2019
New 2021
Used 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Volkswagen Jetta Change Vehicle

Unlock Ratings
The redesigned 2019 Jetta wins our praise for its impressive fuel economy, effortless acceleration, and straightforward controls. We got 34 mpg overall and 54 mpg on the highway in our tests—truly outstanding for a non-hybrid or non-diesel sedan of this size. Even with that superb fuel economy, the Jetta’s responsive turbo engine doesn't force the driver to press hard on the gas pedal for quick acceleration.
Alerts
There are 7 recalls on this vehicle. Learn More.
2019
New 2021
Used 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Volkswagen Jetta

Reliability
See All
Owner Satisfaction
See All
Crash and Rollover Tests
IIHS Front Moderate Overlap Good
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver Good
IIHS Side Crash Good
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Driver
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Passenger
See All

Road Test Results

Performance
Acceleration Acceleration Acceleration tests are conducted on a smooth, flat pavement straightaway at the track. Time, speed, and distance measurements are taken with a precise GPS-based device that’s hooked to a data-logging computer.
0 to 60 mph 0 to 60 mph (sec.) The time in seconds that a vehicle takes to reach 60 mph from a standstill with the engine idling.
Transmission Transmission Transmission performance is determined by shifting smoothness, response, shifter action, and clutch actuation for manual transmissions.
Fuel Economy Fuel Economy We perform our own fuel-economy tests, independent of the government's often-quoted EPA figures and the manufacturers' claims. Using a precise fuel-flow measuring device spliced into the fuel line, we run two separate circuits to represent city and highway consumption.
CR's Overall Mileage CR's Overall Mileage CR's overall mileage is a composite of measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course and highway cruising; and CR's 150-mile test trip of mixed driving, if tested. In recent road tests, we've discontinued the 150-mile trip test.
CR's City Mileage CR's City Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course.
CR's Highway Mileage CR's Highway Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed highway cruising.
Annual Fuel Cost Annual Fuel Cost The cost and amount of fuel used in 12,000 miles and is calculated from CR's overall mileage.
Braking Braking The braking rating is a composite of wet and dry stopping distances and pedal feel. Braking distance is from 60 mph, with no wheels locked.
Emergency Handling Emergency Handling Several factors go into the rating, including the avoidance maneuver speed and confidence, as well as how the vehicle behaves when pushed to its limit.
Comfort / Convenience
Ride Ride Our expert judgment of how well the suspension isolates and absorbs road imperfections and how steady it keeps the body on various road surfaces.
Noise Noise Our expert judgment of the vehicle's interior noise level in everyday driving.
Front Seat Comfort Front Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the front seat is for drivers of various heights.
Rear Seat Comfort Rear Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the rear seat is for two passengers to sit across.
Interior Fit and Finish Interior Fit and Finish An expert evaluation of the interior quality and craftsmanship.
Trunk/Cargo Area Trunk/Cargo Area Our rating is based on the amount of luggage or cargo space that a vehicle has in the trunk or cargo area.

Owner Reports

Worse Better
Reliability History Reliability History The reliability charts are based on responses on hundreds of thousands of vehicles from our latest Annual Auto Survey. Consumer Reports subscribers reported on any serious problems they had with their vehicles during the past 12 months that they considered serious because of cost, failure, safety, or downtime, in any of the trouble spots included in the table below. The results are presented relative to the average model that year. Extra weight is given to the more serious areas such as major engine or transmission problems. Based on this data and further analysis, we predict reliability for the latest year. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
2000
NA
2001
NA
2002
NA
2003
NA
2004
NA
2005
NA
2006
2007
NA
2008
NA
2009
2010
2011
NA
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
NA
2019
2020
NA
Reliability Trouble Spots
Engine Major Engine Major Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.
NA
Engine Minor Engine Minor Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.
NA
Engine Cooling Engine Cooling Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.
NA
Transmission Major Transmission Major Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.
NA
View all Reliability
Owner Satisfaction Owner Satisfaction To learn about satisfaction, CR has collected survey data from our annual survey on more than half a million vehicles. Our subscribers provide great insights into their satisfaction by answering one simple question: If they had it to do all over again, would they definitely buy or lease the same model? In addition, respondents also rate their cars in six categories: driving experience, comfort, value, styling, audio, and climate systems. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
2000
NA
2001
NA
2002
NA
2003
2004
2005
NA
2006
2007
NA
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Driving Experience Driving Experience Includes acceleration and handling
Comfort Comfort Includes seats, climate control, noise, and ride
Value Value Did you get what you wanted relative to the price you paid?
Styling Styling How it looks inside and out
View all Owner Satisfaction
Safety Equipment
ABS standard. Side air bags standard, available in rear from 2006. Head protection air bags standard from 2001. ESC available in 2003, standard from 2009.
Road Test

The redesigned 2019 Jetta wins our praise for its impressive fuel economy, effortless acceleration, and straightforward controls.

We got 34 mpg overall and 54 mpg on the highway in our tests—truly outstanding for a non-hybrid or non-diesel sedan of this size. Even with that superb fuel economy, the Jetta’s responsive turbo engine doesn't force the driver to press hard on the gas pedal for quick acceleration.

Seating
2 front, 3 rear
Drive Wheels
Front
Warranty

In most cases, automotive warranties are based on the vehicle identification number (VIN), and the warranty will be valid regardless of ownership. The dealership can tell you exactly how much warranty is left.

Read more about extended warranties
Body Styles
sedan
Transmissions Available
  • 7-speed Sequential
  • 8-speed Automatic
  • 6-speed Manual
Engines Available
  • 1.4-liter 4 turbo (147 hp)
  • 2-liter 4 turbo (228 hp)

Owner Reported Trouble Spots

The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey of 2019 Volkswagen Jetta owners. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle.

In-car Electronics

CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

What Owners Say

Backup or other camera/sensors

""ParkPilot not available at this time" message kept appearing. Car does not have ParkPilot. Given the high degree of electronic control in this car I was/am uncertain it will not fail. I took it to the dealer 3 times for repair, to no avail. The 4th time the back-up camera was replaced. The problem has not reappeared but I've driven it less than 1000 miles since then. Don't know if problem is actually fixed."

Anonymous, NY (2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)
Hardware replacement

"Antenna interfered with cellphone navigation when connected to car"

Anonymous, VA (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SEL 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)
Radio

"Radio intermittently stopped playing."

Anonymous, IL (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SEL 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)
Software update fixes

"Each time I took the car in for the intermittent and errant "ParkPilot not available" message, the dealer did a software update that failed to fix the problem. The updates did not solve the problem. Perhaps this latest (4th) visit with a software update and a back-up camera replacement will be successful. Time will tell."

Anonymous, NY (2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)

"Software was not working properly, radio inop,other minor malfunctions. Reload of software fixed the problem"

Anonymous, (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SEL 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)

"Software had to be reinstalled to fix some radio issues"

Anonymous, CO (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SEL 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)

"VW had 2 recalls. One for software problem-notification involving key. Other was gas rail system."

Anonymous, PA (2019 Volkswagen Jetta 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)
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Body Integrity

Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, loose or cracked seals and/or weather-stripping, air and water leaks.

What Owners Say

Seals and/or weather-stripping

"Dealer fixed a VW recall for the seal between windshield and engine. Dealer did the recall incorrectly, which caused water to pour into the passenger footwell whenever it rained. Dealer fixed for free but it took almost a week for them to get the car back to us."

Anonymous, VA (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SEL 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)
Squeaks or rattles

"A gas line (from the gas tank to the engine) was vibrating and making a ton of noise - we took it to the dealership and they installed a hush kit (common issue with Jettas)"

Anonymous, NC (2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)

"There was a rattle off throttle from the passenger side of the car. Upon diagnosis by the dealer, the fuel line was missing a clip into the firewall."

Anonymous, VA (2019 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)

"From delivery an Annoying rattle coming from the roof behind the sun roof. Have not mentioned it to VW, not resolved"

Anonymous, CT (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SE 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)

"vibrating noise from body during certain gear speeds."

Robert S., TX (2019 Volkswagen Jetta S 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)
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Body Hardware

Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

What Owners Say

Doors or sliding doors

"Loose bolt on hinge arm"

Anonymous, QC (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SE 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)
Seat controls - movement

"passenger seat does not adjust for height. Wife is a short person. She is not able to see over dashboard when in passenger seat. Air bag if deployed could injure her due to seating position. Placement of pillow to raise her in the seat , defeats the air bag and turns it off. Have had Jettas before and passenger seat had height adjustgment . Had I known this from the outset I might not have considered the car. I was operating on past experience-never thought that they would save money by removing this feature."

Anonymous, NY (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SEL 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)
Tailgate, hatch or trunk

"Trunk light did not work."

Anonymous, SC (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SE 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)

Transmission Major

Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.

What Owners Say

Torque converter

"NOISE. It is increasing. VW will not admit to the problem, let alone fix it."

Anonymous, TX (2019 Volkswagen Jetta S 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)
Transmission rebuild or replacement

"Main transmission seal failure dealer replaced"

Anonymous, (2019 Volkswagen Jetta Unsure 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)

Suspension

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

What Owners Say

Springs or torsion bars

"Recall on both rear springs."

Anonymous, TX (2019 Volkswagen Jetta S 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)

"Mfr recall in effect for rear springs"

Robert S., TX (2019 Volkswagen Jetta S 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

What Owners Say

Other/unsure

"Seems to be related to cold weather. Dealer is clueless, all they know to do is reset it. Now that it is warm, I need to get it reset again"

Anonymous, VA (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SE 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)

Fuel System

Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

What Owners Say

Fuel injection system

"Car completely stopped. Twice. Had to be towed."

Anonymous, ON (2019 Volkswagen Jetta Unsure 2.0-L 4 Cyl turbo)

Transmission Minor

Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.

What Owners Say

Transmission leaks

"Transmission seal wasn't installed correctly from factory and leaked. Fixed under warranty."

Anonymous, MO (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SEL 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)

Climate System

Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Automatic climate control

"The A/C system takes about 5 minutes to adjust to the desired temperature. This happens more often than not."

Anonymous, CA (2019 Volkswagen Jetta SE 1.4-L 4 Cyl turbo)

Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

Engine Major

Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.

Engine Minor

Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.

Brakes

Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

Engine Cooling

Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.

Power Equipment

Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, remote engine start, alarm or security system

Electric System

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

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