2014 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Suspension1024.4%
- Fuel system614.6%
- Electrical512.2%
- Engine512.2%
- Airbags49.8%
- Powertrain (other)37.3%
- Steering24.9%
- Driver assistance24.9%
- Visibility12.4%
- Body & structure12.4%
- Tires & wheels12.4%
- Brakes12.4%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
Purchased my 2014 Jetta TDI SportWagen DSG used with 60k miles in 2017 from a Subaru dealership. It was purchased at auction by the dealership as reported at auction known to be an unmodified dieselgate vehicle. The dealership performed the modifications to bring it into emissions compliance and sold it to me. I noticed an occasional "boing" sound from the back and my wife wouldn't drive it, she said it was too twitchy on the highway. I just thought that was part of the Sportwagen experience. In 2026 I took it to my local garage for a [XXX] state inspection. Mechanic showed me that the front right coil spring was broken as part of the strut, and both rear coil springs were also snapped. The rear spring pieces "screwed" up into themselves and it was actually difficult to see the snapped section. I had been driving for a year on a single front left spring, the only remaining good spring. Total cost of repairs was $4500 in parts and labor (which was actually quite reasonable for the work performed). From [XXX] I purchased VW OEM "Towing" springs for the rear and new front struts and new rear shocks, plus all linkages, mounts and all bolts plus a $150 alignment. Regarding the engine, the glow plugs were replaced in 2025 and the dissimilar metals had "galled" the threads and the head had to be chased with a reamer in order to install new glow plugs to the correct torque. The faulty glow plugs were determined to be VW OEM parts from the factory. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormal noises. Upon inspection, the contact noticed the coil spring bushing had detached and was on the ground. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with three fractured coil springs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
Car all of a sudden stalled in the middle of the road with almost no warning because the High Pressure Fuel Pump Failed. Car only has 133,000 miles on it. Left us without a car over an hour and a half from home with our kids in the car. I am told Repair is Several Thousand dollars (Almost what the car is worth) Volkswagen knows that there is an issue with these pumps, as the previous years (approx. 2009 with the same pump were recalled, but not this year)
The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the glow plug warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to coast the vehicle off to the side of the roadway after nearly being crashed into by a semi-truck. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to his residence; and upon inspection, he discovered that the high-pressure fuel pump had failed and released metal shavings into the fuel filter. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 125,733.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving on a major highway at approximately 65 mph, my car completely shut off. The steering wheel froze, all the lights on the dashboard started blinking and the car's engine completely shut down. The wheel locked as I was able to steer to the median. I got out of the car and another car behind me immediately crashed into my stopped car, totaling it.
Took normal turn down road, heard clicking noise. Airbag light on dash came on immediately along with loss of function of steering wheel buttons. No warning lamps prior to failure. No issues prior to failure. Vehicle has been inspected by Volkswagen dealer and claimed clock spring needed replacement.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving my car, which is a manual, will stall out of nowhere. Not while changing gears, but while driving on highway. It stalls which is extremely dangerous. I read the NHTSA investigated this problem in 2010. I believe my car is part of this investigation.
While driving on a major highway at approximately 65 mph, my car completely shut off. The steering wheel froze, all the lights on the dashboard started blinking and the car's engine completely shut down. The wheel locked as I was able to steer to the median. I got out of the car and another car behind me immediately crashed into my stopped car, totaling it.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
Took normal turn down road, heard clicking noise. Airbag light on dash came on immediately along with loss of function of steering wheel buttons. No warning lamps prior to failure. No issues prior to failure. Vehicle has been inspected by Volkswagen dealer and claimed clock spring needed replacement.
The passenger seat occupancy mat and control module are no longer available from Volkswagen Of America. The Air bag lamp is illuminated and the fault code will not clear. VIN : [XXX] Part Number : 1K9 881 256 AA. Part Number dropped on August 1, 2022 without replacement. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
November 2022 while Driving on Highway at 70mph Transmission shutters and vehicle begins to decrease speed. Pulled over to the side of the road and the Check engine lights came on. Vehicle shut off and re-started and vehicle drove, but would not shift out of 3rd gear. Drove 20 miles home at 40MPH with Hazard lights on, checked engine code and error was P0722 Output speed sensor. I brought to VW dealership and was told the DSG transmission failed at 67,000. Despite having VW Drive Easy protection, TRansmission cost ~4000 to replace with a used transmission. VW Drive easy states because Maintenance schedule was not done at 40,000 miles, warranty was void. This 2014 TDI was a Dieselgate car that sat for ~2years prior to VW selling, and at purchase I was told all fluids were changed, which would have changed schedule service dates. This was very dangerous to myself and my small kids as loss of power at highway speeds, with no warning and transmission being dead, could have caused a serious accident if I was not on a remote section of highway.
We were stopped at a light and the car would not go when it turned green. The engine would rev with pedal application as though the car was in neutral but no gear change (D, R, return to P and try D again) would induce the car to move. There was no check engine but a tiny flashing wrench in the corner of the display. In desperation we turned the ignition completely off, removed the key and restarted the car, and the error and flashing wrench disappeared and the car started and behaved normally. Unfortunately, the complete disconnect/stuck in neutral behavior happened again 5 minutes later on a high-speed 4 lane highway. We were cruising at full speed and the wheels abruptly lost power even though the engine was still going. There was no limp mode or power of any kind, we managed to coast to the shoulder by residual momentum, but if we hadn't been fortunate to be in the extreme right lane a deadly accident would have been extremely likely. The freeway incident showed the "check engine" light as well as the flashing wrench. The car was completely disabled and had to be towed. The dealership was not helpful or informative but wanted to replace the transmission.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving on a major highway at approximately 65 mph, my car completely shut off. The steering wheel froze, all the lights on the dashboard started blinking and the car's engine completely shut down. The wheel locked as I was able to steer to the median. I got out of the car and another car behind me immediately crashed into my stopped car, totaling it.
74K MILES . CAR WAS PARKED FOR SEVERAL HOURS, THEN STARTED THE CAR & AIR BAG LIGHT , TRACTION AND STABILITY WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. NOTICED ALL STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS DID NOT WORK. HORN AND MEDIA CONTROLS. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR A CLICKING NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING. *CALLED VOLKSWAGEN USA AND THEY SAID IT IS NOT A RECALL ON MY CAR LOOKED UP THAT IT IS COMMON PROBLEM FOR MY CAR AND THE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME CAR AN SIMILAR MODELS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
TURBO FAILED WITHOUT WARNING ON THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN THE SPEED LIMIT. THIS OCCURRED IN A VEHICLE THAT HAD THE TDI EMISSIONS MODIFICATION. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED A SECOND TIME AFTER A WARRANTY REPAIR AT VIC BAILEY VOLKSWAGEN AND APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT IS RELATED TO THE EMISSIONS MODIFICATION. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES AFTER THE EMISSIONS MODIFICATION, AND ONLY 1300 MILES AFTER THE PREVIOUS FAILURE AND REPLACEMENT OF THE TURBO.
EPC WARNING LIGHT APPEARS AND SLOWS CAR DOWN FROM 65 TO 15 MILES PER HOUR ON FREEWAY WITHIN 15 SECONDS, EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND EVEN HAD SOMEONE SHATTER MY WINDOW WITH A SCREWDRIVER FOR ALMOST CAUSING ACCIDENT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
Wipers stopped working replaced motor and still nothing. I have spoken to other VW owners and they have stated they have had the same problem.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
PANARAMIC ROOF TOP LEAKING. THIS VIN ISN'T COVERED BY THE RECALL THAT IS OUT BUT IT IS AFFECTED BY THE SAME ISSUES AS THE RECALL FOR 2015 AND UP MODELS. PANARAMIC ROOF TOP LEAKS IN DRAIN TUBES CAUSING SAFETY CONCERNS DUE TO FOG AND DAMAGE TO AIRBAG UNIT VEHICLE STATIONARY. I HAVE ATTACHED THE RECALL FOR THE OTHER MODEL BUT MY CAR IS AFFECTED EXACTLY THE SAME AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE RECALL AS WELL.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owned a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta TDI equipped with four Continental Tires: Tire Line: Extreme Contact DW6 Plus; Tire Size: 245/45/R19, and DOT Numbers: N/A. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH and traveling around a curve, the passenger side rear tire tread separated, he lost control of the vehicle, and he crashed into a guardrail. The contact sustained injuries to his back, but medical attention was not provided. The side curtain air bags were deployed. There was no reported fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The contact stated that the failure was similar to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21T001000 (Tires). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. The tire mileage was 5,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
74K MILES . CAR WAS PARKED FOR SEVERAL HOURS, THEN STARTED THE CAR & AIR BAG LIGHT , TRACTION AND STABILITY WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. NOTICED ALL STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS DID NOT WORK. HORN AND MEDIA CONTROLS. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR A CLICKING NOISE STARTED COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING. *CALLED VOLKSWAGEN USA AND THEY SAID IT IS NOT A RECALL ON MY CAR LOOKED UP THAT IT IS COMMON PROBLEM FOR MY CAR AND THE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME CAR AN SIMILAR MODELS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .