NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 69 owner complaints for the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta.
4Safety recalls
69Owner complaints
3Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: backover prevention and rearview camera, air bags, and seats. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (8 complaints, 12%), then brake failure or a soft or hard pedal (5). Most-reported area: brakes (26 complaints, 38%). Includes the Jetta GLI.
4 safety recalls for the 2021 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 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainment system may cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DV.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Jetta and Jetta GLI vehicles. The air bag control module was welded in the incorrect position.
Risk: Incorrect positioning of the air bag control module can cause the vehicle's air bags to deploy improperly during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, the vehicle's air bags can deploy unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 28, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69CK.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Long Wheelbase and Jetta vehicles. Bolts may be missing from the front seat tracks.
Risk: The seat can move front and back without restriction if bolts are missing, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat tracks and, as necessary, install the bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 18, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 72L6.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan LWB, Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas FL and Arteon vehicles. The rear view camera could malfunction during an ignition cycle, leading to a black screen or infotainment system freeze. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91BB/91BC.
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.
What owners report
Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 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 light8 · 12%
Brake failure or a soft or hard pedal5 · 7%
Stalling or shutting off while driving4 · 6%
Loss of power or limp mode3 · 4%
Backup camera problems3 · 4%
Door lock or latch problems3 · 4%
Shattered sunroof3 · 4%
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
Brakes26 · 38%
Electrical system13 · 19%
Forward collision avoidance9 · 13%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (5); warnings (4)
Fuel and propulsion system9 · 13%
Air bags5 · 7%
Engine5 · 7%
Lane departure systems4 · 6%
Unknown or other11 · 16%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Volkswagen Jetta recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 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 2021 drew 30.
Owner complaints
2021: 69 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
2021: 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 13.1%
Volkswagen Jetta GLI 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 13.1%
Questions
What are the most common 2021 Jetta problems?
In the 69 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta, the problems described most are the check engine light coming on (8) and brake failure or a soft or hard pedal (5). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 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.
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.