Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2009 Volkswagen Jetta: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 903 safety complaints about the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

903
Complaints
7
Recalls
6
Investigations

Complaints for this vehicle report 31 crashes, 8 fires, 17 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Fuel & propulsion leads the complaint list, cited in 308 of 903 complaints, followed by Brakes & stability.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 188 of the 903 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. 6 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 903 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Fuel & propulsion
308
Brakes & stability
230
Engine & cooling
167
Power train / transmission
142
Electrical
111
Airbags & restraints
49
Other / unspecified
41
Visibility & lighting
33

"3 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING MY PRE-OWNED VEHICLE IN MAY 2019, SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT OF THE ENGINE ON MY WAY TO WORK. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A SHOP AND WAS TOLD THE CAUSE OF THE ISSUE WAS BROKEN ENGINE HOSE CLAMPS. THE SHOP CHARGED ME ALMOST $700 FOR BRAND NEW HOSE ASSEMBLIES AND CLAMPS. ALSO, MY TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING INTERMITTENTLY AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE."

Owner complaint filed August 2019 · Power Train,Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA ODI 11242913

"AT 140K MILES 2009 VOLKSWAGON JETTA TDI STALLED OUT IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. TOWED TO DEALER AND DIAGNOSTICS REVEALED P0191-FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR IMPLAUSIBLEAND P0087-FUEL RAIL SYSTEM PRESSURE TOO LOW. VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOT FIX DUE TO EMISSIONS RECALL OF MY VEHICLE AND OVER WARRANTY. VOLKSWAGEN KNOWS THIS IS A DEFECT WITH THE DIESEL ENGINE AND WON'T FIX IT."

Owner complaint filed October 2016 · Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA ODI 10918844

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2009 Volkswagen Jetta
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
1
78
95
119
87
79
94
73
46
67
44
53
20
15
12
8
7
3
2
08091011121314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

How the 2009 compares with other model years

Across the Volkswagen Jetta model years we track, the 2009 has the most complaints on file.

Total complaints by model year — Volkswagen Jetta
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
580
2009
903
875
639
526
516
545
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 7 recalls

7 recalls apply to some or all 2009 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

May 200909V-164
Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 25,594 MY 2006-2009 JETTA 5TH GENERATION EQUIPPED WITH 2.01 ENGINE. THE FASTENING SCREW CONTACT SURFACES ON THE DRIVESHAFT COVER PLATE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. SOME SCREWS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TORQUED PROPERLY DURING ASSEMBLY AND COULD LOOSEN OVE…

Aug 200909V-333
Power Train:Automatic Transmission

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND AUGUST 2009. THE WIRING HARNESS OF A TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN THE DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX (DSG) MAY HAVE CONNECTOR WIRES THAT WERE INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED. WITH INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED CONNECTOR W…

Dec 201010V-621
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 JETTA, NEW BEETLE, NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE, MODEL YEAR 2009 JETTA SPORTWAGEN AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 RABBIT VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5L ENGINES. THE JETTA, JETTA SPORTWAGEN, AND RABBIT VEHICLES MAY HAVE A SMALL PLASTIC TAB LOCATED ON THE WINDSHIEL…

Oct 201111V-490
Fuel System, Diesel

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL 2009-2012 JETTA AND JETTA SPORTWAGEN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2008 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 AUDI A3 VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTE…

Dec 201616V-913
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Elect…

Sep 201919V-679
Unknown Or Other

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, 2…

Sep 202020E-064
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder

Tenneco Automotive (Tenneco) is recalling certain Beck/Arnley Master Cylinders, part number 072-9831, sold as aftermarket or replacement parts for 2004-2018 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2012-2019 Volkswagen Beetle vehicles. The fluid seal crimp on the master cylinder may be insufficient, causing brake flui…

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 903 complaints about the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta with NHTSA. The most-reported system is fuel & propulsion.

How many recalls does the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta have?

The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta has 7 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.