2016 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 158 complaints · 5 recalls
Most-reported system: FUEL SYSTEM (24 complaints · 15.2%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 18
  • Fires 5
  • Injuries 14
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2015 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution FUEL SYSTEM appears in 24 of 158 owner complaints (15.2%) in this vehicle snapshot. FUEL SYSTEM: 24 complaints, 15.2% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 24 · 15.2% · 2 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 23 complaints, 14.6% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 23 · 14.6% ENGINE: 19 complaints, 12.0% of reports ENGINE 19 · 12.0% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 16 complaints, 10.1% of reports POWER TRAIN 16 · 10.1% · 1 crash reports SERVICE BRAKES: 13 complaints, 8.2% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 13 · 8.2% · 6 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 10 complaints, 6.3% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 10 · 6.3% · 5 crash reports STEERING: 5 complaints, 3.2% of reports STEERING 5 · 3.2% WHEELS: 5 complaints, 3.2% of reports WHEELS 5 · 3.2% · 1 crash reports AIR BAGS: 3 complaints, 1.9% of reports AIR BAGS 3 · 1.9% · 1 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 49 complaints, 31.0% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 49 · 31.0% · 3 crash reports 3 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
FUEL SYSTEM 24 15.2% 0 crashes · 2 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 23 14.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 19 12.0% 1 crashes · 1 fires
POWER TRAIN 16 10.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 13 8.2% 6 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 10 6.3% 5 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 5 3.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
WHEELS 5 3.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 3 1.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 49 31.0% 3 crashes · 3 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2015; the first recall shown was reported in Oct 2015. 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2018-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2019-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2019-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2019-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2020-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2020-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2020-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2021-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2021-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2021-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2022-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2023-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2024-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 2015 Apr 2026 Recall campaign 15V705000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V705000 Recall campaign 16V403000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V403000 Recall campaign 19V615000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V615000 Recall campaign 20E064000 ◆ Recall campaign 20E064000 Recall campaign 20V648000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V648000 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005
  • Campaign 16V403000 was reported 125 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V615000 was reported 857 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 20E064000 was reported 1,470 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 20V648000 was reported 1,723 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 3
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 2
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 7
2017-Q4 Owner reports 7
2018-Q1 Owner reports 2
2018-Q2 Owner reports 5
2018-Q3 Owner reports 5
2018-Q4 Owner reports 6
2019-Q1 Owner reports 3
2019-Q2 Owner reports 10
2019-Q3 Owner reports 8
2019-Q4 Owner reports 9
2020-Q1 Owner reports 5
2020-Q2 Owner reports 3
2020-Q3 Owner reports 9
2020-Q4 Owner reports 6
2021-Q1 Owner reports 5
2021-Q2 Owner reports 8
2021-Q3 Owner reports 3
2021-Q4 Owner reports 3
2022-Q1 Owner reports 4
2022-Q2 Owner reports 3
2022-Q3 Owner reports 4
2023-Q1 Owner reports 2
2023-Q2 Owner reports 7
2023-Q3 Owner reports 3
2023-Q4 Owner reports 3
2024-Q1 Owner reports 4
2024-Q2 Owner reports 3
2024-Q3 Owner reports 2
2025-Q1 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 4
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 2
2026-Q1 Owner reports 2
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 15V705000
Recall campaign 1 16V403000
Recall campaign 1 19V615000
Recall campaign 1 20E064000
Recall campaign 1 20V648000
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (5)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V705000

    Report date
    Component:
    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
    Consequence:
    If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V403000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cylinder heads, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 15F7.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V615000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20E064000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    If there is a brake fluid leak, it can reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Beck/Arnley will notify the distributors that sold the master cylinders and will work with the distributors to notify the end users. Affected master cylinders will be exchanged for a new master cylinder (part number 072-9990), free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2020. Owners may contact Tenneco customer service at 1-800-625-9319.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V648000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rail bolts and, as necessary, the fuel rail. The recall began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24Gi.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 158 complaints · page 1 of 7

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources