Volkswagen Jetta Reviews

When I went to pick it up, I found that another part had been installed, and I was charged an extra $35 with no prior authorization. It was because, I was told, a clamp needed replacing. The total for this repair was $1,767.30. How much does owning a VW Jetta cost? I was expected to pay $8,800 for the 2015 Jetta, and I’ve already paid $4,196.17 for the 2019 Jetta for repairs that should have been covered under a recall. Since this car still has only 52,000 miles on it, and cars tend to need more maintenance with higher mileage, I think my troubles are just beginning. Value analysis tells us that one has to take into account the number of breakdowns in machinery. Essentially, you have to ask whether the number of breakdowns justifies the cost of repairs. In this case, the answer is definitely no. Please learn from our mistakes and do not buy VWs, especially Jettas.

Original: In the 1980s, we had a friend who owned a VW Rabbit that was still running well at over 100,000 miles. One of our neighbors had a 1990s-era Jetta that ran with minimal issues at similar mileage. Therefore, we associated the brand Volkswagen with quality and durability. Our own experiences have proven to us that times have changed, and not for the better. We purchased our first VW from Kings Volkswagen in Cincinnati, OH, in September 2015 for $17,500. It had about 5,000 miles on it at the time, so it was practically brand new. While we thought we had gotten a great deal, we later discovered we would pay a small fortune in maintenance costs much earlier than we had imagined.

We have learned that, today, mechanics who do not work for VW service departments cannot read VW car schematics. Thus, we have no choice but to go to a dealership’s service department. While the list price makes VWs very attractive, it appears to be a gimmick meant to trap owners into paying exorbitant maintenance prices. When we bought our 2015 Jetta, the dealership, Kings Volkswagen of Cincinnati, gave us free oil changes. Every time we went to pick up the car after the oil change, we were given a list of “suggested” maintenance at unreasonably high prices. We have a friend who is a mechanic and could provide the same maintenance at a fraction of the price.

Since this system seemed to work well, we bought a 2019 Jetta from Fairfield Volkswagen. It was in 2022 that the signs that all was not as it used to be began to appear. The heat stopped working in our 2015 Jetta, and our mechanic friend discovered that the heater core was no longer working. (We have had different model Japanese cars, and the heat always worked without issue, even when they had over 200,000 miles.) He recommended taking it to the dealer, so we felt we had no choice but to do so.

The person at the Kings VW Service Department we spoke with seemed very nervous and was quite rude, insisting that we had to pay a $150 “diagnostic fee” even though we already knew what was wrong. Then came the real sticker shock: $800 to repair a heater. After we spoke out against this obvious price gouging, VW refunded the “diagnostic fee,” but the ridiculously high maintenance price remained unaddressed.

In the Summer of 2025, the “check engine” light in the 2015 Jetta came on, and it wouldn’t go off. After our bad experience with the fascist management at Kings Volkswagen’s Service Department, we decided to take our 2015 Jetta to the Fairfield Service Department, and were informed that the $150 “diagnostic fee” remained in effect. We felt we had no choice, so we “held our noses” and paid. They charged us $800, and the problem was not resolved. When we returned the car two or three times, Fairfield VW still couldn’t fix the problem, and the “check engine” light was still on. Finally, we were informed that their repair estimate was $7,200. It was more than the car was worth. Since we could not, in good conscience, sell it because of the problem, we gave it to our mechanic friend for free.

We were willing to give VW the benefit of the doubt and supposed the 2015 Jetta was a “lemon.” We shopped around and bought a 2025 Jetta from Joseph Volkswagen in Cincinnati since they offered the lowest price. Whether that will turn out to be another mistake remains to be seen (there has already been one recall issued). Then, at only 46,000 miles, a bolt above the timing belt in the 2019 Jetta came loose. I first took it to my own mechanic because I knew any dealership would charge me a fortune just for walking into the building. He repaired it and explained that if the bolt had fallen onto the timing belt, it would have cost an arm and a leg to repair.

A few months later, during a routine check, my mechanic noticed a small oil leak. He suggested going to the dealer because of the schematics. Since the management at the Kings VW Service Department had changed, we decided we would take the car there. I explained to the Service Department what had happened and why I was there. This time, the “diagnostic fee” was $99, which is more reasonable but still a symbol of corporate greed.

The Service Department called me and claimed that the bolt around the timing belt needed to be changed again, for about $700. Next, they said the timing belt had to be replaced, bringing the total to over $800. When I told my mechanic this, he was genuinely shocked since he did not find the timing belt needed changing. He is an ASE-certified mechanic and has over 30 years of experience. Then, apparently thinking we hadn’t paid enough, the VW Service Department claimed all the bolts needed to be replaced, bringing the full amount to $2,428.87. They also told us we needed to replace the engine filter for $75. Really? $75 for a filter? Our mechanic charged us $25.

The only positive side of all this was that the new management was much more courteous and helpful. They even gave me a loaner vehicle. However, this issue was clearly a manufacturing defect, as the car had only 46,000 miles on it at the time. Also, it was my understanding that we had a 100,000-mile warranty, but when I called Fairfield VW, they said it was in years, not miles, and that (conveniently) the warranty had just expired. I asked the service technician what could have caused this, and he replied that he’d seen it happen to cars with as few as 10,000 miles.

There had already been two other recalls on this car for manufacturing defects, specifically, springs in the trunk lid and faulty transmission coils. This defect should have been covered under a recall as well; if the manufacturers and assemblers paid this little attention to details, then Volkswagen should take responsibility. In conclusion, VWs used to be great cars, but sadly, they've gone the way of Toyota: victims of their own success, they appear to be cutting corners to speed up production.

After that I ended up replacing the battery THREE more times between 10/2022-8/2024 - 3 NEW batteries within the span of two years! The dealership and other mechanics I have taken it to keep blaming it on a defective battery. It is at the dealership again TODAY since the last battery change out on 8/27/2024! The car shows several warnings stating, "12 V battery low. Please start the engine or switch off the infotainment system." except that, I NEVER listen to ANYTHING while my car is turned off since I learned that lesson from other cars. I don't leave the infotainment system on, EVER since I purchased the car, when the car is not running so it is in fact a VW Jetta MANUFACTURING DEFECT where the battery is being drained due to some electrical issue, that I haven't been able to prove because the dealership won't make that call!! Ugh. This has cost me over $2000 so far!

They gave me the number for VW customer service and said I should try. I called the number and spoke to Mitchell who gave me a stock answer that warranty was only 12000 miles or 12 months. I said I realized that but the car is only 18 months old and only has 4300 miles on it. He said VW’s policy was firm and I would get no relief. I asked him repeatedly if he was in my situation and had a car that new with that few miles on it would I think that was a reasonable response? He just kept repeating his mantra that they only do 12k or 12months regardless. I repeated, asked for a supervisor and was finally told one would contact me.

Two days later, Julie, the supervisor called. I went through the same song and dance with her. It was like talking to robots. They just keep repeating VW’s 12k/2year policy and refuse to discuss if they felt that a failure of all 4 rotors on a car with 4300 miles was reasonable. Eventually they wore me down and I guess I’m out $1600. Beware!

Trust your gut - I want everyone who has this problem with their Jettas to know what the VW dealership saw when they opened up my transmission: METAL SHAVINGS. All over the inside of the transmission they said. At only 53k miles!! Unbelievable. Luckily it was covered under warranty but VW really needs to straighten this problem out if they have all these grinding transmissions with metal shavings in them. I traded my Jetta in for a Toyota. Never looking back.

At this time, I just had a newborn so I need a reliable car to protect my child. The second time my car was in the shop they replaced the valve body and gave it back to me and then once again for the 3rd time it started acting up again so I took it back and they replaced the coils and once again for the 4th time I got my car back and not even a week later my car started not shifting properly again. Volkswagen denied my claim to buy back my car because they state it is not a serious issue but when you have your infant in the car with you and it is not shifting properly and has been in the shop repeatedly you no longer feel safe in your vehicle especially with an infant in the back seat.

This is a dangerous situation this time of year, with snow, salt, ice, and wet roads. They will send roadside assistance, but the dealership says they can't even look at the car until 14 days from today. 2 full weeks without my car. The alternative is to pay for the work myself and they'll pay for parts. I would be responsible for labor and tow, neither of those are inexpensive. I have had this car for just over a year. It has less than 23k miles on it. And, it has already cost me more time, frustration, and money than both my previous combined.

I started to notice that I would feel cold towards the end of my 19 mile daily commute to work. The first day I thought nothing of it, maybe I just caught a chill that wouldn’t go away. The second day I felt cold I noticed my engine temperature gauge was dropping. I was very confused. The engine had warmed up, the car was running with a load (still driving it), had been running for over 30 min and traveled 18 miles. Yet the temp was dropping. As anyone knows the car uses the heat from the engine to warm the coolant that then passed through the heater core. If the engine is cold, so is the heater core. This means a substantial drop in cabin temps.

I took my car into the dealership the first chance I got. I was confident they would resolve the issue. The car has a “great” warranty. I was called a couple of days later to pick up my “fixed” car. They assure me that after replacing both thermostats (with only 5800 miles on the car) that they had resolved the issue. I picked up my car and drove the 10 miles home. I parked the car that night and slept well believing what they had told me.

The next morning I traveled out for breakfast. While sitting in my car eating my breakfast, listening to a podcast I noticed the air from the vents became cold. I then noticed the temp gauge on the dash was dropping fast. I immediately drove back to the dealership only having the car back in my possession for 14 hours. They were surprised to see me again and quickly grabbed a loaner. I was upset but thought maybe the coolant was low or there was air in the system from the work they had just performed. I left assuming they would make it right.

A few days later I get a call to come pick up my car. This is where things get very interesting. The tech on the phone explained that they tested my vehicle and it was cooling down but that there was nothing wrong with my car. He informed me that they had tested other 2019 Jettas from the lot and they did the same thing. Because of that they said my car performed just like the others so there was nothing wrong. //Sanity Check// So my car and other on the lot all lose heat and blow cold air in the winter so nothing must be wrong? Maybe more than one car is broken or share a flawed design? //Back to the review// The tech then began to try and sell me on the excuse that the blower motor is “too efficient” and is preventing the car from warming up.

He recommended that anytime I’m at a stop I rev the engine! I swear, I can’t make this stuff up. Rev the engine! So in order for my new car to have heat in the engine I can either turn the blower fan off (so no air is moving at all) or I can rev my engine constantly. This is insane! My car is broken and they want to tell me “that’s how Volkswagen designed the car”. Does it not get cold in Germany? This is crazy! (I know the car was built in Mexico.)

I then meet with my Salesmen who tries to sell me in the same BS. The car is not broken, that’s how it’s designed, blah blah blah. I’m not having any of it. I talk to the General Manager who proceeded to try the tell me the same BS. They said that my car is the way it is and it’s functioning the way VW intended. This is absolutely insanity! Who in the world buys a new car with the expectation that the heat won’t work? Nobody! That’s who. It’s a new car. The heat should work. It’s a safety issue. My windows refog, it’s colder than all get out. It’s uncomfortable and unacceptable. The kicker is on the second time my car was tested and had the issue, the ambient temp was 47 degrees. That’s not even that cold, at least not for where I live considering just a week ago it was -10. I’m thankful I had the loaner car (2018 Jetta) to keep me warmer than my 2019 Jetta would of.

I just picked my car up yesterday and it still is broke and VW has yet to make it right. I’ve already been jumping through all the hoops they car throw at me and if they throw many more, I’ll just going the circus. I would not recommend this car. Any place the temp drops below 70 degrees. They might as well only offer it as a convertible at this point 'cause the car can’t be used unless the weather is perfect. Rest assured on those golden days you’ll get great gas mileage though. To end my horrid story: BettaNotGettaJetta.

Here is my post I just shared on another Consumer Awareness site:

I learned to drive in 1976 on a new VW Rabbit (manual transmission). for over 40 years, I've owned and driven a VW Rabbit, Datsun 510, Honda Accords and Civics, a few Toyota Pickups, a Ford Focus, and a Subaru WRX. I've driven well over 700,000 miles with manual transmission cars. I've never needed to replace or repair a clutch under 100,000 miles on any of these cars. In the first week of May 2018, I finally gave up on our 2004 VW Jetta and picked up our new 2019 Jetta S with the 6-speed manual transmission. Early on, I experienced an occasional irregularity when shifting. It seemed as if the engine would rev fast, increasing rpm when the gas was released and the clutch engaged. A slight burning smell could be detected some of the time. On 3 occasions, this malfunction was significant, where the engine rpm soared and the clutch did not seem to fully disengage. On all three incidents, the burning smell was significant. One of the 3 major incidents occurred with another driver was behind the wheel ( I was a passenger) who also owns a manual transmission and has been driving manual transmission cars for over 8 years. The third time this incident occurred, the burning smell was so bad, we drove it to the dealership (a total of 5800 miles on the car). The dealership replaced the heat / ac blower motor because the smell in that area was so strong, (trapped) which led them to believe that motor had failed. I insisted that was not the source of the smell nor the problem with the car.

The dealership removed the transmission and discovered the clutch was worn to the rivets. After a week of trying (unsuccessfully) to find a mechanical issue with the clutch, the dealership worked with VW corporate to determine how to proceed with regard to a warranty repair. VW corporate is standing by their claim that clutch wear falls under normal wear and tear and is therefore not covered by my factory warranty nor the extended VW warranty I purchased. Currently, their position is that I pay for the repair and go on my merry way.

I am now working with a VW Customer Care Advocate as I appeal their position. However, there is no attention being paid to the clutch problem with this 2019 Jetta. The only topic VW seems concerned about is who is going to pay for this clutch repair.

First, shame on me for buying a newly designed car model on the first day it was available. I know better. Second, whether VW decides to pay for my clutch repair or not, if they do not address the underlying issue, I am selling this car for a non-VW asap because I cannot afford a new clutch every 5,000 - 6,000 miles. (and that new car will have a manual transmission - I love driving a manual).

One other point that I shared with the dealership service department: About 3 months into driving this car, I was driving on the interstate near sunset when every interior light and radio turned off for about 3-5 seconds. It was a complete loss of electrical power on the interior. The engine operation seemed unaffected and it wasn't dark enough to tell if the exterior lights were affected. This has not happened since, but something to be aware of. I would appreciate hearing from any other 2019 VW Jetta owners who have experienced issues similar to either the manual clutch issue or the electrical black-out issue.

Best to all who ventured out (maybe too soon?) into 2019 VW Jetta ownership.

Dealer is not sure what the cause is or how to fix but I just learned about smartphone obd11 coding apps. The dB for the Bluetooth microphone is listed with adjustments. I will follow up with the dealer. My 2019 Jetta SEL doesn't have the best Lane Keeping Assist. So far I think Honda is the best. VW's is very poor, but it is just an assist, not a substitute. I am disappointed there's no side mirror signal repeaters across the whole line up. This is a safety item that VW should have kept on all models. Canada gets a 6 speed manual across the entire line-up, why not us in the USA? S-trim only. Are punishing us VW? Last complaint, no rear air vents. Even my 13 year old KIA has rear air vents. I'd take the $1000 I could save without the automatic and pay for rear vents and side turn signals. Overall, I'm happy so far.

First, there was a terrible rattle coming from the door panels when listening to music. This was an easy fix. There wasn't enough insulation between the panel and the speaker. I had Dynamat installed and problem solved. Next, the subwoofer. I don't really know what to say about this. I like a nice well-rounded sound to my music. I like deep, rich bass along with clean, clear mids and highs. The subwoofer was anything, but great. The only thing I could compare it to would be tapping on the side of a closed, but empty cardboard box. It tried to produce good lows, but didn't quite get there. I had it removed and an aftermarket subwoofer installed. This was much better, but still not perfect. When listening to music, I still hear some distortion. It sounds like a speaker struggling to produce the low tones.

Keep in mind, I don't listen to music that is really bass heavy, nor do I want anything excessive. I investigated this a bit further and determined that there is no way to isolate the bass to just the subwoofer. So, even though the subwoofer is producing great sound, the door speakers are trying to keep up. This is particularly problematic since they seemed weak from the beginning. My next step will be to replace the door speakers with speakers that are made to handle the sound I'm looking for. I find this irritating since the Beats system is marketed as giving the listener a studio quality experience. If the stock Beats system is what being in a studio sounds like, it's a wonder any music gets produced anywhere. Ever.

VW Canada won't take responsibility and dealership won't provide trade option where I'm not losing a ton of money. This was my first brand new car. I was excited when I got it. I have provided video proof for all the issues mentioned, but that's clearly not enough, I'm not sure whatever will. I went with new because of warranty but clearly that backfired. If you have similar issues or know how to help me please get in touch! RECONSIDER VW as a brand, my advice.

I returned the Tiguan is EXCELLENT condition. I had it detailed and it had 1 brand new tire as well as a tire that was a year old. I was still charged the disposition fee as well as a fee for a RR Tire Repair. I had the car inspected prior to returning and was not told about the disposition fee $371.88 or the RR Tire Repair $140.25. For the past few days, I have been trying to call Volkswagen. No luck - they do not answer the phone. I was thinking about getting an Audi but as they are owned by the same company - would never go there!