2020 Volkswagen Jetta problems and complaints

Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The most-reported areas: Electrical System (17), Unknown Or Other (13), Engine (12).

Key takeaways

  • 52 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
  • 1 involve a crash, 0 a fire, 2 reported injuries.
  • Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
Complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
Electrical System1733%
Unknown Or Other1325%
Engine1223%
Service Brakes713%
Power Train713%
Fuel/Propulsion System510%
Steering36%
Vehicle Speed Control36%
Forward Collision Avoidance24%
Suspension24%
Air Bags24%
Structure12%

One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

NHTSA 5-Star crash ratings
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
2020 Volkswagen Jetta 4 DR FWD5/54/55/54/5

Latest complaints, as filed

Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.

Electrical System - filed 2026-09-10

On 2 separate occasions (in recent 2 months); the car would not restart and error messages would include printing the electrical parking brake engagement. Attempts to reset were futile. Car had to be towed. After 2nd incident, the VW dealership identified that the ground wire for the electrical harness that runs throu...

Forward Collision Avoidance - filed 2026-05-20

Volkswagen mandatory software update/campaign 24Fi corrupted the OCU/Telematics firmware on my vehicle. This firmware corruption deactivated the critical emergency SOS safety system (Automatic Crash Notification), leaving a persistent red fault light on the overhead console. The dealership confirmed the internal malfun...

Suspension - filed 2026-04-26

Rear left coil spring snapped mid driving, breaking off a 3 inch piece. Car now rattles when it goes over bumps. Upon looking under the car, the right rear coil spring is corroded and snapped as well.

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More for the 2020 Volkswagen Jetta

Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.