Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Volkswagen Jetta submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 39 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 39, in the owner's own words
THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER OVER HEATED AND MELTED THE SEAT AND CLOTHING OF THE DRIVER. NO BURNS WERE NOTICED ON THE DRIVERS BODY, BUT COULD FEEL THE INTENSE HEAT FROM THE HEATER.
WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON THE FREEWAY, MY DRIVERS SEAT BEGAN MOVING ON IT'S OWN. THE TOP PART OF THE SEAT PUSHED ME UP AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE THE BOTTOM HALF PULLED ME BACK SO I COULDN'T REACH THE PEDALS. I HAD MY 2 YR OLD GRANDCHILD IN THE BACKSEAT AND BARELY MADE IT OFF OF THE FREEWAY. THE SEAT CONTINUES TO MOVE EVEN WHILE THE CAR IS OFF. THE TOW TRUCK REFUSED TO HELP BECAUSE OF LEGAL REASONS AND THE VW DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME $140 JUST TO LOOK AT IT BECAUSE IT'S NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT CAN CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. VW SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DEFECTIVE PARTS REGARDLESS OF THE YEAR OF THE CAR AND SHOULD NOT BE CHARGING ANYONE TO FIX THIS.
DRIVERS SEAT ADJUSTMENT AUTOMATICALLY MOVES SEAT WHILE DRIVING. IF YOU ARE TALL, THE SEAT MOVES YOU INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND I'M AFRAID THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AS YOU CANNOT TURN STEERING WHEEL AND YOUR KNEES ARE PINNED UNDER THE DASH.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE DRIVER SEAT STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD ON ITS OWN TOWARDS THE STEERING WHEEL IN WHICH I WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE DRIVER SEAT IT WOULD NOT REVERSENEARLY CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE HORN NO LONGER WORKS DUE TO SOME SORT OFELECTRICAL ISSUE. THE ISSUE TOOK PLACE WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY.
ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I NOTICED MY DRIVER'S SEAT WAS TOO FAR FORWARD, SO I USED THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT CONTROLS TO MOVE IT BACK TO WHERE IT WAS COMFORTABLE. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, WHETHER I WAS DRIVING (HIGHWAY OR LOCAL), STATIONARY, OR STOPPED (WITH THE ENGINE TURNED OFF!), THE SEAT BACK WOULD MOVE BACK AND FORTH, SOMETIMES LUNGING FORWARD 4-6 INCHES AND THEN BACK ABOUT 10 INCHES. THIS CAUSED ME, WHILE DRIVING, TO BE PRESSED ALMOST ON THE STEERING WHEEL OR AT FULL ARMS-LENGTH, BACK AND FORTH NUMEROUS TIMES. SOMETIMES PUSHING ONE/ANY OF THE SETTING BUTTONS WOULD STOP THE ROCKING FOR A SHORT TIME; SOMETIMES IT HAD NO EFFECT. THIS ISSUE IS OF SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN TO ME AS IT MAKES STEERING AND BRAKING/ACCELERATING VERY DIFFICULT AND NOT CONTROLLABLE. THERE MUST BE A RECALL ON THIS MODEL AS THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED ON THIS SITE SINCE THE MODEL FIRST CAME OUT IN 2006! IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT NO RECALL HAS YET BEEN ISSUED.
WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 VW JETTA THE DRIVERS POWER SEAT STARTED TO MOVE BY ITSELF FORWARD THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES TO THE POINT WHERE MY KNEES WHERE PUSHED TO THE DASH AND MY RIGHT KNEE ACTUALLY TURNED CAR OFF BY HITTING MY KEYS ON KEY CHAIN OCCASIONALLY WHEN I HAVE GONE OUT IN MORNING TO START THE CAR THE SEAT HAS BEEN PUSHED FORWARD AND BATTERY HAS BEEN WEAKENED I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY THE FACT THAT THIS SEAT MOVES WHILE DRIVING. *TR
WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY (HUTCHINSON RIVER PARKWAY, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY), MY POWER DRIVER'S SEAT STARTED MOVING FORWARD (TOWARDS THE WHEEL) ON ITS OWN. I STOPPED IT BY PUSHING BACK ON THE SWITCH. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED TWICE MORE WITHIN THE NEXT 5 MINUTES AND AGAIN OVERNIGHT (LAST NIGHT) WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED (I CAME TO IT THIS MORNING AND FOUND THE SEAT WAS PUSHED ALL THE WAY FORWARD). OBVIOUSLY, A DRIVER'S SEAT WITH A MIND OF ITS OWN COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. THE SEAT MOVING WHILE THE CAR IS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED MEANS IT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO BE STOPPED EVEN BY SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE. AT 6FT2, I WOULD BE CRUSHED IF I WERE UNABLE TO STOP THE SEAT FROM MOVING UP.
DRIVER SEAT LOWER RIGHT BACK OVERHEATED. BURNT A HOLE IN THE SEAT AND MELTED THE COAT I WAS WEARING. SMELL OF BURNING IN THE CAR AND INTENSE HEAT ON MY BACK. TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEAT. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION, NOTICED THE BURN IN THE SEAT AND LATER NOTICED A BURN ON MY COAT. INTERIOR OF THE CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED, NEVER FLOODED OR ABUSED. NOW I HAVE A CAR DRIVER SEAT THAT IS BADLY DAMAGED, A RUINED COAT AND SCARED TO OPERATE THE CAR OR TO PARK IN MY GARAGE IN FEAR OF A FIRE THAT COULD BURN DOWN MY HOUSE AND CAR PUTTING MY SELF AND FAMILY IN HARMS WAY. I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL VW CARS IN THE PAST WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE SAME SPOT AND WAS ALWAYS THANKFUL THAT IT WAS NOT MY CAR. NOW IT IS MY CAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. CALLED THE VW DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON THIS. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT CAN CAUSE A BAD BURN ON A PERSON. I AM GLAD I HAD A COAT ON WHILE DRIVING, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE HAD TO SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR THE BURN. WOULD LIKE TO SEE VW CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND REPLACE THE SEAT AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNERS. THIS IS A PREVENTABLE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS CORRECTED. *TR
DRIVER SEAT LOWER RIGHT BACK OVERHEATED. BURNT A HOLE IN THE SEAT AND MELTED THE COAT I WAS WEARING. SMELL OF BURNING IN THE CAR AND INTENSE HEAT ON MY BACK. TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEAT. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION, NOTICED THE BURN IN THE SEAT AND LATER NOTICED A BURN ON MY COAT.. INTERIOR OF THE CAR IS WELL MAINTAINED, NEVER FLOODED OR ABUSED. NOW I HAVE A CAR DRIVER SEAT THAT IS BADLY DAMAGED, A RUINED COAT AND SCARED TO OPERATE THE CAR OR TO PARK IN MY GARAGE IN FEAR OF A FIRE THAT COULD BURN DOWN MY HOUSE AND CAR PUTTING MYSELF AND FAMILY IN HARMS WAY. I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL VW CARS IN THE PAST WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE SAME SPOT AND WAS ALWAYS THANKFUL THAT IT WAS NOT MY CAR. NOW IT IS MY CAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. CALLED THE VW DEALER, AND THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON THIS. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT CAN CAUSE A BAD BURN ON A PERSON. I AM GLAD I HAD A COAT ON WHILE DRIVING, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE HAD TO SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR THE BURN. WOULD LIKE TO SEE VW CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND REPLACE THE SEAT AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNERS. THIS IS A PREVENTABLE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS CORRECTED. *TR
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN IOWA AND TO MY HORROR, MY CAR SEAT STARTED MOVING BACK BY ITSELF. I COULD NOT REACH THE PEDALS IN THE CAR AND HAD TO HOLD THE ELECTRIC SEAT BUTTON AND FIGHT IT TO KEEP IT FROM MOVING BACK. THIS WAS PRETTY DIFFICULT SINCE THE CAR IS A STICK SHIFT. VOLKSWAGEN WAS UNINTERESTED IN HELPING DEFRAY THE COST OF REPAIRING THIS VERY SERIOUSLY UNSAFE DEFECT! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLINER FABRIC DETACHED, WHICH DISTORTED THE CONTACT'S VISION WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. IN ADDITION, THE DOORS WOULD ONLY UNLOCK MANUALLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY AND THE HORN WOULD NOT ACTIVATE WHEN ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOORS FAILED TO OPEN AND THE PASSENGERS WERE UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE USING THE REAR DOORS. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,550. UPDATED 9/18/14*CN
THE LEATHER ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT STARTED SEPARATING...LOOKS LIKE LITTLE MICRO TEARS THAT CONTINUE TO WORSEN. *TR
DRIVER'S REAR DOOR LOCK STOPPED RESPONDING TO THE BUTTONS ON IT, AND ON THE MAIN CONTROL, AND ON THE REMOTE. IT INTERMITTENTLY WORKED UNTIL MARCH AND IS NOW DEAD. THE CAR CANNOT BE LOCKED AND THAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
OUR 2006 JETTA TDI HAD AN AIRBAG FAULT. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP AND THEY TESTED THE AIR CODE AND FOUND OUT THAT THE PASSENGER OCCUPANT DETECTOR MODULE WENT BAD DUE TO A ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION IN THE CIRCUIT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO SAY IF THE AIRBAGS WERE GOING TO WORK ON NOT IN THE CASE OF A CRASH. VOLKSWAGEN IS REFUSING TO TAKE ANY OWNERSHIP OF KEEPING THEIR VEHICLE SAFE AND COVERING THE COST OF THE PART. I CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN USA AND THEY GAVE THE REASON THEY WILL NOT COVER THE PART BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I FEEL THAT VOLKSWAGEN IS BEING NEGLECTFUL TO THEIR CLAIM ON PROVIDING A SAFE VEHICLE. NOW THAT THE AIRBAG SENSOR IS GOING OUT, WE ARE HAVING MORE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH HEADLIGHTS, PARKING LIGHTS, TAILLIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS, AND TURN SIGNALS. *TR
AFTER USING THE FOB TO LOCK THE DOORS WE NOTICED THE REAR DOORS WOULD NOT LOCK. IF THE CAR IS JUST SITTING THE REAR LOCKS WILL NOT LOCK LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN TO CHILDREN OR WOULD BE THIEVES. WE ALSO NOTICED THE REAR DOORS WOULD SHOW THEY WERE LOCKED ONCE WE WERE MOVING, BUT WERE ACTUALLY UNLOCKED ALLOWING THE REAR PASSENGER TO BE ABLE TO OPEN THE DOORS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE! VOLKSWAGEN NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE ASAP. *TR
WHILE DRIVING HOME WITH MY WIFE, SHE STATED THAT SHE THOUGHT SHE HAD NOTICED A BURNING SMELL. THE HEATED SEATS WERE ON AS IT WAS A COLD MORNING. THE NEXT DAY I NOTICED THAT THE BACK REST OF THE SEAT HAD A SMOLDERING MARK AS WELL AS SOME SORT OF SMOKE DAMAGE AS IF THERE WAS A FIRE ON THE INSIDE OF THE SEAT. WE LATER LOOKED ON HER JACKET AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS TRANSFER OF THE "LEATHER" TO HER JACKET. *TR
DRIVER'S SEAT, LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF SEAT BACK: NOTICED A DISCOLORATION & CHANGE IN THE FABRIC AT LEAST ONE YEAR AGO. MORE RECENTLY, TWO PINHOLES HAVE APPEARED IN THE AREA. WITHOUT A DOUBT, THIS HAS BEEN CAUSED BY THE HEATED SEAT ELEMENT. IN RETROSPECT, WE REALIZE THAT SEVERAL ARTICLES OF CLOTHING - PRIMARILY OUTERWEAR - WERE DAMAGED BY THE EXCESS HEAT FROM THAT AREA OF THE SEAT. BECAUSE IT WAS OUTERWEAR, THAT PROBABLY ACCOUNTS FOR WHY WE NEVER FELT THE INTENSE, LOCALIZED HEAT. NO INJURIES RESULTED. BUT AFTER READING ABOUT ALMOST 200 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOR THE JETTAS BUILT AROUND THAT TIME, SOME RESULTING IN INJURIES AND / OR FIRES, I'M SURPRISED THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS. *TR
FIRST, VEHICLE'S ELECTRONIC LOCKS STOP RESPONDING TO DEPRESSES FROM BOTH REMOTES. REPLACE THE BATTERIES TO THE REMOTE AND STILL THE CAR WILL NOT RESPOND. THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR IS BY MANUALLY INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE, WHICH IS THE ONLY MANUAL KEYHOLE, AND TURNING LEFT TWICE. ONCE TURN UNLOCKS THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, ANOTHER TURN UNLOCKS THE PASSENGER DOORS. AFTER SOME TIME PASSENGER DOORS STOP RESPONDING TO SECOND TURN. PASSENGER DOORS DO NO LOCK WHEN MANUALLY TURNING KEY THE RIGHT FROM THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, WHICH IS THE ONLY MANUAL KEYHOLE. THE PASSENGER DOORS THAT DO NOT LOCK CAUSE THE ALARM TO GO OFF WHEN OPENED. DEPRESSING THE SILENCE ALARM BUTTON ON KEY FOB DOES NOT SILENCE ALARM. THE ONLY WAY TO SILENCE ALARM IS BY CLOSING PASSENGER DOOR, CLOSING DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND TURNING KEY RIGHT ONCE TO LOCK AND LEFT TO UNLOCK. DOING SO ONLY CONTROL DRIVER SIDE DOOR. AFTER SOME TIME DASHBOARD SHOWS "DOOR OPEN" SYMBOL EVEN WHEN ALL DOORS ARE SECURELY CLOSED AND INDICATOR LIGHT ON DOOR IS OFF. DOME LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING AS IF THE DOORS ARE INDEED OPEN EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE SECURELY CLOSED. AT THIS STAGE THE ALARM SYSTEM NO LONGER WORKS EITHER BY KEY FOB DEPRESS NOR BY MANUALLY TURNING THE LOCK IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AS DESCRIBED EARLIER. DOORS MUST BE LOCKED BY OPENING EACH ONE MANUALLY AND PRESSING THE LOCK DOOR BUTTON LOCATED ON EACH PASSENGER DOOR. PRESSING THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK DOES NOT LOCK PASSENGER DOORS. ALL FUSES ARE INTACT AND NO ELECTRICAL ISSUES REPORTED. *TR
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH THE HEATED SEAT ON , I HAD IT ON 5 WHICH IS THE MAX SETTING AND I FELT A BURNING SENSATION NEAR MY RIGHT SHOULDER AREA SO I FELT MY BACK AND THOUGHT WOW SO I TURNED IT DOWN AND AFTER PULLING IN MY GARAGE I LOOKED AND THE SEAT WAS SLIGHTLY MELTED ABOUT THE SIZE OF A GOLF BALL AND MY JACKET WAS SLIGHTLY MELTED I AM GOING TO CONTACT MY LOCAL DEALER TOMORROW TO SEE IF THERE'S A RECALL (BEWARE IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN FIRE I BELIEVE IF I WOULD HAVE KEPT IT ON LONG ENOUGH.) *TR
BOUGHT NEW VW JETTA SEDAN ON 08/17/06. ON 05/13/10 TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER BECAUSE OF CAR DECELERATING WHILE DRIVING I.E. DROPPING IN SECONDS FROM 60 MILES TO 20 MILES. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER ANSWER "UNABLE TO REPLICATE PROBLEM" UNTIL WARRANTY OF FOUR YEARS EXPIRED. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES EVEN AFTER THE CARBON ACCUMULATED ON THE THROTTLE WAS CLEANED AND THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. DUE TO UNSAFE TO DRIVE, REQUESTED FOR THE DEALER TO BUY THE CAR BACK AS A LEMON. THE DEALER REFUSES BECAUSE THE FOUR YR WARRANTY IS OVER. OTHER PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED WITH THIS VEHICLE DURING THIS PERIOD: AIR BAGS LIGHTS GOING OFF, AIR BAG COVER FALLING OFF, TRUNK OPENING ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING, RAIN WATER LEAKING INSIDE THE LINING OF THE CAR, SCREWS COMING OFF A DOOR PANEL, DOORS FALLING OFF THE HINGES, EMERGENCY SWITCH FALLING INSIDE PANEL, FUEL CAP NOT LOCKING, RECALLS. DEALER RECOMMENDING TO REPLACE THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN FOR 2,340.
MY WIFE WAS GETTING READY TO GO TO WORK, WHEN SHE OPENED THE DOOR OF OUR JETTA, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE DRIVERS FRONT SEAT. SHE BENT DOWN TO SEE WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM BUT ALL SHE SAW WAS A RED GLOW COMING FROM UNDER THE SEAT. THIS THING MUST HAVE SET AND SMOLDER ALL NIGHT BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T UNLOCK THE CAR THAT MORNING BECAUSE SHE HAD LEFT THE CAR UNLOCKED DO TO WHERE WE LIVE NO ONE IS AROUND FOR MILES. INSPECTOR SAID THAT IT WAS FAULT OF (VW) THE SEAT, BUT IT WILL COST TO MUCH TO SUE VW. WE ALMOST LOST OUR HOME, GARAGE AND OUR LIVES. WE HAD THE SEAT RECALL REPAIRED BUT I THINK THE REPAIR WAS NEVER MADE, THE VIDEO IS ON YOUTUBE UNDER "JETTA FIRE". ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS WHY DIDN'T A FUSE BLOW BEFORE THE CAR BURNT TO THE GROUND. *KB
IGNITION KEY WILL NOT GO IN THE KEY HOLE. IT IS AS IF YOU ARE TRYING TO START SOME OTHER CAR. IT HAPPENED AT PARKING LOT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. *TR
BOUGHT USED VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TURBO. AFTER ONE YEAR OF PERFECT FUNCTIONING, THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND AIR CONDITIONING HAVE TOTALLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING. MECHANIC CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. ADDITIONALLY, TRUNK LATCH WOULD NOT LATCH UPON OPENING TRUNK. *TR
MY 2006 VW JETTA 2.5 L HAS HAD THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT WARMER CATCH FIRE AND CAUSE HOLES IN MY SEAT. AS I DROPPED OFF ONE OF MY CHILDREN TO SCHOOL TODAY I NOTICED A BLACK HOLE WITH GLOWING ORANGE EMBERS IN THE SEAT! I TOUCHED IT AND REALIZED MY SEAT HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE! THANK GOD MY CHILD WAS ALREADY OUT OF THE CAR AND WAS WEARING A HEAVY COAT AND WASN'T BURNED BY IT. DEFINITELY A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND I'M LUCKY NO ONE WAS INJURED! *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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