Volkswagen Jetta Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

Rental Vehicle Door Malfunction (Claim # [Insert Complaint/Claim Number]) Date: XXX To: Damage Recovery Unit / Customer Relations Enterprise Rent-A-Car Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to formally report a serious safety defect and personal injury resulting from a rental vehicle provided by your [XXX] location, and to register a formal protest against returning this vehicle to service without a certified mechanical inspection. Rental & Vehicle Details •Rental Location: [XXX] •Pickup Date/Time: XXX at 11:15 AM •Vehicle: 2025 Volkswagen Jetta (Black) •License Plate: [XXX] •VIN: [XXX] •Vehicle Unit #: XXX •Starting Mileage / Fuel: 18,635 / 8.2 gal •Damage Recovery Unit Complaint #: [Insert Complaint Number Here] Incident Summary & Pre-Existing Vehicle History At the time of rental, an Enterprise representative mentioned that the vehicle had just been returned from a body shop. When I inquired about the reason, the representative stated that the previous renter had left it there. A second representative mentioned while dropping me when went to return car with help of a friend after release from ER, that doors on these models can feel heavy and that lightweight hinges can cause issues. While I was opening the driver’s side door after parking and getting out, it forcefully and unexpectedly slammed shut forcefully, crushing and severely injuring my right (dominant) hand and wrist. Comparative checks on similar vehicles confirm that standard driver-side doors do not operate or slam violently in this manner. Medical Impact & Ongoing Treatment injury occurred over 3 months ago and has caused severe, ongoing pain and mobility restriction. The impacts include: •Medical Care: Multiple emergency room visits, ongoing primary care, and orthopedic consultations. Treatment has required a hard cast, a removable brace, elastic bandaging, and prescribed physical therapy. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I am the owner/operator of a 2025 Volkswagen Jetta S and am submitting this complaint regarding recurring optical distortion in the windshield within my normal driving field of view. The vehicle has undergone four windshield replacement attempts for this same condition, yet the distortion remains present. The distortion appears as a rippling or “funhouse” effect that can cause objects and straight lines viewed through the windshield to appear distorted while driving. The dealership and Volkswagen have inspected the vehicle on multiple occasions. Although the condition has not been consistently reproduced by every inspector, I continue to experience the distortion during normal driving. Following the most recent replacement, I believe the distortion is more noticeable than before. Volkswagen has been notified of the problem and has assigned corporate case number REF 07697200. The dealership has documented my continuing complaint and Volkswagen Customer Retention is currently involved. I am requesting that NHTSA document this complaint and consider whether recurring optical distortion in the driver’s field of view in this vehicle or windshield application may represent a safety-related defect.

I am reporting a recurring safety defect involving the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system in my 2025 Volkswagen Jetta. The ACC system fails suddenly and without warning while driving, including during highway operation. This creates an immediate safety hazard, as the vehicle unexpectedly disengages speed control and forces abrupt driver intervention, increasing the risk of collision. The defect first occurred during the first week after I took delivery of the vehicle and has continued for over a year. The issue is completely unrelated to any accident; it existed before the accident, persisted during body shop repairs, and continues even after completing all repairs recommended by the dealership. I followed every diagnostic and repair instruction provided by the authorized Volkswagen dealership, but the defect has never been resolved. The ACC failure occurs intermittently and unpredictably, including during normal highway driving. When the defect occurs, the vehicle displays an ACC error and immediately disables the system, requiring sudden manual control. This behavior represents a serious safety risk, especially at higher speeds or in traffic. I have video and photo evidence documenting the defect occurring during real driving conditions. The dealership and Volkswagen Customer CARE have been unable to diagnose or correct the issue, despite multiple attempts and extensive time spent on repairs. Based on the timeline and repeated failures, this appears to be a manufacturing defect affecting the ACC or related electrical/sensor systems. Requested Action I request that NHTSA investigate this issue as a potential safety defect affecting the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta. The defect is persistent, unrelated to any accident, and has not been resolved despite multiple repair attempts. Given the safety implications, I believe this issue warrants federal review and potential recall consideration.

This submission is an update to my previous NHTSA ODI complaint #11761837. I am adding new documentation provided by the authorized repair facility, including service records, diagnostic notes, and repair details. These documents confirm that the same safety defect continues to occur despite following all repair instructions and completing the recommended work. Please attach these materials to my existing complaint and include them in the ongoing review of this unresolved safety issue.

This update is for ODI #11761839. I am submitting new diagnostic evidence confirming that the ACC/Travel Assist safety defect in my 2025 Volkswagen Jetta continues to occur and existed long before any accident or windshield replacement. On August 18, 2026, a certified ADAS technician performed a full diagnostic scan and documented U112300 Databus errors and C12B3FD temporary camera view limitation. During the test drive, the technician successfully reproduced the Travel Assist failure (“Travel Assist not available”). The technician also wrote: “Owner is having issues with the ACC intermittingly since pick up. He took it to the dealer, but they were not able to find any faults.” This shows the defect existed from initial delivery and is not accident‑related. The technician also identified NHTSA TSB MC‑11007395‑0001 (48‑23‑01), which may apply to 2025 models and describes potential hardware or software deviation in the steering wheel hands‑on detection system. After windshield replacement and both static and dynamic ADAS calibrations, a second diagnostic scan on September 1, 2026 showed the defect persists. The ACC module still reports U112300 Databus errors. Additional communication faults were found in the instrument cluster (U111000), gateway module (B184C00, U17A000), and electronic central electric module. The front camera also reported an internal malfunction (B200FF0) despite successful calibration. These results demonstrate that the issue is caused by internal electronic/communication failures, not the windshield or calibration. The ACC/Travel Assist system continues to fail during normal and highway driving, creating an ongoing safety risk due to sudden disengagement. I request that this evidence be added to my existing complaint and that NHTSA continue its investigation into this unresolved safety defect.

Description of Safety Defect The vehicle has experienced significant optical distortion in the driver’s primary line of sight with three separate replacement windshields. The distortion has included noticeable rippling, warping, and a “funhouse” effect that causes straight objects and the surrounding environment to appear distorted when viewed through portions of the windshield directly in front of the driver. Component or system that failed or malfunctioned The affected component is the windshield/front windshield glass, specifically its optical quality in the driver’s field of view. The vehicle has had three windshield replacements, and visual distortion has been present with each replacement. The current windshield is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle is also available for inspection. The concern is not simply cosmetic variation at the edges of the windshield. The distortion occurs in the driver’s normal viewing area and is noticeable during ordinary driving. How was safety put at risk? The distortion affects the driver’s ability to clearly and accurately perceive objects and road features through the windshield. Straight objects can appear wavy, bent, or distorted, and the image can appear to move or change shape as the vehicle or driver’s head moves. Because the distortion is located directly within the driver’s normal line of sight, it can interfere with accurate visual perception while driving and can be distracting. This creates a potential safety risk because the windshield is the primary viewing surface through which the driver observes traffic, road markings, vehicles, pedestrians, and other hazards. The concern is particularly significant because the distortion is present in the driver’s primary field of view rather than being limited to a peripheral area. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed? Yes. The optical distortion in the current windshield was personally demonstrated to and confirmed by the dealership service ma