NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 164 owner complaints for the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta (including the hybrid).
4Safety recalls
164Owner complaints
18Complaints citing a crash
5Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: fuel system, electrical system, and engine and cooling. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (18 complaints, 11%), then a fuel smell or fuel leak (12). Most-reported area: engine (44 complaints, 27%; median mileage when it happened: 39,500). Includes the Jetta Hybrid.
4 safety recalls for the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Jetta vehicles. The fuel rail bolts may become loose over time, allowing fuel to leak.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
NHTSA listing: JETTA. Volkswagen campaign 24Gi.
Electrical system
Aug 22, 2019
ignition · anti-theft · control module
Fails federal standard 114 (theft and rollaway protection)
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 silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."
Risk: 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jetta vehicles manufactured October 31, 2015, to January 21, 2016, 2016 Passat vehicles, equipped with 1.8T engines manufactured November 13, 2015, to December 9, 2015, and 2016 Golf vehicles manufactured November 5, 2015, to November 11, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the fuel rail may detach from the cylinder head and result in a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.
Risk: 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
NHTSA listing: JETTA. Components: Engine and cooling: engine; Brakes: power assist, vacuum. Volkswagen campaign 23R1.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA also lists 1 equipment recall for parts sold for this vehicle, not the vehicle itself: Brakes: foundation components, master cylinder (Tenneco Automotive, 20E-064).
What owners report
Owners have filed 164 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Jetta. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Check engine light18 · 11%
Fuel smell or fuel leak12 · 7%
Loss of power or limp mode10 · 6%
Stalling or shutting off while driving9 · 5%
Brake failure or a soft or hard pedal6 · 4%
Excessive oil consumption5 · 3%
Hesitation or slow acceleration5 · 3%
Won't start5 · 3%
Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these.
Areas named in complaints
Engine44 · 27%
Median 39,500 miles at failure, from 24 reports with mileage
Electrical system38 · 23%
Most named: horn (3) · Median 41,400 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage
Fuel and propulsion system28 · 17%
Brakes23 · 14%
Median 34,100 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Powertrain22 · 13%
Speed control12 · 7%
Steering12 · 7%
Unknown or other35 · 21%
Median 42,700 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Volkswagen Jetta recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Jetta drew the most (288) and the 2016 drew 41.
Owner complaints
2016: 164 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Volkswagen Jetta
Model year
Complaints
2016
164
2017
159
2018
31
2019
548
2020
52
2021
69
2022
43
2023
43
2024
43
2025
28
2026
6
Safety recalls
2016: 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Volkswagen Jetta
Model year
Recalls
2016
4
2017
6
2018
2
2019
11
2020
6
2021
4
2022
1
2023
0
2024
0
2025
2
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Volkswagen Jetta 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 11.1%
Volkswagen Jetta HEV 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 11.1%
Questions
What are the most common 2016 Jetta problems?
In the 164 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta, the problems described most are the check engine light coming on (18), a fuel smell or fuel leak (12), and loss of power or limp mode (10). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Jetta has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Volkswagen dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: JETTA, JETTA GLI, JETTA HYBRID.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.