2019 Volkswagen Jetta Problems, Recalls & Reliability
794 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta, alongside 11 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 69/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 36,500 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1991–1992, 1994, 2008, 2018, 2020–2022.
Avoid
Where 2019 sits among all Jetta years
What owners report
“Car turns off with a message relaying on the screen “please check starter system””— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Jetta
“Grinding noise coming from the transmission at 1200 -1400 rpm. Happens when shifting from 2nd through 4th gear.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Jetta
“Ignition switch off, safely stop the vehicle” or “Starter system faulty” Error was shown on a hot day. The vehicle turned off”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Jetta
“Car engine stalling while driving and failure of the EPS/EPC light comes on When attempted to start the car warning start stop system malfunctioning unable to start at times”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Jetta
“Driving on westlake drive in wimauma fl preparing to turn left took foot off gas put foot on clutch put car in 2nd gear with foot above brake to mash down, pcould would not stop or slow down hit electric pole air bags deployed. Car was in shop prior to acciddent at bob boast volkswagen in bradenton…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Jetta
“Check engine light is on. When it’s checked it says a fuel emissions leak. Code is cleared and then turns back on a month later.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Jetta
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 270 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 10,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 3,456 and 25,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (11)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen,…
Fix: Dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13,…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Jetta vehicles. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles…
Fix: Dealers will update the instrument cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 3, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf Sportwagen, 2019-2020 Golf GTI, and Jetta vehicles equipped with a conventional ignition switch. The ignition switch may fail, especially in high temperature…
Fix: Dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 1, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross…
Fix: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi’s…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Jetta GLI, Golf Alltrack, and Golf GTI vehicles. The front wheel bearings may have been improperly machined, potentially causing excessive stress on the wheel, wheel bolts, or wheel…
Fix: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the wheel bearing assemblies, wheels, and wheel bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…
Volkswagen Group of America (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Jetta vehicles. An incorrect driver frontal airbag may have been installed during a service/repair visit.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag with the correct part, free of charge. The recall began April 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.
Fix: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began January 31, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles equipped with LED headlights. The passenger side headlight may be incorrectly positioned, reducing the driver's visibility when it is dark. As such, these…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side headlight, free of charge. The recall began November 2, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 24V110.
Technical service bulletins
750 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta reliable?
The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta drew 794 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 69/100, scored against the model's worst year (2002).
What are the most common 2019 Volkswagen Jetta problems?
The top reported problems for the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta are electrical (181 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (162), and engine (149).
At what mileage do 2019 Volkswagen Jetta problems show up?
Owners most often report 2019 Volkswagen Jetta problems around 10,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 3,456 and 25,000 miles.
Does the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta have recalls?
11 recall campaigns apply to the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.