RoadVitals

2004 Volkswagen Jetta Wagon

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Aug 16, 2020
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2004 Volkswagen Jetta Wagon, most frequently naming the fuel system and visibility categories. 72 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Fuel system150.0%
  • Visibility150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Visibility
Filed Aug 16, 2020

THE FRONT WINDOWS DETACH AND DROP DOWN INSIDE THE DOOR DURING COLD WEATHER, EVEN WHEN THE WINDOW HAS NOT BEEN OPERATED. THIS HAS CAUSED A LOSS OF VISIBILITY AS WELL AS A LOSS OF PROTECTION DURING A BLIZZARD, AND AGAIN DURING A TORRENTIAL RAIN STORM WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE REATTACHED THE WINDOWS MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS FAILURE OF THE CLAMPS THAT HOLDS THEM IN PLACE. THIS HAS HAPPENED BOTH AT LOW SPEEDS AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE ISSUE CONTINUES TO BE A HAZARDOUS PROBLEM. IN LOOKING ONLINE FOR HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON IN THESE CARS AND HAS BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION FOR MANY DRIVERS.

NHTSA ID
11349722
Incident
Dec 21, 2016
Mileage
140,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jan 4, 2020

STARTING AT AROUND 130,000 MILES, WHEN GAS TANK IS AT A QUARTER OR SLIGHTLY LESS, THE CAR LOOSES POWER AND ACTS AS IF IT IS NOT GETTING FUEL TO THE ENGINE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY AT TYPICAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS, POWER IS LOST FOR 10-15 SECONDS, RPM DROPS TO AROUND 2000 OR LESS (WHILE IN "DRIVE"). THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE ENGINE JERKS TO LIFE, AND I CAN DRIVE THE CAR NORMALLY, UP UNTIL I HAVE TO REFILL THE TANK. THE STALLING DOESN'T REPEAT ITSELF UNTIL THE NEXT QUARTER TANK. WHEN THE QUARTER OF A TANK ISSUE HAPPENS IN THE CITY AT SLOWER SPEEDS, THE CAR DIES, DASHBOARD ENGINE LIGHTS COME ON, AND I HAVE TO PULL OVER, AND CRANK THE STARTER 3 OR 4 TIMES, AND EVENTUALLY, IT STARTS BACK UP AGAIN WITH NORMAL DRIVING RESUMED. ONE TIME I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL, LOST POWER, AND HAD TO PULL OVER QUICK. WHEN THE QUARTER OF A TANK ISSUE HAPPENS WHILE PARKED, ENGINE AT AN IDLE, THE CAR DIES, AND I HAVE TO CRANK THE STARTER A FEW TIMES TO RESTART THE CAR. THIS PROBLEM ONLY HAPPENS ONCE PER TANK CYCLE, ONLY AT THE (APPROXIMATE) QUARTER OF A TANK POSITION, AND DOESN'T HAPPEN BETWEEN THE FULL TO 1/4, OR THE 1/4 TO EMPTY PHASE. I KNOW I AM NOT OUT OF GAS, AS I'M FILLING UP THE TANK TO NORMAL LEVELS. THE FUEL PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, AND THE FUEL FILTER ONCE. MY MECHANIC CHARGED $80 TO DIAGNOSE THE CAR, ONLY TO FIND A CODE ABOUT A SPARK PLUG THAT MISFIRED - WHICH OF COURSE WILL HAPPEN DURING FUEL STARVATION. SPART PLUGS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM HAPPEND AGAIN. I'VE CALLED 3 OR 4 VW REPAIR SHOPS, AND NOBODY HAS A CLUE HOW TO FIX THIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN I BRING UP THE QUARTER OF A TANK ISSUE. THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IS TO FILL UP BEFORE HITTING 1/4 TANK. IRRITATING !!!! ISSUE GOING FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW.

NHTSA ID
11297155
Incident
Dec 18, 2019
Mileage
140,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

V171901201285565

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards

V171901201285562

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.

V171901201285560

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.

V941901201152119

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Update model year applicability to include 2023.

V271901201189422

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Battery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger. Updated to include additional model year applicability.

A002155201173212

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

This bulletin contains general instructions for software updates.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Volkswagen Jetta Wagon by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2005000—
2004Viewing200—
2003200—
2002200—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.