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta?

The complaint record gives a partial picture, with 549 complaints on file. These are unverified owner reports and they are not adjusted for sales.

What is the gas mileage of the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta?

See the fuel economy section on this page, which is built from EPA data.

Is the 2019 Jetta the best year for the model?

See the by-year comparison on this page. It shows how this year stacks up against the others for the same model.

2019 Volkswagen Jetta Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 549 owner complaints on file for the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta^[1]. The power train group is the biggest, with 162 complaints^[2].

549owner complaints^[1]

11recalls^[3]

28–34MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

5★NHTSA overall rating^[5]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Owners filed complaints under several groups, and these are the biggest ones. - Power Train. 162 complaints^[2]. In the stories we read, owners describe a grinding sound at low speeds that fades when they press the pedal harder. Some also mention fluid leaking from underneath and rough, jerky shifting. - Electrical System. 154 complaints^[6]. Owners describe the car stalling without warning and the screen going dark, which also took away the backup camera. A few say warning messages popped up and the car lost power. - Engine. 148 complaints^[7]. Owners describe the same grinding noise, oil spots on the garage floor and oil running low between changes. - Unknown Or Other. 95 complaints^[8]. These reports did not fit a single named part. - Brakes. 30 complaints^[9]. Owners describe the car stopping hard on its own, uneven pedal feel and a parking brake that seemed to engage while driving. - Exterior Lighting. 26 complaints^[10]. - Fuel/Propulsion System. 25 complaints^[11]. - Structure. 23 complaints^[12].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2019 Jetta is necessarily included.

Fuel System, Gasoline (24V110), February 2024. About 261,257 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel (23V619), September 2023. About 8 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[14]
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch (23V604), August 2023. About 62,538 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, stalling. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[15]
Tires › Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems (22V815), October 2022. About 296,044 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[16]
Wheels (19V879), December 2019. About 8 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, steering problems. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[17]
Unknown Or Other (19V679), September 2019. About 113 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire, a crash, injury.^[18]
Suspension › Rear › Springs › Coil Springs (19V188), March 2019. About 56,173 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[19]
Air Bags › Frontal (19V110), February 2019. About 4 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, an air bag that may not work as intended. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[20]
Suspension › Rear › Springs › Coil Springs (18V904), December 2018. About 6,322 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[21]
Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel (18V824), November 2018. About 73,549 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[22]
Exterior Lighting › Headlights (18V671), September 2018. About 28 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, reduced visibility. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[23]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Jetta, 1.4L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	30 / 40 / 34	$1,950
Jetta, 1.4L 4-cyl turbo, Manual 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[24]	30 / 40 / 34	$1,950
Jetta GLI, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Manual 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[25]	25 / 32 / 28	$2,400
Jetta GLI, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (AM-S7), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[26]	25 / 32 / 28	$2,400

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD^[5]	5	4	5	4	13.1%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2019 Volkswagen Jetta with 1.4L 4-cylinder^[27]	147 hp
2019 Volkswagen Jetta with 2.0L 4-cylinder^[28]	228 hp

How 2019 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Jetta model year. The 2019 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
1995	220	4
1996	31	1
1997	54	1
1998	192	2
1999	349	6
2000	439	4
2001	668	6
2002	704	5
2003	458	2
2004	233	2
2005	248	4
2006	580	4
2007	201	4
2008	190	4
2009	905	6
2010	875	5
2011	640	8
2012	527	6
2013	633	7
2014	441	7
2015	197	8
2016	164	4
2017	160	6
2018	31	2
2019	549	11
2020	54	6
2021	69	4
2022	43	1
2023	43	0
2024	46	0
2025	30	2
2026	6	1

NHTSA's counts for the Jetta show 549 complaints and 11 recalls for 2019^[3]. Among the 33 model years listed, 25 have fewer complaints than 2019 and 7 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2027 (0) and the most are for 2009 (905)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2019 Jetta?

The complaint record for this Jetta is large, and it leans toward the power train, electrical system and engine groups^[2]^[6]^[7]. Some reports mention crashes and injuries, so the safety side deserves a careful look^[1]. These are unverified owner reports and not every complaint is a confirmed defect. Check the recalls and the other sections on this page before you buy, and ask a mechanic to listen for noises on a test drive.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta?: Owners filed 549 complaints with NHTSA^[1]. The biggest groups are the power train with 162 complaints^[2], the electrical system with 154^[6] and the engine with 148^[7].
Does the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta have recalls?: Yes, the page lists recalls for this model year, and the by-year fact gives the count^[3]. See the Recalls section for the full list.
How reliable is the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta?: The complaint record gives a partial picture, with 549 complaints on file^[1]. These are unverified owner reports and they are not adjusted for sales.
What is the gas mileage of the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta?: See the fuel economy section on this page, which is built from EPA data.
Is the 2019 Jetta the best year for the model?: See the by-year comparison on this page. It shows how this year stacks up against the others for the same model^[3].

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Volkswagen Jetta

2012 527 complaints, 6 recalls
2013 633 complaints, 7 recalls
2014 441 complaints, 7 recalls
2015 197 complaints, 8 recalls
2017 160 complaints, 6 recalls
2019 this page

Compare all model years of the Volkswagen Jetta

Other Volkswagen models from 2019

2019 Volkswagen Atlas 482 complaints, 12 recalls
2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 193 complaints, 5 recalls

All Volkswagen models

Similar cars from 2019: compact cars

2019 Ford Fiesta 105 complaints, 3 recalls
2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 23 complaints, 6 recalls

All compact cars we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 549 owner complaints on file for the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta (19 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 36 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
162 complaints name the power train component group (3 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, median mileage at failure 887). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Volkswagen Jetta model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Jetta, 1.4L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 30 city / 40 highway / 34 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $1,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 13.1%. NHTSA vehicle records
154 complaints name the electrical system component group (2 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, median mileage at failure 31,000). NHTSA vehicle records
148 complaints name the engine component group (4 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries, median mileage at failure 700). NHTSA vehicle records
95 complaints name the unknown or other component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 12 injuries, median mileage at failure 1,400). NHTSA vehicle records
30 complaints name the brakes component group (6 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, median mileage at failure 15,670). NHTSA vehicle records
26 complaints name the exterior lighting component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
25 complaints name the fuel/propulsion system component group (0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 6,050). NHTSA vehicle records
23 complaints name the structure component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, median mileage at failure 4,300). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 24V110, filed February 14, 2024: Fuel System, Gasoline. NHTSA recall database
Recall 23V619, filed September 6, 2023: Electrical System › Instrument Cluster / Panel. NHTSA recall database
Recall 23V604, filed August 30, 2023: Electrical System › Ignition › Switch. NHTSA recall database
Recall 22V815, filed October 31, 2022: Tires › Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems. NHTSA recall database
Recall 19V879, filed December 11, 2019: Wheels. NHTSA recall database
Recall 19V679, filed September 25, 2019: Unknown Or Other. NHTSA recall database
Recall 19V188, filed March 6, 2019: Suspension › Rear › Springs › Coil Springs. NHTSA recall database
Recall 19V110, filed February 20, 2019: Air Bags › Frontal. NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V904, filed December 19, 2018: Suspension › Rear › Springs › Coil Springs. NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V824, filed November 26, 2018: Electrical System › Instrument Cluster / Panel. NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V671, filed September 26, 2018: Exterior Lighting › Headlights. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Jetta, 1.4L 4-cyl turbo, Manual 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 30 city / 40 highway / 34 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $1,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Jetta GLI, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Manual 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 25 city / 32 highway / 28 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,400. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Jetta GLI, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (AM-S7), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 25 city / 32 highway / 28 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,400. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2019 Volkswagen Jetta with 1.4L 4-cylinder: rated 147 hp. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2019 Volkswagen Jetta with 2.0L 4-cylinder: rated 228 hp. www.epa.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2019 Volkswagen Jetta: problems, recalls and fuel economy