Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system233
- Fuel system, diesel166
- Fuel/propulsion system122
- Engine117
- Power train111
- Engine and engine cooling71
- Unknown or other46
- Service brakes43
- Air bags31
- Fuel system, gasoline31
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 11 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 33 2010 Jetta vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 18 people died inside them, and 4 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 2010 Volkswagen Jetta failed the safety check 3.07% of the time — 23% more often than the average 2010 passenger car (2.50%). Median odometer at inspection: 124,694 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2010
8,648 new Volkswagen Jetta cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2010; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (1,477), Belgium (1,260), Germany (1,218).
- Average mass
- 1,427 kg
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 61% · Petrol 39%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2010 Volkswagen Jetta cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (90 kW, 121 hp) and 1.9 diesel (77 kW, 103 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 petrol | 90 kW 121 hp | 160 |
| 1.9 diesel | 77 kW 103 hp | 20 |
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
233 first registered in 2010 are on Dutch roads; 15% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €25,790.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde110
- Band onvoldoende profiel88
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld62
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd62
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm49
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen47
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af35
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt31
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
629 cars built in 2010 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 121 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, 747 of these cars first registered in 2010 took their annual MOT test. 64% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2010 the figure was 60%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 18.9% | 15.5% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.0% | 17.8% |
| Brakes | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Tyres | 5.6% | 7.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.0% | 4.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 4.7% | 5.2% |
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
467 of these cars first registered in 2010 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 211,000 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
27 2010 cars are on the New Zealand register; 85% arrived as used imports, 15% 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 8.9–10.2 L/100 km (about 23–26 mpg US), CO₂ 205–235 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jetta · Compact · Premium gasoline | 10.0 | 7.5 | 8.9 |
| Jetta · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.6 | 8.2 | 9.6 |
| Jetta · Compact · Premium gasoline | 11.4 | 7.9 | 9.8 |
| Jetta · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.8 | 8.3 | 10.2 |
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 2010 Volkswagen Jetta.
| 2020353 4 Aug 2020 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the warning label for the engine block heater cable is written in English only. As a result, a French user may not receive importa… |
| 2015344 31 Jul 2015 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the steering wheel clock spring could become contaminated with long hair or long fibers which may cause a displacement of the internal guid… |
| 2014069 5 Mar 2014 | Electrical On certain vehicles, a fuse can overheat and damage the fuse box, causing a partial loss of exterior vehicle lighting. This could increase the risk of a crash c… |
| 2011355 3 Oct 2011 | Fuel System On certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0L TDI diesel engine, the fuel injection lines could crack. Diesel fuel leakage may ignite on a hot engine surface and ca… |
| 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… |
| 2009249 20 Aug 2009 | Powertrain On certain Audi A3, TT, TT Roadster, and Volkswagen EOS, Golf wagon, GTI, Jetta and Jetta wagon equipped with a Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG), the wiring harness o… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL 2009-2012 JETTA AND JETTA SPORTWAGEN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2008 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 AUDI A3 VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH A 2.0L TDI COMMON RAIL DIESEL ENGINE/CLEAN DIESEL ENGINE. THE FUEL INJECTION PULSES COULD COINCIDE WITH THE NATURAL FREQUENCY OF THE INJECTOR LINE #2, IN SPECIFIC LOAD AND RPM CONDITIONS. THIS RESONANCE CREATES ADDITIONAL STRESS IN THE FUEL LINE.
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 CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND AUGUST 2009. THE WIRING HARNESS OF A TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN THE DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX (DSG) MAY HAVE CONNECTOR WIRES THAT WERE INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED. WITH INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED CONNECTOR WIRES, A TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FALSELY DETECT A HIGH GEARBOX OIL TEMPERATURE, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO ABRUPTLY SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE SELECTOR LEVER POSITION INDICATOR WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL FLASH. IN ADDITION, THE "DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL" INDICATOR LIGHT WILL BE ILLUMINATED, ALERTING THE DRIVER TO APPLY THE BRAKES.
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 2010 Volkswagen Jetta: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11010024 | Lack of paint under roof |
| 11010022 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11010021 | Additional reporting |
| 11010011 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11008861 | Fluid requirements |
| 11008858 | A list of engine oil that meet Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards |
| 11008857 | How to perform the engine oil consumption measurement |
| 11008856 | Checking Engine Oil and correctly reading dip stick |
| 11008853 | How to manage software versions using VW diagnostic Tool |
| 11008852 | Recommended Gasoline Quality |
| 11008851 | Engine Misfire Diagnostic Aid |
| 11008850 | Fuel additive to help with misfire faults |
| 11008846 | Wind & Water Leak Checking |
| 11007398 | Battery testing |
| 11007393 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11005825 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11005820 | Engine Assembly Tip |
| 11005819 | Engine Replacement Tip |
| 11002875 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11001508 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253491 | Secondary Air Pressure Sensor Limited Warranty Extension |
| 10253483 | Engine Exhaust Flap Limited Warranty Extension |
| 10253439 | Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program ? Gasoline Engines (Except Routan) - REVISED |
| 10253262 | VW Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253215 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
Diesel Fuel Injector Line Leakage
High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure
High Pressure Fuel Pump Failure (HPFP)
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation