2016 Volkswagen Jetta: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
160 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
160 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 16.0
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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 insp…
Fuel fire hazard. Safety Recall 24Gi performed 5-11-21 @ 67k miles. 4 years and 60k miles later, fuel rail bolts backed out, causing fuel to pour into engine compartment. VW’s repair solution was not adequate. Do I have any recourse?
Vehicle begins to shudder and slow with no response to attempts to accelerate and eventually stop completely though engine is still on. This has happened on multiple occasions and in many driving situations including on busy streets or in the middle of turning which is a huge risk for an accident! Can restart with regular acceleration after a few minutes. Service indicators will come on with codes indicating transmis…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 16V403000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection Sys | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jetta vehicles manufactured October 31, 2015, to January… |
| 20V648000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection Sys | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Jetta vehicles. The fuel rail bolts may become loose over tim… |
| 19V615000 | Electrical System:Ignition:Anti-Theft:Co | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle… |
| 20E064000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Com | Tenneco Automotive (Tenneco) is recalling certain Beck/Arnley Master Cylinders, part number 072-9831, sold as aftermarket or replacement par… |
| 15V705000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and… |
EPA combined 27 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,300
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (43 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 48/100, computed from 160 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 06/06/2016. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.