VOLKSWAGEN JETTA · model year

2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

551 NHTSA complaints, 33 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

5 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2014VOLKSWAGENJETTA carries 551 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 33 crashes, 2 fires, 24 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2014 JETTA is engine with 108 filings, followed by electrical system (89) and power train (73). 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 2014 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.

551
Complaints
33
Crashes
2
Fires
24
Injuries
0
Deaths
2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. Overall composite: 5.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 5.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 5.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

551 filings

Crashes Reported

33 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 5/5 — Top NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE108
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM89
POWER TRAIN73
UNKNOWN OR OTHER70
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM38
AIR BAGS36
EXTERIOR LIGHTING24
SERVICE BRAKES18
STEERING17
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL11
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)10
SUSPENSION9
STRUCTURE:BODY7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING5
SEAT BELTS5

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

15V02800023/01/2015

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to November 24, 2014, 2014-2015 Passat vehicles manufactured April 7, 2014, to November 18, 2014, 2015 Golf and GTI vehicles manufactured July 1, 2014, to November 20,

19V61500022/08/2019

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

14V18200015/04/2014

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES

Volkswagen of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, and Passat vehicles equipped with a 1.8T engine and torque converter automatic transmission. In the affected vehicles, the O-ring seals between the oil cooler and the transmission may le

15V48300004/08/2015

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 wou

Recent Complaints

20260116ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I am experiencing multiple safety-related issues with the driver's side door latch/lock assembly on my Volkswagen vehicle. These problems are isolated to the driver's door and appear linked to a known defect involving water intrusion and freezing. Symptoms include: In cold mornings (around 7:30 AM), the driver's door latch frequently freezes shut, likely due to moisture ingress that freezes in sub-freezing conditions—preventing opening from the exterior and sometimes the interior handle. This aligns with Volkswagen TSB 57-18-01, which addresses moisture-related freezing of front door latches. I must enter through the passenger door. While driving, the vehicle triggers "door open" chimes and warnings. The door is latched, but the door is not locked while driving. Which causes wind to catch on the door. If I am able to get the door open from the interior handle, the door will not latch closed. The driver's door fails to lock securely while using the hand exterior sensor or the lock but

20260116UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I am experiencing multiple safety-related issues with the driver's side door latch/lock assembly on my Volkswagen vehicle. These problems are isolated to the driver's door and appear linked to a known defect involving water intrusion and freezing. Symptoms include: In cold mornings (around 7:30 AM), the driver's door latch frequently freezes shut, likely due to moisture ingress that freezes in sub-freezing conditions—preventing opening from the exterior and sometimes the interior handle. This aligns with Volkswagen TSB 57-18-01, which addresses moisture-related freezing of front door latches. I must enter through the passenger door. While driving, the vehicle triggers "door open" chimes and warnings. The door is latched, but the door is not locked while driving. Which causes wind to catch on the door. If I am able to get the door open from the interior handle, the door will not latch closed. The driver's door fails to lock securely while using the hand exterior sensor or the lock but

20260105FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

the auxiliary heater had burned through the heat shield and melted into the cabin causing a small fire and now some smoke to enter the cabin

20260101POWER TRAIN

According to the mechanic to whom we took the vehicle, there was a massive short in the mechatronics component of the transmission. The mechanic also informed us that there was no proactive action we could have taken prior to this incident to prevent its occurrence. The car and its components are still available for inspection. The short caused the vehicle to immediately lose power while being driven between 60 and 65 mph on an Interstate Highway, and the vehicle had to be pulled over immediately. No warnings were provided before the short occurred but the failure resulted in the generation of a warning message after the fact. The vehicle had been serviced recently, including a basic inspection of the vehicle's electronics and transmission. I am unaware of the problem having been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center, but having researched the issue I discovered that other owners of similar make, model, and year numbers have experienced similar issues. Neither the

20251217ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the heater and the defroster were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the heater core was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where it was determined that the vehicle was designed with a silica bag near the coolant reservoir, and the silica bag had ruptured, causing silica to leak into the engine compartment and to clog the heater pipe. The mechanic was able to flush out a significant amount of silica; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that she resided in a small country area, where it was significantly cold, and the defroster and heater failure had reduced the contact's ability to see the roadway while driving in cold weather and to remain warm inside the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that all the compromised hoses, pipes, and parts might need to be replaced; however, t

Mileage: 100,000

20251217VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the heater and the defroster were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the heater core was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where it was determined that the vehicle was designed with a silica bag near the coolant reservoir, and the silica bag had ruptured, causing silica to leak into the engine compartment and to clog the heater pipe. The mechanic was able to flush out a significant amount of silica; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that she resided in a small country area, where it was significantly cold, and the defroster and heater failure had reduced the contact's ability to see the roadway while driving in cold weather and to remain warm inside the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that all the compromised hoses, pipes, and parts might need to be replaced; however, t

Mileage: 100,000

20251203CrashAIR BAGS

On October 17, 2025, I was driving my 2014 Volkswagen Jetta at approximately 25–30 mph on the bypass in Muscatine, Iowa. Another vehicle cut into my lane and struck the front driver-side of my car. My vehicle suffered significant front-end impact, including wheel/tire damage, bumper and fender damage, and visible suspension impact. During the crash, the driver-side airbag did NOT deploy, even though the impact was directly to the front driver-side area where the crash sensors are located. The airbag warning light did not come on before or after the crash. Because the force of the impact was strong enough to damage the front wheel, suspension components, and bumper structure, I believe the airbag system (airbag module, front crash sensor, or related wiring) failed to detect the crash properly. A collision at this speed and angle should have triggered airbag deployment. This failure put me at risk of serious injury. I am reporting this because the airbag system did not function as i

20251203CrashSTEERING

On October 17, 2025, I was driving my 2014 Volkswagen Jetta at approximately 25–30 mph on the bypass in Muscatine, Iowa. Another vehicle cut into my lane and struck the front driver-side of my car. My vehicle suffered significant front-end impact, including wheel/tire damage, bumper and fender damage, and visible suspension impact. During the crash, the driver-side airbag did NOT deploy, even though the impact was directly to the front driver-side area where the crash sensors are located. The airbag warning light did not come on before or after the crash. Because the force of the impact was strong enough to damage the front wheel, suspension components, and bumper structure, I believe the airbag system (airbag module, front crash sensor, or related wiring) failed to detect the crash properly. A collision at this speed and angle should have triggered airbag deployment. This failure put me at risk of serious injury. I am reporting this because the airbag system did not function as i

20251203CrashSUSPENSION

On October 17, 2025, I was driving my 2014 Volkswagen Jetta at approximately 25–30 mph on the bypass in Muscatine, Iowa. Another vehicle cut into my lane and struck the front driver-side of my car. My vehicle suffered significant front-end impact, including wheel/tire damage, bumper and fender damage, and visible suspension impact. During the crash, the driver-side airbag did NOT deploy, even though the impact was directly to the front driver-side area where the crash sensors are located. The airbag warning light did not come on before or after the crash. Because the force of the impact was strong enough to damage the front wheel, suspension components, and bumper structure, I believe the airbag system (airbag module, front crash sensor, or related wiring) failed to detect the crash properly. A collision at this speed and angle should have triggered airbag deployment. This failure put me at risk of serious injury. I am reporting this because the airbag system did not function as i

20251105FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Auxiliary Heater, Part# 1KO 963 235 H, Melted at the grounding post, potentially damaging wiring harness. Fire started in driver side footwell on 11/5/2025. Included is a photo of where the fire originated from. Medium burning to hands, and smoke inhalation from my passenger.

20250731VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

[XXX] driving on [XXX] , my car accelerated to almost redline without me pushing the pedal, I tried the brake only to find it didn't control the car., it died in the slow lane, no power anything. Eng lite was on, towed to my mechanic, he couldn't find why but the code said EGR, so he cleaned and replaced glow plugs, & regen'd the DPF to 0.. so I picked up the car, and a few days later, it did it again through a 4way stop. I called vw & was told to go to the dealer. Oakland VW inspected & said need new DPF $6K. Since the filter doesn't affect throttle, I declined, plus in 2022 on an extended warranty I went to dealer to have the filter replaced, instead they regen'd it & left the bad part in my car. Now the corporate Care Manager wants the DPF replaced for $6K b4 proceeding with any further testing to identify the source of the acceleration problem. The shop mgr, Joseph, was test driving & the car did take off and was not stoppable with the brakes. That was confirmed, yet VW of Ame

20250731UNKNOWN OR OTHER

[XXX] driving on [XXX] , my car accelerated to almost redline without me pushing the pedal, I tried the brake only to find it didn't control the car., it died in the slow lane, no power anything. Eng lite was on, towed to my mechanic, he couldn't find why but the code said EGR, so he cleaned and replaced glow plugs, & regen'd the DPF to 0.. so I picked up the car, and a few days later, it did it again through a 4way stop. I called vw & was told to go to the dealer. Oakland VW inspected & said need new DPF $6K. Since the filter doesn't affect throttle, I declined, plus in 2022 on an extended warranty I went to dealer to have the filter replaced, instead they regen'd it & left the bad part in my car. Now the corporate Care Manager wants the DPF replaced for $6K b4 proceeding with any further testing to identify the source of the acceleration problem. The shop mgr, Joseph, was test driving & the car did take off and was not stoppable with the brakes. That was confirmed, yet VW of Ame

20250716ENGINE

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated to 70 MPH. The contact immediately depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact pulled over onto the side of the road and the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that there was no fault found with the vehicle. The contact continued driving however, while driving uphill at 25 MPH and approaching a stop sign at an intersection, the vehicle independently accelerated to 50 MPH, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact shifted to neutral(N) and allowed the vehicle to slow down before driving to a local deale

Mileage: 113,000

20250716VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated to 70 MPH. The contact immediately depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact pulled over onto the side of the road and the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that there was no fault found with the vehicle. The contact continued driving however, while driving uphill at 25 MPH and approaching a stop sign at an intersection, the vehicle independently accelerated to 50 MPH, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact shifted to neutral(N) and allowed the vehicle to slow down before driving to a local deale

Mileage: 113,000

20250510ENGINE

My cars consumes oil like crazy. I'd say every week I am adding a quart to two quarts of oil. I would lose power while driving. Sometimes the car would just shut off And then it would take a few times to get it started. I was in the middle of driving when the car just completely shut off on me and it will not start at all. It will crank and sound like it's going to turn over but it won't. I've been told it's most likely a timing chain issue.

20250323POWER TRAIN

I was driving down the Highway at 65 miles per hour when my vehicle suddenly appeared to go into neutral and I lost power in the middle lane and almost was rear-ended. I was able to move over to the side shoulder just gliding. The vehicle starts but while driving it the transmission suddenly appears to go into neutral. The symptoms are consistent with the Recall 34J6 but when I look up my VIN it does not show any pending recalls.

20250315POWER TRAIN

I HAVE A 2014 JETTA HYBRID. MY CAR LOST POWER WHEN I TRIED TO USE IT. BROUGHT IT TO VW OF HAYWARD AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A FAULTY MECHATRON UNIT. WHICH I PAID FOR. I FOUND A RECALL ON THIS UNIT BUT FOR SOME REASON THE RECALL DIDN'T COVER MY VEHICLE. THAT ODD BECAUSE IT SAYS THAT 2013-2015 JETTA ARE BEING RECALL FOR MECHATRON FAILURES (RECALL CODE 34J6). ALL OF THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL WERE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE. I THINK MY CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED BY THE RECALL. I DON'T THINK I SHOUILD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR ($2400). THIS DEFECT WAS KNOWN BY VW AND IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO COVER THE COSTS.

20250203ENGINE

Oil consumption: My 2014 Jetta 1.8T SE is consuming oil at an excessive rate. This began at 30,000 miles and has been to the VW dealership numerous times ending without resolution.

20241210AIR BAGS

During this summer (2024), I got a warning with three beeps then warning lights came on, went off for a several months, and now have come on and stayed on (ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE, AIRBAG, Tire Pressure). This has to be an issue with VW. There was close to 63,000 miles on the car at the time. Now there's only 64,000 miles on the car. The dealer service center couldn't really determine the cause but still quoted a repair of nearly $4,000.

20241210SERVICE BRAKES

During this summer (2024), I got a warning with three beeps then warning lights came on, went off for a several months, and now have come on and stayed on (ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE, AIRBAG, Tire Pressure). This has to be an issue with VW. There was close to 63,000 miles on the car at the time. Now there's only 64,000 miles on the car. The dealer service center couldn't really determine the cause but still quoted a repair of nearly $4,000.

Compare 2014VOLKSWAGENJETTA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA have?
The 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA has 551 NHTSA complaints, 33 crashes, 2 fires, 24 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA?
The 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 5/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA?
Yes, the 2014 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 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA?
The most-complained component for the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA is ENGINE with 108 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2014 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. The 2014 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA has an NHTSA safety rating of 5/5. 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.