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

2011 Volkswagen Jetta: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 639 safety complaints about the 2011 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

639
Complaints
10
Recalls
5
Investigations
4★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 28 crashes, 12 fires, 16 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Electrical leads the complaint list, cited in 200 of 639 complaints, followed by Fuel & propulsion.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 118 of the 639 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. 5 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 639 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Electrical
200
Fuel & propulsion
170
Engine & cooling
119
Other / unspecified
78
Visibility & lighting
69
Power train / transmission
55
Airbags & restraints
46
Brakes & stability
41

"The f16 fuse in the engine bay that connects power to multiple exterior lights as well as the abs brake system melts and melts part of the fuse tray. This is the same thing that happens with the vw Tiguan in campaign am97. Look into am97 as this can ruin your abs brake system. This should be recalled and fixed. This picture is not mine but is exactly what happened."

Owner complaint filed January 2025 · Electrical System,Exterior Lighting,Service Brakes · NHTSA ODI 11633929

"Car was being driven and coils snapped caused, tire to pop damaging front end. Car was being driven and randomly shut off in middle of road. Driving vehicle shifting into gear lags, check engine light is on, had reader and said that valve 2 has low pressure. As a result clanking and loose noise sounds are heard when driven from drivers side."

Owner complaint filed June 2024 · Suspension,Electrical System,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11594711

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
7
100
50
39
79
79
58
44
35
54
35
17
17
11
10
4
10111213141516171819202122232425
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

How the 2011 compares with other model years

Across the Volkswagen Jetta model years we track, the 2009 has the most complaints on file (903); the 2011 ranks 3 of 7.

Total complaints by model year — Volkswagen Jetta
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
580
903
875
2011
639
526
516
545
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 10 recalls

10 recalls apply to some or all 2011 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Mar 201111V-196
Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 JETTA VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 2010 THROUGH MARCH 2011. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE AN ELECTRICAL WIRING AND FUSE LAYOUT WHERE THE CONVERTER BOX IS PROTECTED BY THE SAME FUSE USED BY THE SIGNAL HORN AND THE ANTI-THEFT ALARM SYSTEM. SHOULD THAT FUS…

Sep 201111V-466
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 JETTA SEDAN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 18, 2010, THROUGH AUGUST 22, 2011. SOME VEHICLES HAD A STAINLESS STEEL EXHAUST TIP INSTALLED AT THE PORT DURING IMPORTATION. THESE EXHAUST TIPS MAY EXTEND BEYOND THE ORIGINAL LENGTH OF THE FACTORY-INSTA…

Sep 201111E-036
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN STAINLESS STEEL EXHAUST TIPS, PART NUMBER 1K0 071 910 U, SOLD AS ACCESSORY EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 JETTA SEDAN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 18, 2010, THROUGH AUGUST 22, 2011. THESE EXHAUST TIPS MAY EXTEND BEYOND THE ORIGINAL LENGTH OF THE FACTORY…

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…

Mar 201414E-007
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

The Gates Corporation (Gates) is recalling certain aftermarket Tru-Flow Water Pumps, part number TFW 41127, sold at certain NAPA Auto Parts and/or installed by automotive service technicians after November 1, 2013 (and manufactured August 2013 through October 2013) that have a black-colored pulley/s…

Oct 201414V-656
Suspension:Rear

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, to November 30, 2012, and 2012-2013 Beetle vehicles manufactured March 1, 2011, to July 31, 2013. The durability of the rear trailing arms may be reduced in vehicles wh…

Aug 201515V-483
Air Bags:Frontal

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral woun…

Aug 201919V-615
Electrical System:Ignition:Anti-Theft:Control Module

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of …

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 →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★☆
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 639 complaints about the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta with NHTSA. The most-reported system is electrical.

How many recalls does the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta have?

The 2011 Volkswagen Jetta has 10 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

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.