Your vehicle report
2010 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
- 852
- Received Sep 2009 to Aug 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own111 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Fuel pump fails and engine stalls107 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine suddenly shuts off while driving78 complaints · 9.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #16V913000Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.
- Recall #11V490000Volkswagen is recalling certain model 2009-2012 jetta and jetta sportwagen vehicles, manufactured from may 2008 through september 2011, model year 2010-2012 volkswagen golf vehicles, manufactured from may 2009 through september 2011, and model year 2010-2012 audi A3 vehicles, manufactured from september 2009 through september 2011, that are equipped with a 2.0L tdi common rail diesel engine/clean diesel engine. The fuel injection pulses could coincide with the natural frequency of the injector line #2, in specific load and rpm conditions. This resonance creates additional stress in the fuel line.
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: 23 crashes, 5 fires, 11 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 |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 8 |
| 2010 | 75 |
| 2011 | 135 |
| 2012 | 81 |
| 2013 | 89 |
| 2014 | 143 |
| 2015 | 121 |
| 2016 | 48 |
| 2017 | 43 |
| 2018 | 33 |
| 2019 | 28 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 852 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 111 | 13% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 107 | 13% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 78 | 9.2% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 34 | 4.0% | – | NHTSA recall #09V333000 |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 33 | 3.9% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 30 | 3.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 28 | 3.3% | – | NHTSA recall #16V913000 |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 26 | 3.0% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 23 | 2.7% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 22 | 2.6% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 18 | 2.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 13 | 1.5% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 10 | 1.2% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 10 | 1.2% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 9 | 1.1% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 9 | 1.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 9 | 1.1% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 9 | 1.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 8 | 0.9% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 8 | 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 #16V913000December 20, 2016135,683 vehicles affected
electronic stability control (esc); service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.
A loss of vehicle control can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control module software to improve the module's self-testing abilities. Any module that fails the new diagnostic test will be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
NHTSA recall #11V490000October 3, 2011168,275 vehicles affected
fuel system, diesel
Volkswagen is recalling certain model 2009-2012 Jetta and Jetta sportwagen vehicles, manufactured from may 2008 through september 2011, model year 2010-2012 Volkswagen golf vehicles, manufactured from may 2009 through september 2011, and model year 2010-2012 Audi A3 vehicles, manufactured from september 2009 through september 2011, that are equipped with a 2.0L tdi common rail diesel engine/clean diesel engine. The fuel injection pulses could coincide with the natural frequency of the injector line #2, in specific load and rpm conditions. This resonance creates additional stress in the fuel line.
Due to the resonance condition, injector line number 2 could develop small cracks which could lead to fuel leakage. Leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source, may lead to a fire.
Remedy
Volkswagen will install an improved fuel injector line for the number 2 cylinder on certain vehicles and will install vibration dampers on all of the injector lines. Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners to have the vehicles repaired free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during november 2011. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
NHTSA recall #10V621000December 10, 2010228,236 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Jetta, new beetle, new beetle convertible, model year 2009 Jetta sportwagen and model year 2007-2009 rabbit vehicles equipped with 2.5L engines. The Jetta, Jetta sportwagen, and rabbit vehicles may have a small plastic tab located on the windshield washer fluid reservoir that may chafe against an underhood fuel supply line. The new beetle and the new beetle convertible vehicles may have a fastening clamp on a hydraulic hose of the power steering system that may be located in an improper position which could cause chafing against an underhood fuel supply line.
If chafing occurs, there is the potential for a fuel leak to develop. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the underhood fuel line. Additionally, depending on the vehicle model, dealers will either remove the plastic tab from the windshield washer fluid reservoir, or inspect the position of the fastening clamp and adjust the related fastening clamp into the correct position. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before january 31, 2011. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
NHTSA recall #09V333000August 20, 200916,000 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 passenger cars manufactured between september 2008 and august 2009. The wiring harness of a temperature sensor in the direct shift gearbox (dsg) may have connector wires that were insufficiently crimped. With insufficiently crimped connector wires, a temperature sensor has the potential to falsely detect a high gearbox oil temperature, causing the transmission to abruptly shift to neutral. If this happens, the selector lever position indicator within the instrument panel will flash. In addition, the "depress brake pedal" indicator light will be illuminated, alerting the driver to apply the brakes.
The abrupt shift to neutral could lead to a crash without warning.
Remedy
Volkswagen will reprogram the transmission control module with updated software free of charge. The recall began on october 20, 2009. Owners may 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 2010 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