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2021 Volkswagen Jetta Reliability & Recall Report

Based on 4 NHTSA recalls and 69 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.

B
71/100

Moderate Reported Activity — 2021 Volkswagen Jetta

The 2021 Volkswagen Jetta shows moderate recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data. Review the recall campaigns and common complaints below before buying.

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4
NHTSA Recalls
4 recalls on record
69
Owner Complaints
Filed with NHTSA
3
Crash Reports
In NHTSA complaints
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NHTSA Recalls — 2021 Volkswagen Jetta (4)

All recalls listed below must be repaired by an authorized Volkswagen dealer at no charge to the owner.

🔧 Seats
The seat can move front and back without restriction if bolts are missing, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat tracks and, as necessary, install the bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 18, 2021. Owners may contact…
NHTSA #21V038000
🔧 Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module
Incorrect positioning of the air bag control module can cause the vehicle's air bags to deploy improperly during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, the vehicle's air bags can deploy unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 28, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number…
NHTSA #21V492000
🔧 Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's…
NHTSA #20V716000
🔧 Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number…
NHTSA #22V514000
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Most Common Problems — 2021 Volkswagen Jetta

Based on 69 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.

Service Brakes
24
Electrical System
13
Fuel/propulsion System
6
Air Bags
5
Unknown Or Other
5
Steering
3
Forward Collision Avoidance
3
Lane Departure
2
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Volkswagen Jetta — Complaints by Year

A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2021 model year is highlighted.

2015 194 complaints 2016 161 complaints 2017 160 complaints 2018 31 complaints 2019 549 complaints 2020 54 complaints 2021 69 complaints 2022 43 complaints 2023 43 complaints 2024 46 complaints 2025 30 complaints

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⚠ Higher-complaint years: 2019 — These model years have more owner complaints in NHTSA data than the other years compared.

✅ Best model years: 2018, 2020, 2022 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.

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Frequently Asked Questions — 2021 Volkswagen Jetta

Is the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta has 4 recall campaigns and 69 owner complaints. This model year shows relatively low recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data.
How many recalls does the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta have?
The 2021 Volkswagen Jetta has 4 NHTSA recalls. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta?
The most commonly reported problems for the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta are: Service Brakes, Electrical System, Fuel/propulsion System, Air Bags. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.
Is the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta safe to buy?
The 2021 Volkswagen Jetta has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 4 recalls are completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.
What year Volkswagen Jetta should I buy?
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the best years for the Volkswagen Jetta are: 2018, 2020, 2022. These show the lowest complaint rates. Years with higher complaint counts: 2019.
How we score this: The score starts at 100 and subtracts points for the number of NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints filed for this model year, and for complaints that report crashes or fires. Newer model years get a small bonus because they have had less time to collect reports. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so popular models tend to have more recalls and complaints. Complaints are unverified owner reports. This grade is not a prediction about any individual vehicle and is not an inspection: check a specific car’s VIN for open recalls and get an independent pre-purchase inspection.
Data source: All recall and complaint data is sourced directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public API. Data is cached and refreshed every 7 days. Recall and complaint counts reflect data available at the time of last cache update. For the most current recall status on a specific vehicle, enter the VIN above or visit NHTSA.gov/recalls.