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The 2020 Volkswagen Jetta is a popular sedan that’s supposed to have a lot to offer. After all, the automaker claims, “it’s only natural to stare.” The trouble is; people are staring, but only because of all the defects. From the service brakes to the electrical system and the steering, a lot seems to be going wrong.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2021
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2020 Volkswagen Jetta
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Steering | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
Problems with the Brakes
Stopping a car is vital if drivers want to remain accident-free. However, the brakes on the Jetta are creating more problems than they are worth.
Here is one NHTSA complaint. “My car rolled into a wall on the other side of a parking lot while I was inside the opposite building. There is no alert/indicator/notification that the e-brake is engaged. There are alerts for the seat belt, air bag, truck/door opened, low gas, lights, etc. There is even a notification on the screen to remind me to grab my phone after I turn off the car and open the door. But for the e-brake, which is a two-step process that requires discrete pauses by the driver, there is nothing. This is a serious design flaw that could result in a car rolling and injuring someone. I urge you not to wait for critical moments as in the past for auto alerts to be installed in cars, but to act now. I request all auto manufacturers, VW and otherwise, that have e-brakes, create an alert that notifies the driver the car is off and the e-brake is not engaged, recall those cars, and update the computer. And if there isn’t room, I suggest deleting the notification to not forget one’s phone.”
It turns out that VW has issued a recall, but not for this issue. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V359000 states that the front brake caliper bolts could loosen, thereby affecting the braking performance. If a car can’t stop, it’s no wonder that people would be staring at it.
Problems with the Electrical System
As mentioned in the last review, there are also electrical system complaints. Because this system runs so much, there’s that much more that can go wrong.
Here is one more NHTSA review to read. “The EPC light comes on randomly at highway speeds when revving up the engine to overtake cars. The engine suddenly bogs down and engine RPMs are limited to 3000 when light is on. It could be a potentially dangerous situation because the car will not want to accelerate and forces me to get off the freeway. The only way for the light to come off is to turn off the car and turn it back on. I visited a local VW dealer and they informed me of a fault code P227900 Intake Air System Leak Passive/Sporadic. They performed an air intake system test and found no problems. This is the third time this EPC light comes on. If it happens a 4th time I will once again take it to the dealer if something comes on. It is very frustrating that I can’t rev my car at highway speeds or else this light keeps turning on.”
Additionally, there is another serious electrical system issue that affects drivability. Service Bulletin #Circular 24FD says the engine can stall while driving at low speeds or when the vehicle is stopped and running. This is unacceptable from a newer vehicle, but it could be a tactic of VW to get people to stare longer.
Problems with the Steering
While discussing on-road safety, it’s vital to look at the steering situation as well. This is just another system that is causing trouble with the Jetta.
Here is one Edmunds review worth reading. “At highway speeds if one has to decelerate rapidly it does feel like the back end of the car gets very sensitive to small changes in direction and feels a little squirrelly.”
Along with the steering, there is a serious issue with the seats in the Jetta. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V505000 talks about some of the backrest adjusters and seat frames that were not properly welded together. Because of this defect, the backrest adjustment could break, especially during a rear-end accident. This fault would reduce the amount of restraint for occupants, thereby increasing the chance of an injury. The best way to stare at this Jetta is to watch it be towed out of the driveway and take a trip to the junkyard, where it belongs.
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Complaint Data
| Category | Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly |
| Date | Dec 23, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 volkswagen jetta. The contact stated while driving 65 mph, the panoramic sunroof shattered without impact. The contact stated that he was cut by shards of falling glass from the sunroof. The contact stated that no medical attention was sought. The contact pulled over and inspected the vehicle but found no cause or evidence that an object had struck the sunroof glass to cause the failure. The contact was able to drive to the residence with no additional issues. The local dealer was notified of the failure and suggested that the vehicle be brought in for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,829. The vin was not available. |
| Category | Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings, Power Train |
| Date | Dec 22, 2022 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Hit a pot hole in the road and vehicle completely shut down and will not crank. Diagnostic code u0100 is saying that the ecm and pcm are no longer communicating. If I had been on the highway or in a high traffic area that could have been a life threatening situation as everything is run through the electronics of the car. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Sep 20, 2022 |
| State | IA |
| Description | The problem I am facing is with making calls in the car both via android auto and bluetooth. When making a phone call, if the volume is adjusted during the call, the other person will hear a very bad echo of their own voice. The echo only occurs when the call volume is adjusted, and I can't hear it in my own car. I have been to the dealer twice to diagnose this issue, and talked to vw customer care, neither has been able to fix the problem or determine why it's happening. The first visit I didn't know that changing the volume caused the issue, during one of the trips they replaced the microphone and tried multiple phones (iphone and android), neither fixed the problem. I purchased this car used with around 10k miles on it from vw and have had the issue ever since. This is not a safety issue, it's just very annoying. |
| Category | Power Train, Service Brakes |
| Date | Apr 20, 2022 |
| State | VA |
| Description | When I was driving my engine randomly increased rpms and I was forced to apply the brake. Regarding my brakes, my brakes make a clicking noise and sometimes have decreased braking performance at times which is a serious safety concern. |
| Category | Engine, Steering, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jan 03, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | When vehicle goes over 60mph starts to shake really bad and warning not enough power for engine light is on |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Dec 21, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Was is merging onto interstate i95 and the jetta wouldn't accelerate no matter how hard I pushed the gas pedal eventually took my foot off and had to turn on emergency lights then the jetta started slowly moving as if it was just going to stall almost got rear ended and then the car wanted to send me in to another lane. Due to the angry driver behind me. |
| Category | Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems |
| Date | Dec 21, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Since I purchased my jetta sel the car in 2020 march the back right tire will not hold air. Have taken to the dealership and the young man said it was the valve stem and simple fix small issue. Claiming had an stem issues. Leaving the dealership 15 minutes later hit the interstate and all of a sudden light comes on low air right tire ongoing issue for over a year refuse to be fixed by the car dealership just being pushed over. Bought car brand new very upsetting treatment. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Dec 09, 2021 |
| State | MD |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 volkswagen jetta. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v492000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and a case was opened. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Apr 15, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Catastrophic fuel pump failure at 14,000 miles ' both fuel pump and fuel pump module had to be replaced. The vehicle had been maintained properly according to scheduled maintenance standards. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Service Brakes |
| Date | Apr 11, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Vehicle was stationary in parking spot and upon ignition began revving uncontrollably and threw up error codes "engine speed max. 4000 rpm" and "start-stop system error", along with epc and engine lights. The brake was also depressed. Upon putting into reverse the parking brake was automatically engaged while the engine continued to rev. Soon after, engine would sputter but not turn over with the same error codes on display. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Apr 07, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Sunglass holder keeps breacking which prevents me from seeing review view mirros. This is an ongoing vw issues that has not been fixed for many years. It is cheap and breaks easily . |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Feb 03, 2021 |
| State | NM |
| Description | I came to a stop light and had my car in neutral. Put it into first at a green light and there was no power, the engine had cut off. I drive a manual and have for my entire life. There was no lurching or anything, just a silent cut. Hard to get it turned back on, the vehicle seemed confused when I hit the start button... Was nearly rear ended. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Steering |
| Date | Jan 19, 2021 |
| State | OR |
| Description | As I was driving home late last night from work on a city street , my car suddenly would not accelerate in speed while in motion but you can hear the car accelerate when I was pushing on the gas. It felt as if the car has turned off because then my steering wheel got hard was hard to move while in motion. Cause of problems is unknown but may not be safe to drive if it continues |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 11, 2021 |
| State | CO |
| Description | The hill hold assist did not disengaged quickly when stopped on an incline, burning the clutch to get the vehicle to move forward. This caused smoking from the hood of the car and we were then forced to pull to the side of a very congested highway and wait for the smoking to stop and give the clutch a break. This has now caused premature clutch wear. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 23, 2020 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Vehicle is brand new and has been in my possession for 7 days. Car-net module and bluetooth audio modules have both failed. Car-net failed on day 5, bluetooth on day 6. Prescribed resolution involves pulling the appropriate fuse to reset the system. After this procedure, system failed to reset. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Oct 03, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | At highway speeds the vehicle will sway to the right and at times very abruptly going over or near the lane dividers without warning. The steering wheel remains straight but it feels like I'm driving with a strong cross wind the entire time. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | Aug 28, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | The epc light comes on randomly at highway speeds when revving up the engine to overtake cars. The engine suddenly bogs down and engine rpms are limited to 3000 when light is on. It could be a potentially dangerous situation because the car will not want to accelerate and forces me to get off the freeway. The only way for the light to come off is to turn off the car and turn it back on. I visited a local vw dealer and they informed me of a fault code p227900 intake air system leak passive/sporadic. They performed an air intake system test and found no problems. This is the third time this epc light comes on. If it happens a 4th time I will once again take it to the dealer if something comes on. It is very frustrating that I can't rev my car at highway speeds or else this light keeps turning on. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 20, 2020 |
| State | GA |
| Description | In heavy rain or adverse weather the sonar in the front of the car for crash avoidance fails and states that it's unable to protect me and my passengers! The dealer has had this car for 3 times and the owners manual doesn't tell that in those situations that this can or should occur |
| Category | Electrical System, Service Brakes, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jul 19, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | 2 separate incidents involving the epc. One was about 10 day's ago, july 9th getting on the freeway in houston. Car threw up numerous error codes, it automatically slammed on the brakes upon entering the middle lane of the freeway, gave an epc error code, transmission error code, and start/stop error code. I got it to the nearest dealership, montroad volkswagen off I-45. They claim they could find nothing wrong after sitting on it for 24 hours & sent me on my way. Fast forward to last night, now 10 day's later, july 19th, coming back home from dallas, a nearly 600 mile round trip & another epc code code comes up & says fault: electronic parking brake when I went to park the car & head inside. Now I've only had this car a month, it shouldn't have all these kinds of issues & it deeply concerns me. |
| Category | Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes |
| Date | Jul 03, 2020 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | My car rolled into a wall on the other side of a parking lot while I was inside the opposite building. There is no alert/indicator/notification that the e-brake is engaged. There are alerts for the seat belt, air bag, truck/door opened, low gas, lights, etc. There is even a notification on the screen to remind me to grab my phone after I turn off the car and open the door. But for the e-brake, which is a two-step process that requires discrete pauses by the driver, there is nothing. This is a serious design flaw, that could result in a car rolling and injuring someone. I urge you not to wait for critical moments as in the past for auto alerts to be installed in cars, but to act now. I request all auto manufactures, vw and otherwise, that have e-brakes, create an alert that notifies the driver the car is off and the e-brake is not engaged, recall those cars, and update the computer. And if there isn't room, I suggest deleting the notification to not forget one's phone. *tr |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 15, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Vehicle is stalling at lights. Vehicle has rough idle. Vehicle automatic braking activate without warning. *tr |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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