Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2002 Volkswagen Jetta, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system148
- Air bags108
- Engine and engine cooling104
- Power train103
- Seats101
- Exterior lighting50
- Service brakes, hydraulic46
- Visibility45
- Structure19
- Vehicle speed control17
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 75 injuries and 10 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 23 2002 Jetta vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 23 people died inside them, and 9 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2002 Volkswagen Jetta failed the safety check 2.87% of the time — 43% more often than the average 2002 passenger car (2.00%). Median odometer at inspection: 157,187 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
1 cars built in 2002 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 6 variants: combined 9.7–12.1 L/100 km (about 19–24 mpg US), CO₂ 223–278 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jetta · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.0 | 8.2 | 9.7 |
| Jetta · Compact · Premium gasoline | 11.3 | 8.2 | 9.9 |
| Jetta · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.7 | 8.8 | 10.4 |
| Jetta · Compact · Premium gasoline | 12.2 | 8.8 | 10.7 |
| Jetta · Compact · Regular gasoline | 13.6 | 9.1 | 11.6 |
| Jetta · Compact · Regular gasoline | 13.9 | 9.9 | 12.1 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 2002 Volkswagen Jetta.
| 2006122 24 May 2006 | Lights And Instruments On certain Golf, GTI, Jetta, Jetta wagon, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Passat and Passat wagon, the brake lamp switch may malfunction. If this happens, … |
| 2005012 19 Jan 2005 | Seats And Restraints Certain vehicles equipped with the comfort seats option may have a seat heater element that can malfunction when the ignition switch is in the "ON" position and… |
| 2004436 13 Dec 2004 | Electrical On certain vehicles, the hazard switch and flasher system function may degrade over time because of distortion and material transfer of the contacts of certain … |
| 2004075 27 Feb 2004 | Electrical On certain vehicle, the brake lamp switch may malfunction. If this happens, the brake lamps could become inoperative; or the lamps could come on and stay on, e… |
| 2002028 15 Feb 2002 | Brakes On certain passenger vehicles short circuits can occur within the electronic control unit of the anti-lock braking system (ABS). This can result in a fire. Cor… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER, WAGON, AND CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OR WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND CRUISE CONTROLS, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON THESE VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY DURING SAFETY RECALLS 03V-265 OR 04V-096.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE HAZARD SWITCH AND FLASHER SYSTEM FUNCTION MAY DEGRADE OVER TIME BECAUSE OF DISTORTION AND MATERIAL TRANSFER OF THE CONTACTS OF CERTAIN HAZARD SWITCH RELAYS WHICH OCCURS DUE TO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED ELECTRICAL CURRENT LOAD FROM HIGHER WATTAGE TURN SIGNAL BULBS.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON THESE VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION.
ON SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES, SHORT CIRCUITS CAN OCCUR WITHIN THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS).
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 2002 Volkswagen Jetta: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 633842 | FRESH AIR BLOWER MOTOR, INOPERATIVE AT AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURES NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING. *TT |
| 10253215 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253214 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253213 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10252204 | Air Conditioning Does not Operate |
| 10243059 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243048 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243046 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243040 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243034 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243011 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242996 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242399 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242397 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242386 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242384 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242378 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242375 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242372 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242349 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10241749 | Quick Reference Update Guide |
| 10241713 | Perfect Delivery Inspection (PDI) - Technician and Detailer Inspections |
| 10241712 | Perfect Delivery Inspection (PDI) - Technician and Detailer Inspections |
| 10241711 | Perfect Delivery Inspection (PDI) - Technician and Detailer Inspections |
| 10241340 | Engine Oils Which Meet Volkswagen Oil Quality Standard VW 502 00/505 00/505 01 and VW 504 00/507 00 |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE
ENGINE STALLING
INADVERTENT SIDE-AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT
TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE
DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT OVERHEATS
BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH
DRIVER SEAT OVERHEATS/BURNS
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation