Volkswagen Jetta Transmission Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Some, but not unusually many. Owners have filed 955 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Volkswagen Jetta. For the Volkswagen Jetta, that's 0.32 transmission complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, close to the 0.28 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2013, 2019 and 2009.
Transmission complaints
955
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.32
2015–2022 cohorts
Share of all complaints
17.1%
of 5,577 complaints for this model
Transmission recalls
3
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Volkswagen Jetta transmission complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline), and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Transmission complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Transmission recalls | Transmission TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 53 | — | 27.9% | 1 | 09V164000 | 42 |
| 2009WORST | 142 | — | 15.7% | 3 | 09V33300009V164000 | 107 |
| 2010 | 111 | — | 12.7% | 4 | 09V333000 | 116 |
| 2011 | 55 | — | 8.6% | 5 | — | 113 |
| 2012 | 50 | — | 9.5% | 1 | — | 133 |
| 2013WORST | 201 | — | 31.9% | 2 | — | 131 |
| 2014 | 91 | — | 20.7% | 3 | 14V182000 | 114 |
| 2015 | 24 | 0.18 | 12.2% | 0 | — | 53 |
| 2016 | 22 | 0.18 | 13.5% | 2 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | 15 | 0.13 | 9.4% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | 5 | 0.06 | 15.6% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2019WORST | 161 | 1.6 | 30% | 4 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | 7 | 0.08 | 13% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0.04 | 2.8% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | — | 4.8% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | 6 | — | 13.3% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | — | 26.7% | 0 | — | 6 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the transmission.
Common Volkswagen Jetta transmission problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 955 transmission complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Volkswagen Jetta years to avoid for the transmission
2013 Volkswagen Jetta
201 transmission complaints (31.9% of the year's 630). Most often described: transmission repaired or replaced.
2019 Volkswagen Jetta
161 transmission complaints (30% of the year's 537), 1.6 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: whining, grinding or humming noise.
2009 Volkswagen Jetta
142 transmission complaints (15.7% of the year's 903). Most often described: will not shift, stuck in gear or no reverse. Covered by transmission recalls 09V333000, 09V164000.
Worst years are those with at least 10 transmission complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Volkswagen Jetta years to avoid.
Volkswagen Jetta transmission recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Power Train for any Volkswagen Jetta model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
- 14V182000 · 2014-04-15 · 2014 models
In the affected vehicles, the O-ring seals between the oil cooler and the transmission may leak fluid.
- 09V333000 · 2009-08-20 · 2009–2010 models
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…
- 09V164000 · 2009-05-19 · 2008–2009 models
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 25,594 MY 2006-2009 JETTA 5TH GENERATION EQUIPPED WITH 2.01 ENGINE. THE FASTENING SCREW CONTACT SURFACES ON THE DRIVESHAFT COVER PLATE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. SOME SCREWS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TORQUED…
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 201 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta, 31.9% of all 630 complaints for that year. The most common description is "transmission repaired or replaced" (40 complaints). 2 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 161 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2019 Volkswagen Jetta, 30% of all 537 complaints for that year, or 1.6 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "whining, grinding or humming noise" (85 complaints). 4 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 142 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta, 15.7% of all 903 complaints for that year. The most common description is "will not shift, stuck in gear or no reverse" (25 complaints). 2 transmission-related recalls cover it: 09V333000, 09V164000. 3 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Volkswagen Jetta years have the most transmission complaints?
2013 (201), 2019 (161) and 2009 (142), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the transmission. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Volkswagen Jetta transmission problems?
In the 955 transmission complaints, owners most often describe jerking, lurching or harsh shifts (13%), loss of power or limp mode (10.7%) and whining, grinding or humming noise (10.2%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a transmission failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Volkswagen Jetta model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a transmission complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline).
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 transmission complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration