VOLKSWAGEN JETTA · model year

2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

1184 NHTSA complaints, 31 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2010VOLKSWAGENJETTA carries 1184 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 31 crashes, 9 fires, 13 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2010 JETTA is electrical system with 226 filings, followed by fuel system, diesel (166) and fuel/propulsion system (122). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 5 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2010 JETTA, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

1184
Complaints
31
Crashes
9
Fires
13
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

1184 filings

Crashes Reported

31 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM226
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL166
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM122
ENGINE117
POWER TRAIN81
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING47
UNKNOWN OR OTHER46
SERVICE BRAKES43
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL30
AIR BAGS30
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE27
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION24
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)21
EXTERIOR LIGHTING18
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE14

Recalls (5)

20E06400023/09/2020

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 flu

16V91300020/12/2016

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 Elec

09V33300020/08/2009

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

10V62100010/12/2010

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 WINDSHIE

11V49000003/10/2011

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

Recent Complaints

20250808FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Why driving at 55mph the high pressure fuel pump grenaded sending metal shrapnel through the engine causing an immediate engine shut off while still driving. Entire fuel system has shut down as result

20250521SERVICE BRAKES

When you turn on the vehicle, the abs and traction light illuminates. The light that says "BRAKE" also illuminates and the vehicle beeps 3 times. When driving the vehicle, the red light "BRAKE" flashes constantly, while the ABS and traction control light remains illuminated but no flashes. The dealership says it's a fault ABS module and Hydraulic Pump Assembly. I researched and found a Volkswagen safety recall code: 45F2 (published March 17, 2017) that seems very applicable to my vehicle. Safety concerns include but are not limited to the following: loss of vehicle control, failure to brake properly, auto engagement of brakes not by the driver, etc. All safety concerns may cause my life or the life of another individual.

20250521VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

When you turn on the vehicle, the abs and traction light illuminates. The light that says "BRAKE" also illuminates and the vehicle beeps 3 times. When driving the vehicle, the red light "BRAKE" flashes constantly, while the ABS and traction control light remains illuminated but no flashes. The dealership says it's a fault ABS module and Hydraulic Pump Assembly. I researched and found a Volkswagen safety recall code: 45F2 (published March 17, 2017) that seems very applicable to my vehicle. Safety concerns include but are not limited to the following: loss of vehicle control, failure to brake properly, auto engagement of brakes not by the driver, etc. All safety concerns may cause my life or the life of another individual.

20250521UNKNOWN OR OTHER

When you turn on the vehicle, the abs and traction light illuminates. The light that says "BRAKE" also illuminates and the vehicle beeps 3 times. When driving the vehicle, the red light "BRAKE" flashes constantly, while the ABS and traction control light remains illuminated but no flashes. The dealership says it's a fault ABS module and Hydraulic Pump Assembly. I researched and found a Volkswagen safety recall code: 45F2 (published March 17, 2017) that seems very applicable to my vehicle. Safety concerns include but are not limited to the following: loss of vehicle control, failure to brake properly, auto engagement of brakes not by the driver, etc. All safety concerns may cause my life or the life of another individual.

20240718ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving or parked, the door locks, gas cap sensor, and tailgate were not working as intended. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to several unknown recalls; however, the vehicle was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Mileage: 160,000

20240718LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving or parked, the door locks, gas cap sensor, and tailgate were not working as intended. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to several unknown recalls; however, the vehicle was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Mileage: 160,000

20240702SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS, ESC, and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the ABS control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics, Electronic Stability Control (ESC)), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000.

Mileage: 90,000

20240702ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS, ESC, and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the ABS control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics, Electronic Stability Control (ESC)), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000.

Mileage: 90,000

20240111SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the brake light, ABS, and Electronic Stability Control warning lights remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted regarding the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 260,000.

Mileage: 260,000

20240111ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the brake light, ABS, and Electronic Stability Control warning lights remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted regarding the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 260,000.

Mileage: 260,000

20231012UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Every time it rains, water comes down im assuming from my sunroof, ive cleaned the drains multiple times, it doesnt make a differenc, the water goes through my fuse box on the driver side fuse box inside the car like a white water rapid and collects in the floorboard. It blows all of my fuses, it also blows out my headlights, brake lights, and turn signals. Not to mention the mold that must be growing in the car from all the water. I tried contacting volkswagen but they wont do anything.. eventhough ive spent who knows how much money replacing all those bulbs and fuses. Plus the damprid containers ive bought to help dry everything up, and the cleaners, the air freshners, the cost of vacuuming all that water up.. also my doors wont lock, i cant control anything in the car with the drivers side controls, cant open my trunk with the switch by the drivers seat. This has changed my whole opinion of volkswagen vehicles.. i used to think they were really good cars, not anymore!

20230925SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:ABS WARNING LIGHT

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ABS control module software needed to be updated. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure however, the contact was awaiting a call back. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Mileage: 100,000

20230924ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1) IGNITION SWITCH - yes 2) car wont turn off, key is stuck and wont allow to be turned off. this is dangerous for car to be left on. 3) yes - common problem with VW 4) yes by mechanic 5) no warnings, typically ignition needs jiggling to start and turn off ignition but this is the first time it has refused to budge.

20230913AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bags warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. On another occasion, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle and became aware that the sunroof had opened independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 77,000.

Mileage: 77,000

20230728SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the brake was depressed and the ABS and Traction Control warning lights inadvertently illuminated, and the vehicle spun out of control, nearly causing a crash with another vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an inoperable ABS Hydraulic module. The contact was informed that the ABS Hydraulic module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that after researching, he discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Mileage: 90,000

20230728ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the brake was depressed and the ABS and Traction Control warning lights inadvertently illuminated, and the vehicle spun out of control, nearly causing a crash with another vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an inoperable ABS Hydraulic module. The contact was informed that the ABS Hydraulic module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that after researching, he discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Mileage: 90,000

20230719POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unintendedly shifted into neutral(N). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V333000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,900.

Mileage: 159,900

20230523ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated he was unable to start the vehicle temporarily. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to start the vehicle within 30 minutes and drove to his destination. The contact stated that he had experienced the failure a total of 4 times. The contact took the vehicle to the independent mechanic, where the steering column lock assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 255,000.

Mileage: 255,000

20230116ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2010 Jetta, manual transmission Key gets stuck in ignition and wont cut car off. Eventually got key out, ignition locked wont let key turn car on. This is a known vw issue with over 860 complaints on this exact issue between 2009-2013. VW refuses to do recall, even though this is a manufacturing parts issue.

20230116POWER TRAIN

2010 Jetta, manual transmission Key gets stuck in ignition and wont cut car off. Eventually got key out, ignition locked wont let key turn car on. This is a known vw issue with over 860 complaints on this exact issue between 2009-2013. VW refuses to do recall, even though this is a manufacturing parts issue.

Compare 2010VOLKSWAGENJETTA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA have?
The 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA has 1184 NHTSA complaints, 31 crashes, 9 fires, 13 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA?
Yes, the 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA has 5 recall(s). The most common affected component is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA?
The most-complained component for the 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 226 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL and FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.
Is the 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.