2016 Volkswagen Jetta problems
The 2016 Volkswagen Jetta has 250 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (18%) concerns engine. After that come electrical system (14%) and fuel system (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 250 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 18% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 33 and 8
- Injuries and deaths
- 25 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 39,000 miles 141 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 42 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 29 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 26 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 19 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 16 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 141 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 39,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 42,000 miles (24 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 33 complaints mention a crash; 8 complaints mention a fire; 25 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 80% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2016 ranks 18th most-complained-about out of 35 model years of the Volkswagen Jetta with enough data (177 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I tried to stop my car and the brake pedal went completely to the floor and did not stop at all. There were no warning lights on, I keep my brakes and car well maintained. My car hit the rear of another car because the brakes failed to engage when I pushed the pedal down. My car which is the vw jetta was totaled in the accident. My insurance company GEICO has the car sitting at copart and it should be able to be inspected.
The contact’s mother owns a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked outside, the contact’s mother was notified that the vehicle had caught fire. The contact stated that upon her mother and sister approaching the vehicle, they noticed that the front driver’s side door was on fire. The contact then stated that her sister used her hand in an attempt to pat the fire away. As a result, the contact’s sister sustained an injury to her right hand that required medical attention.
My daughter was involved in a mva in which she slammed on her brakes and the brakes locked on her. She hit the rear of the other vehicle. She was going roughly 25-30 MPH. She was roughly 30-40 feet away from the other vehicle when the brakes were applied. Her airbags did not deploy which considering the amount of damage done to her car is roughly $6500. I researched both issues and it seems to be a common problem in the VW jetta.
The heated seat pad has begun burning a hole into driver side seat. If not careful, will burn skin while fabric is still over the pad. This is happening when the seat is turned on and is causing a burning smell in the vehicle.