VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON · model year

2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON

2 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2004VOLKSWAGENJETTA WAGON carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2004 JETTA WAGON is fuel/propulsion system with 1 filings, followed by visibility/wiper (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2004 JETTA WAGON, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1

Recent Complaints

20200816VISIBILITY/WIPER

THE FRONT WINDOWS DETACH AND DROP DOWN INSIDE THE DOOR DURING COLD WEATHER, EVEN WHEN THE WINDOW HAS NOT BEEN OPERATED. THIS HAS CAUSED A LOSS OF VISIBILITY AS WELL AS A LOSS OF PROTECTION DURING A BLIZZARD, AND AGAIN DURING A TORRENTIAL RAIN STORM WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE REATTACHED THE WINDOWS MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS FAILURE OF THE CLAMPS THAT HOLDS THEM IN PLACE. THIS HAS HAPPENED BOTH AT LOW SPEEDS AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE ISSUE CONTINUES TO BE A HAZARDOUS PROBLEM. IN LOOKING ONLINE FOR HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON IN THESE CARS AND HAS BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION FOR MANY DRIVERS.

Mileage: 140,000

20200104FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

STARTING AT AROUND 130,000 MILES, WHEN GAS TANK IS AT A QUARTER OR SLIGHTLY LESS, THE CAR LOOSES POWER AND ACTS AS IF IT IS NOT GETTING FUEL TO THE ENGINE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY AT TYPICAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS, POWER IS LOST FOR 10-15 SECONDS, RPM DROPS TO AROUND 2000 OR LESS (WHILE IN "DRIVE"). THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE ENGINE JERKS TO LIFE, AND I CAN DRIVE THE CAR NORMALLY, UP UNTIL I HAVE TO REFILL THE TANK. THE STALLING DOESN'T REPEAT ITSELF UNTIL THE NEXT QUARTER TANK. WHEN THE QUARTER OF A TANK ISSUE HAPPENS IN THE CITY AT SLOWER SPEEDS, THE CAR DIES, DASHBOARD ENGINE LIGHTS COME ON, AND I HAVE TO PULL OVER, AND CRANK THE STARTER 3 OR 4 TIMES, AND EVENTUALLY, IT STARTS BACK UP AGAIN WITH NORMAL DRIVING RESUMED. ONE TIME I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL, LOST POWER, AND HAD TO PULL OVER QUICK. WHEN THE QUARTER OF A TANK ISSUE HAPPENS WHILE PARKED, ENGINE AT AN IDLE, THE CAR DIES, AND I HAVE TO CRANK THE STARTER A FEW TIMES TO RESTART THE CAR. THIS PROBLEM ONLY HAPPENS

Mileage: 140,000

Compare 2004VOLKSWAGENJETTA WAGON to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON have?
The 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON?
The most-complained component for the 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY/WIPER.
Is the 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2004 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA WAGON; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.