Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train245
- Electrical system112
- Air bags65
- Engine and engine cooling54
- Engine39
- Exterior lighting32
- Seats25
- Structure23
- Service brakes, hydraulic21
- Visibility18
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 17 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 48 2006 Jetta vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 31 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 2006 Volkswagen Jetta failed the safety check 2.74% of the time — 17% more often than the average 2006 passenger car (2.34%). Median odometer at inspection: 148,424 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2006 Volkswagen Jetta cars on Dutch roads are the 1.6 petrol (75 kW, 101 hp), 1.6 petrol (85 kW, 114 hp) and 2.0 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp), out of 5 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.6 petrol | 75 kW 101 hp | 293 |
| 1.6 petrol | 85 kW 114 hp | 264 |
| 2.0 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 169 |
| 1.9 diesel | 77 kW 103 hp | 42 |
| 2.0 petrol | 147 kW 197 hp | 23 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
802 first registered in 2006 are on Dutch roads; 7% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €31,503.
Most common APK defects
- Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect431
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde367
- Band onvoldoende profiel241
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen238
- Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar229
- Licht- donkerscheiding dimlicht onduidelijk213
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm185
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd176
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,070 cars built in 2006 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 894 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
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,895 of these cars first registered in 2006 took their annual MOT test. 59% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2006 the figure was 56%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2006 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 17.6% | 17.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.6% | 21.5% |
| Brakes | 12.9% | 13.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 9.6% | 8.6% |
| Tyres | 8.1% | 7.4% |
| Visibility | 7.9% | 7.3% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
1,587 of these cars first registered in 2006 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 261,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
174 2006 cars are on the New Zealand register; 70% arrived as used imports, 28% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 9.6–10.6 L/100 km (about 22–25 mpg US), CO₂ 221–244 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jetta · Compact · Premium gasoline | 10.8 | 8.2 | 9.6 |
| Jetta · Compact · Premium gasoline | 11.4 | 8.2 | 10.0 |
| Jetta · Compact · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 8.6 | 10.6 |
| Jetta · Compact · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 8.6 | 10.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2006 Volkswagen Jetta.
| 2010444 10 Dec 2010 | Fuel System On certain Golf, Golf wagon, Jetta and Rabbit equipped with a 2.5L Engine, a small plastic tab located on the windshield washer fluid reservoir may chafe agains… |
| 2009141 14 May 2009 | Structure On certain vehicles, driveshaft cover plate screws may not have been torqued properly during vehicle assembly. Should they loosen, a knocking sound may be hear… |
| 2007306 18 Sept 2007 | Lights And Instruments Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of CMVSS 108 - Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment. 1). The required cap designed to disab… |
| 2007210 22 Jun 2007 | Other Certain vehicles may have a small plastic tab located on the windshield washer fluid reservoir that may chafe against the underhood fuel supply line. If this h… |
| 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, … |
| 2005192 29 Jun 2005 | Fuel System On certain vehicles equipped with a 2.5L gasoline engine, a fuel supply line clamp located in the engine compartment may not be positioned properly and could le… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 JETTA, NEW BEETLE, NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE, MODEL YEAR 2009 JETTA SPORTWAGEN AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 RABBIT VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5L ENGINES. THE JETTA, JETTA SPORTWAGEN, AND RABBIT VEHICLES MAY HAVE A SMALL PLASTIC TAB LOCATED ON THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR THAT MAY CHAFE AGAINST AN UNDERHOOD FUEL SUPPLY LINE. THE NEW BEETLE AND THE NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A FASTENING CLAMP ON A HYDRAULIC HOSE OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM THAT MAY BE LOCATED IN AN IMPROPER POSITION WHICH COULD CAUSE CHAFING AGAINST AN UNDERHOOD FUEL SUPPLY LINE.
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 25,594 MY 2006-2009 JETTA 5TH GENERATION EQUIPPED WITH 2.01 ENGINE. THE FASTENING SCREW CONTACT SURFACES ON THE DRIVESHAFT COVER PLATE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. SOME SCREWS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TORQUED PROPERLY DURING ASSEMBLY AND COULD LOOSEN OVER TIME, CAUSING A KNOCKING SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE DRIVESHAFT SCREWS COULD LOOSEN TO THE POINT WHERE THE DRIVESHAFT DETACHES FROM THE GEARBOX.
CERTAIN VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." SOME VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE HAD A REQUIRED CAP INSTALLED WHICH DISABLES THE HEADLIGHT HORIZONTAL AIM AND SOME VEHICLES MAY CONTAIN A CAP THAT DISABLES THE VERTICAL AIMING SCREW.
CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5L GASOLINE ENGINES MAY HAVE A SMALL PLASTIC TAB LOCATED ON THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR THAT MAY CHAFE AGAINST THE UNDERHOOD FUEL SUPPLY LINE.
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 2006 Volkswagen Jetta: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10253215 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253214 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253213 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253204 | Customer States Windshield Wipers Streak or Smear |
| 10253180 | Antenna Diagnosis Overview |
| 10253177 | Satellite Radio Overview |
| 10252942 | Damage to Data Link Connector (DLC) from Aftermarket Devices (Cannot Communicate with Vehicle OBD System) |
| 10252220 | All Vehicles with Bluetooth Phone Kit Installed ? Streaming Audio from Phone to Radio |
| 10252210 | Clock Loses Time |
| 10250697 | Driver?s Door Wiring Harness Limited Warranty Extension for MY 2005 or 2006 (A5) Jetta Vehicles (VIN range from 1K_5M000001 to1K_6M759703) |
| 10243067 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243066 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243065 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243064 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243052 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243049 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243035 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243034 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243017 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243016 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243008 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243001 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242996 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242995 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242682 | ODIS Service Update |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)