Your vehicle report
2002 Volkswagen Jetta
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 702
- Received Dec 2001 to Jan 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes90 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Heated seat overheats and burns occupants89 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips31 complaints · 4.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #07V063000On certain passenger, wagon, and convertible vehicles equipped with or without cruise control, a brake light switch may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly.
- Recall #06V183000On certain passenger vehicles equipped with automatic or manual transmissions and cruise controls, a brake light switch on these vehicles may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly during safety recalls 03V-265 or 04V-096.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 31 crashes, 71 fires, 75 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 76 |
| 2003 | 150 |
| 2004 | 115 |
| 2005 | 77 |
| 2006 | 53 |
| 2007 | 47 |
| 2008 | 38 |
| 2009 | 36 |
| 2010 | 25 |
| 2011 | 24 |
| 2012 | 16 |
| 2013 | 8 |
| 2014 | 16 |
| 2015 | 7 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 702 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 90 | 13% | – | |
| Heated seat overheats and burns occupants | 89 | 13% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 31 | 4.4% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 26 | 3.7% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 19 | 2.7% | – | NHTSA recall #04V096000, #06V183000, #07V063000 |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 18 | 2.6% | – | |
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 17 | 2.4% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 16 | 2.3% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 14 | 2.0% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 13 | 1.8% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 12 | 1.7% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 11 | 1.6% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 11 | 1.6% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 11 | 1.6% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 9 | 1.3% | – | NHTSA recall #02V031000 |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 8 | 1.1% | – | |
| Turn signals work intermittently or fail | 8 | 1.1% | – | NHTSA recall #04V584000 |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 8 | 1.1% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 0.9% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 6 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #07V063000February 20, 20071,002,000 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
On certain passenger, wagon, and convertible vehicles equipped with or without cruise control, a brake light switch may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly.
The brake lights could become inoperative, or remain on. Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.
Remedy
Dealers will install the newly designed brake light switch free of charge. The recall began on april 27, 2007, and will be conducted in several staggered mailings through september 21, 2007. Vehicles within the make, model, and model year of this population may be involved in either this recall or 06V-183, but not both. The remedy is the same for each recall. Volkswagen dealers will apply the remedy based on the VIN number of the vehicle. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.
NHTSA recall #06V183000May 24, 2006646,246 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with automatic or manual transmissions and cruise controls, a brake light switch on these vehicles may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly during safety recalls 03V-265 or 04V-096.
The brake lights could become inoperative, or remain on. Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.
Remedy
Dealers will install the newly designed brake light switch free of charge. The recall began on november 27, 2006. Vehicles within the make, model, and model year of this population may be involved in either this recall or 06V-183, but not both. The remedy is the same for each recall. Volkswagen dealers will apply the remedy based on the VIN number of the vehicle. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.
NHTSA recall #04V584000December 16, 2004410,000 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: hazard flashing warning lights: switch
On certain passenger vehicles, the hazard switch and flasher system function may degrade over time because of distortion and material transfer of the contacts of certain hazard switch relays which occurs due to substantially increased electrical current load from higher wattage turn signal bulbs.
This may result in intermittent or inoperative turn signal and hazard flasher function.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the hazard flasher switch/relay kit. The recall began on march 31, 2005. Owners should contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
NHTSA recall #04V096000February 20, 2004377,130 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
On certain passenger vehicles, a brake light switch on these vehicles may malfunction.
If this happens, the brake lights could become inoperative, or come on and stay on, even though the vehicle is parked.
Remedy
This recall has been superceded by 06V-183. Owners who have had a remedy performed under this recall should return to their dealer for the redesigned remedy. Owners should contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
NHTSA recall #02V031000January 31, 200255,000 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
On some passenger vehicles, short circuits Can occur within the electronic control unit of the anti-lock braking system (ABS).
This Can result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the ABS control unit. Owner notification began march 8, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Volkswagen Jetta.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN