10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
29,601 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.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #26

May 312017

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 108,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. The vehicle was taken to heritage Volkswagen and the contact was informed of an ABS failure with the vehicle. Afterwards, the contact was made aware that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V913000 (service brakes, hydraulic, electronic stability control). The vehicle was taken to heritage Volkswagen to be repaired, but there were other issues with the ABS. As a result, the vehicle was no longer eligible for the recall. The manufacturer stated that the campaign was a software issue and they no longer had to assist with the recall. The contact referenced verbiage from the recall, which noted that the ABS control modules with insufficient ground connections would be replaced. The failure mileage was 108,000. The VIN was not provided. Updated 07/19/17

- Middle River, MD, USA

problem #25

Feb 222012

Jetta

  • 57,000 miles
Rear passenger side brake pad worn down to metal while rear driver side has 5 mm left on it. Dealer indicates a faulty caliper. Would not even entertain the possibility of a sticking left parking-brake cable or not properly adjusted parking cable that might not be letting the left rear caliper release completely (cable readjustment it's a pain since the rear half of the center console has to be disassembled to get access to the primary adjuster nut and mechanics do not like to mess with it). Dealer would not replace rear pads and rotors if I did not also replace the caliper, even though service manager acknowledged that diagnostic was only based on visual inspection and not on taking apart the rear brake assembly to properly inspect the caliper. For the auto technician to know it is a faulty caliper (instead of sticking cable or other issue) without removing it from the vehicle and only upon visual inspection must mean that VW is aware of the faulty calipers and keeping quiet about it until the customer walks into the dealership with the problem. Premature and/or uneven rear brake pad wear appears to be a common issue on Jettas, as has been extensively documented on Jetta owners forums and websites. As indicated by a VW mechanic on an internet forum "VW needs to design into the parking brake adjusting screw inside the rear caliper piston a more robust system to spring the rear calipers piston back away from the pads after brake application. Internal brake adjuster screw spins out as the piston travels out with wear of the pads. Problem is VW knows the adjuster screws internal threads drag too much to allow the natural tendency of the piston O-rings to roll back the piston to the pre brake application usage position of the brake. I have had to replace several calipers to get the calipers that release the pads tension properly after braking application."

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #24

Nov 292011

Jetta

  • 67,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta sportswagen. While the unoccupied vehicle was parked with the engine and emergency brake engaged, it rolled unexpectedly. The contact was able to enter the vehicle, apply the brake pedal and stop the vehicle from moving. The contact detected the rear brake calipers were stuck which caused the emergency brake cable to disengage. The vehicle failure was not diagnosed nor was it repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

- Putnam Valley , NY, USA

problem #23

Apr 212011

Jetta 5-cyl

  • 14,900 miles
Excessive wear in brake pad at under 15,000 miles. Both front pads are approx 75% of 'new', the right rear pad 75%+ of 'new', but the left rear (lr) is now very close to metal-on-metal with rotor. Dealer service on 3-10-11 @ 14, 281 miles indicated 3mm remaining on rear (didn't specify left or right or both, but estimate was to replace both). When I went to replace rear pads (now @ 14,990 miles), is when I found out that only the lr is affected, and more importantly it is completely worn. Lost approx 3mm in 700 miles of easy driving? internet searches turns up multiple similar owner complaints of unreasonably excessive (in terms of miles under easy driving) and uneven (in terms of only one pad being affected) wear in pads, possible having to do with caliper 'sticking' (whether in connection with hand brake or otherwise). Independent foreign auto service facility confirms that there is more of a problem than just with the pad itself.

- Mill Valley, CA, USA

problem #22

Feb 012010

Jetta 5-cyl

  • 9,000 miles
2009 Volkswagen Jetta rear brake defect causes unsafe driving conditions. Car was involved in an accident (minor) where braking was suspected cause at 9000 miles. Bought new 2009 Jetta. Have driven it 20,000 miles. At both 10,000 mile check ups it was determined that the rear brakes were worn to dangerous levels. VW replaced first set now are maintaining that there is no problem and 10K is the right milage to replace brakes. Concern is that many people woudl not expect to replace breaks at 10K miles, especially on the rear brakes. Could lead to dangerous stopping condition.

- Pleasanton, CA, USA

problem #21

Apr 022011

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
1) ABS/esp lights came on while cruising at highway speeds. 2) diagnosed as an internal electrical failure of the ABS hydraulic pump. ABS and esp inoperable. 3) hydraulic pump must be replaced for a shocking $2,800!

- Kennett Square, PA, USA

problem #20

Feb 102011

Jetta

  • 37,800 miles
I am an aerospace engineering consultant. My 09 Jetta had rear passenger caliber, rotor, and brake line replace at 10,000 miles for excessive wear. 1st noticed when going around corners applying brakes a dragging effect would come from rear passenger brake. Dealer could not give any reason for this happening and replace rotor, caliper, and brake line at 10K. Summer time weather. Car exhibited the smell of hot brakes and rubber several times between the next failure. The next failure occurred at 34000 mile. Driver side rotor was so pitted and warped from excessive heat dealer replace rotor and caliper and gave no reason problem. Summer time weather. At 37080 mile on Feb 10 2011 at 4:30 am with outside temperature around 20F degrees I released parking brake and started driving to job site. The car felt like it was straining to accelerate. Within two miles from the house the car pulled violently to left, the ABS light came on and the car stopped into oncoming traffic and would not move. I shut the esp system off car still work not move forward. I drove in reverse back to house about 1.5 miles. When I looked at rear brake rotor on driver side since it was still dark the rotor was glowing red like the burner on electric stove. Smell of burning materials was in the air. Called dealer which is ancria of san antonio, tx. Dan minor the service manager thinks it was the emergency brake cable spring not releasing brake. Car was dropped of Friday Feb 11th 2011 at dealer. A case has been open with VW engineering. VW dealer is clueless as to why this is happening. I suspect the good german engineers are too proud to say we have a problem fix what seems to be a well documented problem with 09 Jettas. Someone is going to get hurt and no one is listening. Thankfully the dealer has been replacing things to date.

- New Braunfels, TX, USA

problem #19

Dec 232010

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 39,500 miles
After 40,000 miles of mostly highway driving the inside passenger side brake pad is completely used up while the other 7 have most of the pad remaining. The dealer claims there is nothing wrong with this, they stated that "when the car goes like this, the rear brakes come on". I have yet to find a shop that I can trust to do the repairs needed.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #18

Jan 252011

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 18,370 miles
This is my second complaint regarding the rear brake wear on the 2009 Jettas. This problem is common amongst thousands of other drivers over the internet that have yet to report the problem to NHTSA. I first had excessive rear brake wear on my VW at less than 15, 000 where I lost my brakes completely and damaged the rotors. This was before the recommended service period on my new vehicle. The brakes and rotor were replaced and the dealer only cited it as 'premature wear' and that it was covered under warranty. I am now at 18,000 and have noticed that my brakes are still wearing much faster than the front brakes. That is only 3,000 miles in which they are at the halfway wear point. The oem brake wear is supposed to occur between 30,000 and 40,000 miles. This is not the case and may be the result of the new redesign of the VW which may have contributed to the defective wear issue. I am scheduled for another service repair and VW of America has provided a case number to look into the matter (not resolve it or take ownership over the problem) please look into this or at least search the internet to see how many others are having the exact same issue with 2008 - 2011 vws. Please initiate an investigation before someone has an accident or dies as a result of this issue!!!

- Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

problem #17

Jan 102011

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 30,000 miles
Premature rear brake wear and failure. Heavy brake dusting on rear wheels since new. Rear brakes need to be replaced at 25,000 miles and 50% of the miles were highway miles. Spongy brake petal and heavy rear wheel brake dust reported to dealer 3 times when new and at the normal service intervals. VW dealer service manager said all 09' Jetta's rear brakes are wearing out between 20,000 and 30,000 miles. Either rear brake design or materials are defective causing premature wear and failure.

- Fairfield, CT, USA

problem #16

Jan 042011

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 40,000 miles
I just discovered a brake problem on my wife's vehicle and wanted to bring your attention to it. My wife complained that she was hearing noises coming from the rear wheels and that the brake pedal felt different. I went to check the car and found that the disk brake on the passenger side had been damaged by the pad. The damage occurred on the inside of the disk while the outer part of the disk was ok. In fact, the outer pad of the brake seems to be in great shape and capable of providing many more miles of braking. The disk on the rear driver side does not appear to have any damage nor does it show signs of premature wear. I immediately called the VW dealership here in orlando service department. They indicated that the uneven wear of the brake pad could have been due to the parking brake partially engaged. They also said that the oem brake pads of this vehicle are expected to last about 36,000 miles. Our vehicle currently has 40,000; therefore, there was no immediate cause for concern. I inquired about an appointment to have the brake system inspected for manufacturing problems and they indicated that the warranty for that kind of issue had ended at 36,000 miles. I made a quick search online for related issues and found that a good number of 2009 Jetta drivers have filed safety complaints with the NHTSA about the same problem. This is a mechanical problem that I would expect from other manufacturers and am taken aback that I now see it on a VW. We have come to trust VW engineering and manufacturing to a point that makes it hard to understand we are dealing with something like this on a new car. But, the question still remains about what in this car braking system could possibly cause it to wear so remarkably premature and uneven. We certainly hope this is not something we will have to 'live with' in terms of ownership of VW vehicles. I respectfully request your prompt attention to this and a quick response. Thank you

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #15

Dec 282010

Jetta 5-cyl

  • 30,982 miles
2009 Volkswagen Jetta 30,898 miles rear brakes rotors worn and pads gone. Front brakes still have 40,000 miles left on pads, look new according to certified ase brake mechanic. Car does not stop safely. Mechanic was shocked at the brake wear on rear rotors and pads and the extreme wear on the back pads and rotors. Certified ase mechanic advised that front wheel drive cars brakes should wear evenly, not entirely on back brakes. Vehicle not breaking right at low or high speeds. Car still under manufacturer warranty, dealer refuses to replace.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #14

Dec 102010

Jetta

  • 19,000 miles
Took my car in for the 20000 mile service. Last service was at 10000 miles. Was told I needed rear brake pads and rotors 300+ dollars. Something is wrong here. I have complained about my brakes squeaking the last three times I brought it in to the dealer. I was never told there was anything wrong. I spoke to Volkswagen customer service the 800 number, told them the issues, they said the brakes are applied on all 4 wheels when stepping on the pedal, this right here tells me something is wrong, if brakes are applied to all wheels then the pads should wear evenly, I was told I would have to replace the rear pads and rotors again before I have to do the front once. I also have complained about the RPM's shooting up very high when I start the car and need to hold the brake hard when I put it in gear or I will lunge because the rpms are so high, after about a muinute I can release the brake and drive because the rpms have settled down. Again I was told this is how the car works.

- Denver , CO, USA

problem #13

Dec 072010

Jetta 5-cyl

  • 20,153 miles
My 2009 VW Jetta has been prematurely wearing rear disc brakes and experienced a reduction in brake performance. My car has less than 20,000 miles and I already had to take it to the dealer for new rear pads and rotors and it cost me over $400!!!! this is a safety issue because most people that purchase a new vehicle will not take it into the dealership until May 30,000+ miles. This seems to be a very common issue with 07-09 VW Jetta's and it should be fixed by VW!

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #12

Nov 232010

Jetta

  • 29,900 miles
My 2009 VW Jetta sportwagen tdi has worn out the rear brake pads in less than 30 thousand miles, while the front pads are at 75%. when the car was new I noticed that there was more brake dust on the rear wheel than on the front. I was told that this car had a system to balance the braking between front and rear. The excessive rear pad wear is a good indication that there is no balance between front and rear braking, and that there is a problem with the rear braking that could cause the rear of the car to skid in heavy braking.

- Birmingham, AL, USA

problem #11

Oct 082010

Jetta

  • 15,754 miles
2009 Volkswagen VW Jetta rear brake wear excessively uneven. No brake pad remaining on rear passenger wheel under 16,000 miles.

- Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

problem #10

Apr 012010

Jetta

  • 13,000 miles
My 2009 Jetta tdi was being driven up a slight incline. After the brakes were applied to stop on the incline, the engine just stalled. It was very odd. We just restarted the ignition and drove off. Did not think it was a problem and thought it might have been our fault until we saw reports of similar occurrences in the same car model/year.

- Pacifica, CA, USA

problem #9

Jun 042010

Jetta

  • 16,000 miles
My rear brakes started making a horrible noise when I applied the brakes about one month ago around 5/1/2010. From this point on, the car's braking distance increased by about 50% with absolutely no warning to me. I bought this car brand new in January of 2009 and it only has 16,000 miles on it. My car has been serviced on schedule for 500 mile courtesy inspection, 5000 mile service, 10000 mile service and 15000 mile service. I took my car in for va state inspection on 6/4/2010. The mechanic told me that my rear brake pads were completely worn through and that they were braking with metal on metal contact. The mechanic stated that the front brakes were basically in "new" condition. He also stated that the left rear brake was in worse shape than the right rear brake. This car only has 16668 mile on it. It has been serviced as instructed in the owners manual and it has never been raced or used in any way out of the normal. The VW dealership confirmed what the mechanic at the inspection station told me. He said that the rear brakes were gone and that there was no brake pad left at all and the car was stopping with metal on metal contact. He said that the pads and rotors would need to be replaced. I told him that I used to work on my old car and that this was not normal. He stated he has had a number of vws come in with the same problem. He also stated that there is no sensor in the rear brake pad, that the pads will not begin to squeal when they are worn down or provide any indication whatsoever that they have failed other than the sound they make once the metal of the caliper is hitting the metal of the pads. I did some initial research on the internet and this seems to be a pretty serious problem for VW. Every mechanic I have talked to about my car has said that vws are designed for the rear brakes to do most of the work. VW needs to put some type of wear sensors in the rear brakes to let consumers know when they need to replace their brakes before they fail.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #8

Feb 192010

Jetta

  • 3,000 miles
I got a brand new car last year a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. However I have to go to the dealer service because I have experience 3 brake issue incidents due to not being able to stop. According to the dealer the first time they found that the brakes had a lot of pressure and that's why I was not able to stop. The second time it was because the car didn't have enough brake fluid. The third time it was because the brake fluid level was low. I also hit someone I have his statement as a witness because the person got mad at me asking why I didn't stop? I also have another witness who was with me at the second incident and somehow the dealership keep telling me that the car is in perfect conditions. I need your help.

- Daly City , CA, USA

problem #7

Feb 012010

Jetta

  • miles
I purchased a 2009 Jetta tdi. This is my 3rd Jetta tdi, 2004, 2006, and now a 2009. At 3,500 miles the brakes on the 2009 tdi began making a high pitch whistling noise at slow rolling stops. After a couple of stops it would stop and then reappear after the car had been parked for a couple of hours. I called the dealer, and was told that it was normal and should eventually stop. At 7000 miles it still whistles. I took it to the dealer for inspection and was told that rust was forming on the rotors and the whistling sound was the brakes scraping the rust off. I was told that my brakes were fine. I asked if this was a problem I would have to live with, whistling brakes for the life of the car" how embarrassing to own a new car and the brakes whistle when you pull up to a stop sign. I called VW America and was told that they couldn't tell me anything. They depended upon the dealers to provide them with issues/concerns. Neither of my previous 2004 or 2006 Jetta tdi's brakes whistled. So VW is this normal" if so, then I have purchase my last whistling Jetta.

- Gulf Breeze, FL, USA

Read the next 6 complaints »