FREE VEHICLE RESEARCH
2019 Volkswagen Jetta
The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta has 11 NHTSA safety recalls on file, 537 owner complaints, and gets about 34 mpg combined. Here's the full free record from NHTSA and the EPA.
SPECS
2019 Volkswagen Jetta at a glance
- Engine
- 4-cyl 1.4L
- Cylinders
- 4
- Displacement
- 1.4 L
- Drivetrain
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Transmission
- Automatic (S8)
- Body
- Compact Cars
- Fuel
- Regular
Source: EPA / NHTSA vPIC, as of July 10, 2026.
SAFETY RECALLS · NHTSA
11 openUnknown Or Other
25/09/2019
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 2012-2013 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2008-2010 Beetle, and Beetle Convertible vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
Remedy: 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 this recall is 01D7. Note: This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 18V-329.
Exterior Lighting
26/09/2018
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 vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy: 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 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L1.
Suspension
19/12/2018
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.
Remedy: 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 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J2/42J3.
Electrical System
26/11/2018
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 the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
Remedy: 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 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 90L3 and 90L4.
Air Bags
20/02/2019
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.
Remedy: 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 service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Y7.
Suspension
06/03/2019
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.
Remedy: 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 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J5.
Wheels
11/12/2019
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 bearings.
Remedy: 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 customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40P1. Note: The affected owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repairs have been made.
Tires
31/10/2022
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 Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Remedy: 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 Audis customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
NHTSA has opened one or more investigations covering this model. Recalls can follow an investigation, so check NHTSA for the latest before you buy.
Open safety recalls are free to fix at any franchised dealer. What recalls mean → Source: NHTSA recalls, as of July 10, 2026. Recalls can be issued any time, confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.
OWNER COMPLAINTS · NHTSA
537 filed- 159
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that after driving and shifting into reverse(R), the vehicle failed to reverse as intended. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the valve
- 133
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The electrical system went out while I was driving and gave me the error ""Ignition switch off, safely stop the vehicle". I was able to pull over without an incident and it has not come up again since I've turned the vehicle back on, but I
- 60
ENGINE
The vehicle is sluggish while driving as if trying to pick up speed as if it is not shifting into the next gear. The other day while making a hard left turn, the vehicle stalled and when picking up speed continued to stall and struggled to
- 58
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unknown
- 18
STRUCTURE
I was driving when I heard a loud "bang" over my head. I was terrified and swerved because I was startled. This put me at risk of hitting a vehicle in the lane next to me and injuring myself or others. There were no warning lights or anythi
- 13
SERVICE BRAKES
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
Problems owners reported to the government, useful for spotting patterns, not proof any one car has them. What complaints mean → Source: NHTSA complaints, as of July 10, 2026. Owner-submitted reports, not verified diagnoses.
CRASH-TEST RATINGS · NHTSA NCAP
- Overall
- ★★★★★
- Frontal
- ★★★★☆
- Side
- ★★★★★
- Rollover
- ★★★★☆
Government crash tests of this model; not every trim or year is tested. Source: NHTSA NCAP, as of July 10, 2026.
FUEL & RUNNING COST · U.S. EPA
- Combined
- 34 mpg
- City / Hwy
- 30 / 40
- Est. fuel / yr
- $1,850
- CO₂ / mi
- 262 g
EPA lab estimates; real mpg varies by how you drive. Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov, as of July 10, 2026. Annual cost assumes 15,000 mi/yr at EPA's reference price.
All figures above come from free U.S. government sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, investigations, crash tests) and the EPA (fuel economy and specs). We don't show market price, insurance cost, or proprietary reliability scores, because there's no free, reliable public source for them. For a verdict on a specific listing, with a fair-offer number and what to ask the seller, that's the VINly app.
BEFORE YOU BUY
What to check on this car
Confirm the recalls were fixed
This model has 11 open NHTSA recalls (including the unknown or other). Recall repairs are free at the dealer, so ask the seller for proof the remedy was performed, or verify by VIN at nhtsa.gov before you buy.
Watch for a pending investigation
NHTSA has an open investigation covering this model. A recall can follow an investigation, so check nhtsa.gov for the latest before you commit.
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Test-drive the basics
Cold start, full-lock steering both ways, firm brakes with no pulsing, smooth shifts, and every electronic feature. Warning lights should come on at key-on, then go out.
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Check the title and the VIN
Confirm the title status in hand matches the listing, and that the VIN matches across the dash, door jamb, and title. VINly does not show ownership or accident history, for that, run a paid report like Carfax.
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Ask the seller the right questions
Why they are selling, any service records, accident or panel-repaint history, how many owners, and whether any open recalls were completed.
See the full used-car inspection checklist. None of this replaces a hands-on inspection by a mechanic.
Quick answers
What is recalled on the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta? +
NHTSA lists 11 safety recalls for the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta, including the unknown or other. See the full list above, and confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov.
What gas mileage does the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta get? +
The EPA rates the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta at 34 mpg combined (30 city / 40 highway), about $1,850 a year in fuel.
How safe is the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta? +
NHTSA's NCAP program gives the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta 5 out of 5 stars overall, with 4 stars for rollover resistance.
What do owners complain about on the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta? +
Owners have filed 537 complaints with NHTSA for the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta, including 19 involving a crash. The most-reported area is power train.
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