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2001 Volkswagen JettaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 668 owner complaints about the 2001 Volkswagen Jetta, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 6 safety recalls.

2001 Volkswagen Jetta
23
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid3.3× the Jetta median · #4 of 40 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Free fix at dealersOwner complaints66887 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage44kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 28, 2021. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2001 Volkswagen Jetta has problems

668 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system1177
Engine and engine cooling1092
Air bags9740
Exterior lighting803
Visibility690
Service brakes, hydraulic676
Power train620
Structure432
Seats272
21 other systems13310

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2001 Volkswagen Jetta recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Hazard flashing warning lights: switch

Recall 04V-584 · Dec 16, 2004 · 410,000 vehicles

Risk. THIS MAY RESULT IN INTERMITTENT OR INOPERATIVE TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD FLASHER FUNCTION.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Brake lights: switch

Recall 04V-096 · Feb 20, 2004 · 377,130 vehicles

Risk. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OR COME ON AND STAY ON, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS PARKED.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Volkswagen.

Mileage at failure

When do electrical system problems start?

44kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 73 electrical system complaints. 92% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
22under 30k miles67under 100k miles6100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Electrical system

15 owners mentioned a cost

$900median

Middle half: $681 – $1,200

Engine and engine cooling

10 owners mentioned a cost

$1,000median

Middle half: $425 – $1,375

Power train

10 owners mentioned a cost

$1,578median

Middle half: $1,225 – $3,094

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2001 vs. every other Jetta year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Jetta median. How we score

'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2001 Volkswagen Jetta safety ratings

2001 Volkswagen Jetta 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2001 Volkswagen Jetta frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
5 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2001 Volkswagen Jetta, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE STALLINGDP05004 · closed Dec 8, 2005
    No recall
  2. TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILUREPE04073 · closed Dec 16, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-584
  3. INADVERTENT SIDE-AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTPE04081 · closed Apr 1, 2005
    No recall
  4. BRAKE LIGHT SWITCHRQ03010 · closed Mar 1, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-096
  5. BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURERQ06004 · closed Aug 7, 2006
    Led to recall 06V-183
In owners' words

What Jetta owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

MY ABS LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET IT TO TURN OFF. MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET IT OFF. I HAVE BOUGHT A NEW COIL PACK AND SPARK PLUGS AND SPARK PLUG WIRES AND NOW MY CHECK ENGINE HAS CAME BACK ON.PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS CAR.THANKS.GOD BLESS U.
Complaint 11063377 · Jan 17, 2018
THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE BRAKES SOFT AS A MARSHMALLOW NOT WARNING NOTICE GOT STOPPED AND THERE WAS A HISSING NOISE BUT NO BRAKE FLUID ON ANY OF THE BRAKES...... I'VE ALSO BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH AFTER REPLACING THE WATER PUMP IT KEEPING FLUID IN IT ALSO USING THE GEICO DISCOUNT EQUIPMENT TO…
Complaint 10700973 · Mar 22, 2015 · 150,000 miles
RAINING NOT HARD. WIPERS SLOW DOWN. COMPLETE STOP OF WIPER ACTION. NO PRIOR NOTICE OF BAD OPERATION FIRST THOUGHT WAS FUSE. WAS NOT THE FUSE. *TR
Complaint 10537392 · Aug 26, 2013 · 85,673 miles

Own a 2001 Jetta?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.