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2002 Volkswagen JettaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 702 owner complaints about the 2002 Volkswagen Jetta, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 5 safety recalls.

2002 Volkswagen Jetta
20
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid4.1× the Jetta median · #1 of 40 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Free fix at dealersOwner complaints702172 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage34kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 18, 2023. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 Volkswagen Jetta has problems

702 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 system14813
Air bags10837
Engine and engine cooling1042
Power train1035
Seats10171
Exterior lighting502
Service brakes, hydraulic464
Visibility451
Structure191
18 other systems12215

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

5 recalls

2002 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 1 more recall

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?

34kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 101 electrical system complaints. 86% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
49under 30k miles87under 100k miles14100k 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.

Power train

22 owners mentioned a cost

$3,800median

Middle half: $3,050 – $5,000

Engine and engine cooling

8 owners mentioned a cost

$830median

Middle half: $538 – $6,000

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

2002 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

2002 Volkswagen Jetta safety ratings

2002 Volkswagen Jetta 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2002 Volkswagen Jetta frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
7 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2002 Volkswagen Jetta, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE STALLINGDP05004 · closed Dec 8, 2005
    No recall
  2. DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT OVERHEATSEA04010 · closed Oct 21, 2004
    No recall
  3. DRIVER SEAT OVERHEATS/BURNSPE03052 · closed Mar 30, 2004
    No recall
  4. TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILUREPE04073 · closed Dec 16, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-584
  5. INADVERTENT SIDE-AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTPE04081 · closed Apr 1, 2005
    No recall
  6. BRAKE LIGHT SWITCHRQ03010 · closed Mar 1, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-096
  7. 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.

WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, IT "JERKS" OR MAKES A SHAKING MOVEMENT. WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, THE "DOOR AJAR" LIGHT STAYS ON ALTHOUGH ALL DOORS HAVE BEEN OPENED AND CLOSED. WHILE STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE BRAKE LIGHT IS NOT WORKING. WHILE STATIONARY AND IN MOTION, THE VEHICLE'S CHECK ENGINE…
Complaint 11131795 · Sep 26, 2018 · 230,000 miles
KNOWN MELTING FUSE BOX ON TOP OF BATTERY. FROM SCHEMATICS, APPEARS S180 FUSE (COOLANT FAN) AS PREDOMINANT POINT OF FAILURE. ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED (VIA WEB) ACROSS NUMEROUS MODELS AND YEARS. CALLED VW FOR FIX; AS TECHS APPEAR VOID OF A GENERAL CONSENSUS TO PROBLEM/FIX. UNFORTUNATELY, VW REFUSES TO…
Complaint 11030653 · Sep 30, 2017 · 76,250 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE WINDOWS WERE STEAMING. IN ADDITION, THE DASHBOARD WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT AND A POLICE REPORT WERE FILED.…
Complaint 10853472 · Apr 5, 2016 · 172,000 miles

Own a 2002 Jetta?

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