10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 2 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 106,427 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
Takata recall. I was driving on a speed limit of 35mph when my vehicle shifted down to first gear and my prnds indicators started blinking, it would shift to second gear after that. Later on called my friend and he dose not know the exact problem but he said it is a limp mode car, what ever that means. Good thing I just got off a highway and couple mins it happened. Thank you jesus! the car is 2006 Volkswagen Jetta tdi 1.9L.
- Pasco, WA, USA
Originally, the turbo would lose boost and the engine would lose power. After some time, particularly during wet weather, the car will suddenly vibrate, jolt, and then the engine warning chime sounds. The tachometer drops to zero, the oil pressure light comes on, the stability control shuts off, the glow plug lights flash, rear window defroster will not work, cruise control wont work, and if the car is shut off it will not restart. This is particularly dangerous during snow or rain, as the car loses traction control during weather in which it is most important to have. Also, if the car dies and is on the shoulder of the road, during rain or snow, there is poor visibility and it increases the risk of someone hitting the disabled car. I have seen many mentions of this same effect happening on other 2006 tdi models, and it seems to be a recurring issue with this particular model and engine type. The root cause appears to be an electrical harness that runs in the engine compartment chafing over time, which happens outside of the warranty period, but causes significant safety concerns with its failure mode.
- Bordentown, NJ, USA
My VW Jetta has had issues losing electronic power steering on and off, typically when it rains or the roads have been salted and it is slushy or snowing. This last week I was driving and I lost traction control, cruise control, tachometer, ABS brakes and oil pressure. The car would not idle. Researching the issue, I found there may be an issue with the wiring harness. I inspected the harness and discovered that several wires have been chafed by the plastic loom and worn through the insulation, exposing the wires. I also discovered that the positive cable to the starter had chafed and worn through the ground wire insulation creating a potential hazard to short the battery.
- Dekalb, IL, USA
While traveling in rain at 70 mph with cruise control engaged the speedometer dropped to zero, the brake and ABS/esp warning light came on and there where three chimes. A second later all went back to normal. This happened 6 times that day, and has happened at irregular intervals since at least 7 times. There is no correlation anymore between wet and dry conditions, cruise control does not have to be engaged, I do not have to be traveling at a constant speed. There are no trouble codes stored in the vehicles computer, and the local dealership is unable to help.
- Abilene, TX, USA
Brakes/steering/esp-vehicle pulls to the right after making left hand turns or U-turns. Sometimes so aggressively that it has caused injury to the drivers and damage to the car's rim and tire. Vehicle moves after put in park and the ignition has been turned off. Sometimes, it moves after getting out and walking away. Have been told by two dealerships that this is normal. I don't feel that moving 6 inches or more is safe, especially around children and small pets. Seat memory-seat started moving on its own while driving. Almost had an accident because of this as in the middle of braking, the seat moved all the way back where I could not reach the pedals. Memory has not been right even after replacing switches and I am stressed and wonder when the seat will start moving on its own again.
- Largo, FL, USA
- Frederick, MD, USA