SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
2010 Volkswagen Jetta
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 852 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta, most frequently naming the fuel system, electrical and engine categories. 5 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 4 NHTSA investigations name it; and 1,126 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.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 2017 | 7 | 723 |
| Jul 2017 | 5 | 728 |
| Aug 2017 | 5 | 733 |
| Sep 2017 | 5 | 738 |
| Oct 2017 | 3 | 741 |
| Nov 2017 | 1 | 742 |
| Dec 2017 | 1 | 743 |
| Jan 2018 | 1 | 744 |
| Feb 2018 | 2 | 746 |
| Mar 2018 | 5 | 751 |
| Apr 2018 | 4 | 755 |
| May 2018 | 4 | 759 |
| Jun 2018 | 1 | 760 |
| Jul 2018 | 3 | 763 |
| Aug 2018 | 4 | 767 |
| Sep 2018 | 1 | 768 |
| Oct 2018 | 3 | 771 |
| Nov 2018 | 1 | 772 |
| Dec 2018 | 4 | 776 |
| Jan 2019 | 3 | 779 |
| Mar 2019 | 2 | 781 |
| Apr 2019 | 3 | 784 |
| Jun 2019 | 5 | 789 |
| Jul 2019 | 1 | 790 |
| Aug 2019 | 5 | 795 |
| Sep 2019 | 3 | 798 |
| Oct 2019 | 3 | 801 |
| Nov 2019 | 3 | 804 |
| Jan 2020 | 1 | 805 |
| May 2020 | 1 | 806 |
| Jun 2020 | 1 | 807 |
| Jul 2020 | 1 | 808 |
| Aug 2020 | 1 | 809 |
| Sep 2020 | 2 | 811 |
| Nov 2020 | 1 | 812 |
| Jan 2021 | 2 | 814 |
| Feb 2021 | 3 | 817 |
| Mar 2021 | 2 | 819 |
| Apr 2021 | 1 | 820 |
| May 2021 | 2 | 822 |
| Jun 2021 | 1 | 823 |
| Jul 2021 | 2 | 825 |
| Aug 2021 | 1 | 826 |
| Oct 2021 | 2 | 828 |
| Nov 2021 | 3 | 831 |
| Feb 2022 | 1 | 832 |
| Mar 2022 | 1 | 833 |
| Apr 2022 | 2 | 835 |
| Aug 2022 | 1 | 836 |
| Nov 2022 | 1 | 837 |
| Dec 2022 | 1 | 838 |
| Jan 2023 | 2 | 840 |
| May 2023 | 1 | 841 |
| Jul 2023 | 2 | 843 |
| Sep 2023 | 3 | 846 |
| Oct 2023 | 1 | 847 |
| Jan 2024 | 1 | 848 |
| Jul 2024 | 2 | 850 |
| May 2025 | 1 | 851 |
| Aug 2025 | 1 | 852 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Fuel system30327.4%
- Electrical23821.5%
- Engine18817.0%
- Powertrain (other)827.4%
- Brakes555.0%
- Driver assistance534.8%
- Airbags312.8%
- Transmission302.7%
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
5 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC); SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models.Contamination of the clockspring can cause the ribbon cable to tear resulting in loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag and any steering wheel mounted controls.The loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag will result in illumination of the air bag warning light and will prevent operation of the front driver air bag in a crash of sufficient severity requiring a commanded deployment.In November 2017, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ17-009) after the agency received 90 complaints alleging failure of the clockspring in the subject models.Several of the complaints allege failure of the clockspring after receiving the recall remedy.The majority of the complaints allege the same failure mode without being included in the original recall, 15V-483.In its March 2018 response to ODI's Information Request under the Recall Query, Volkswagen provided approximately 700 consumer complaints and field reports on the recalled vehicles.These reports allege clockspring failure similar to the NHTSA reports described above.To date, NHTSA has received approximately 154 allegations of clockspring failure since the recall has launched.The total of 852 reports shown in the table above eliminates 6 duplicative reports received by ODI and the manufacturer.An Engineering Analysis has been opened to further evaluate the scope and effectiveness of the remedy associated with 15V-483 and perform a thorough review of the design changes implemented by Volkswagen and its suppliers to address this issue.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI identification numbers: 11080741, 11079877, 11079805, 11079124, 11076709, 11076645, 11076297, 11076249, 11076133, 11075756, 11075726, 11075358, 11075259, 11075055, 11074920, 11074565, 11073090, 11072745, 11072457, 11072089, 11071933, 11071880, 11071630, 11071592, 11067396, 11067061, 11066738, 11066601, 11066511, 11065909, 11065871, 11065262, 11064701, 11064564, 11064544, 11064531, 11063961, 11063501, 11063095, 11062772, 11062464, 11062353, 11062344, 11061463, 11061310, 11061311, 11060735, 11058154, 11057519, 11057477, 11057341, 11056793, 11056243, 11056063, 11055639, 11054279, 11052812, 11052678, 11052384, 11052228, 11051336, 11051155, 11051074, 11048803, 11047037, 11044226, 11043653, 11039142, 11033893, 11033330, 11032548, 11025475, 11025356, 11024647, 11023423, 11020570, 11020312, 11019415, 11019067, 11015441, 11015431, 11014595, 11014016, 11013709, 11013415, 11012596, 11011753, 11006668, 11006521, 11006307, 11006181, 11005301, 11003865, 11001780, 11001783, 11001334, 10994184, 10993360, 10993524, 10992490, 10985926, 10983678, 10981220, 10980831, 10980941, 10980549, 10979418, 10971152, 10967344, 10967155, 10959968, 10958624, 10957279, 10956488, 10949129, 10947562, 10945122, 10936498, 10936543, 10933950, 10927311, 10925421, 10924034, 10915612, 10915569, 10911171, 10902066, 10898733, 10896537, 10896510, 10895526, 10893938, 10891686, 10864967, 10863742, 10861984, 10851242, 10822505, 10821562, 10818403, 10795068, 10794402, 10788738, 10787804, 10782544, 10780725, 10780145, 10779145, 10776477, 10775448, 10763492, 10763423, 10763289, 10762670, 10760644, 10758777, 10749901, 10748922
Diesel Fuel Injector Line Leakage
By letter dated October 3, 2011, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it will conduct a safety recall to address a defect in approximately 168,275 model year (MY) 2009-2012 Volkswagen Jetta, Jetta Sportwagen, Golf, and Audi A3 vehicles equipped with the 2.0L TDI Common Rail Clean Diesel engine (NHTSA Recall No. 11V-490).The recalled Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen vehicles were built from May 2008 through September 2011, the Golf vehicles were built from May 2009 through September 2011, and the Audi A3 vehicles were built from September 2009 through September 2011.According to Volkswagen, in U.S. applications of the above cited TDI vehicles including engine codes CJAA and CBEA, 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 on the fuel line which a small number of parts (based on the statistic spread of line strength) cannot withstand over its lifetime.As a contributing factor, VW indicated that a supplier used tube material with scratch marks from a grinding process during certain production periods.Lines manufactured in these periods were installed in vehicles produced in the following 10 months:December 2008, January-February 2009, October 2009, March-April 2010 and September-December 2010.Injector lines using this material exhibit a significantly higher failure rate.Dealers will replace injector line #2 in all vehicles built in these months.In addition, as a precautionary measure, all recalled vehicles will have vibration dampers installed on all four fuel injector lines.Analysis of NHTSA complaints, VW complaints, VW field reports and warranty claims found allegations of injector line leakage in 443 subject vehicles.The leaking line was not identified in 62 of the vehicles.For the 381 that did provide information about which injector lines were leaking and/or replaced, 358 (94%) involved an injector line #2 leak/repair.Almost three-quarters of the injector line #2 leak/repair incident vehicles were built in the 10 months identified by VW, which accounted for approximately one-quarter of the recalled vehicles.The failure rate for injector line #2 in vehicles built in the 10 months affected by the supplier line scratching issue is 6.0 incidents per thousand vehicles (IPTV).The failure rate for injector line #2 in other production months of recalled vehicles is 0.8 IPTV.The leak/repair rates for the other injector lines are all well under 1 IPTV.The action taken by Volkswagen is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation. The agency will continue to monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.
High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure
The Office of Defects Investgation (ODI) opened EA11-003 on February 7, 2011, based on 160 complaints to ODI and Volkswagen involving high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures in model year (MY) 2009 through 2010 Volkswagen Jetta and Golf and Audi A3 TDI vehicles and questions regarding fuel sample results provided by Volkswagen as part of its response to PE10-034.During EA11-003, ODI analyzed design information, field experience and test data for MY 2009 through 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, Golf and Touareg and Audi A3 and Q7 vehicles equipped with TDI engines. Volkswagen has not identified any design or manufacturing defects in the subject TDI Clean Diesel pumps and has stated that the subject pumps were designed, tested and approved for use in the United States market, with substantial design margins for fuels that are out of specification.Volkswagen believes that misfueling with gasoline is the primary cause of HPFP drivetrain failures in the field.Only the Q7 vehicles were built with misfuel protection devices.In May 2013 Volkswagen initiated a service campaign to install misfuel protection devices in all MY 2009 through 2012 Jetta, Golf and A3 vehicles.Volkswagen implemented misfuel protection devices in all of the subject models beginning in MY 2013. ODI?s analysis of HPFP drivetrain failure incidents indicates that most failures do not result in engine stall while driving and, when pump drivetrain failure does result in stall while driving, it is usually preceded by numerous warning symptoms (e.g., glow plug warning lamp, chime, limp mode, and driveability symptoms).The failure data for the subject vehicles show relatively low stalling rates (less than one percent at three years in service) for each of the pump designs used in the subject vehicles.There have been no reports of crashes, injuries or fatalities related to the alleged defect. Based on these facts, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted.For additional information, see the closing report in the document file for EA11-003.
High Pressure Fuel Pump Failure (HPFP)
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) and Volkswagen (VW) have received a total of 160 complaints and field reports alleging incidents of engine stall and/or loss of power that appear to be related to high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures in certain model year (MY) 2009 through 2010 Volkswagen Jetta and MY 2010 Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3 vehicles equipped with TDI clean diesel engines.Approximately half of the reports indicate that the failure resulted in an engine stall incident, with many of these alleging stall incidents at highway speeds in traffic with no restart.There has been one minor crash alleged to have resulted from HPFP failure in the subject vehicles.In response to ODI's information request for PE10-034, VW indicated that it had found no defect related to motor vehicle safety with relation to the TDI Clean Diesel fuel system at issue in this investigation and attributed problems with HPFP failure to operation with gasoline contaminated diesel fuel.Volkswagen stated that even a small amount of gasoline in the diesel fuel may disrupt the necessary lubrication required and may cause the HPFP to fail.In response to concerns that fuel contamination was the major cause of HPFP and related fuel system failures, VW issued a Technical Service Bulletin in May 2010 (VW TB V011011 2023624 and Audi TB A011008 2023360-1), with instructions to inspect the diesel fuel for vehicles requiring fuel system service that have symptoms associated with HPFP failure.The bulletin states that fuel system damage incurred by use of fuel not complying to ASTM-D-975 Grade 2 S15 (B5 or less biodiesel content) standards will not be covered under warranty. Volkswagen also provided information about 121 mis-fueling incidents reportedly acknowledged by consumers or dealers and test results for about 50 diesel fuel samples taken from complaint vehicles in late-August through early-October 2010.The mis-fueling incidents include about 20 reports involving incorrect fueling by dealer sales or service personnel and generally report symptoms such as rough running, stalling and/or no start within a few miles of refueling the vehicle with gasoline.Volkswagen indicated that the testing of fuel samples from complaint vehicles found that nearly 90 percent contained high amounts of gasoline.Volkswagen implemented design changes for the HPFP in May 2008, September 2009 and November 2010 to improve the robustness of the pump when used with poor quality fuel.ODI analysis of HPFP failures identified from all sources shows failure rates of 0.53% for MY 2009 vehicles and 0.11% for MY 2010 vehicles.This investigation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA11-003) to continue to investigate the issues with mis-fueling and HPFP design identified during the Preliminary Evaluation.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Why driving at 55mph the high pressure fuel pump grenaded sending metal shrapnel through the engine causing an immediate engine shut off while still driving. Entire fuel system has shut down as result
- NHTSA ID
- 11679371
- Incident
- Aug 1, 2025
When you turn on the vehicle, the abs and traction light illuminates. The light that says "BRAKE" also illuminates and the vehicle beeps 3 times. When driving the vehicle, the red light "BRAKE" flashes constantly, while the ABS and traction control light remains illuminated but no flashes. The dealership says it's a fault ABS module and Hydraulic Pump Assembly. I researched and found a Volkswagen safety recall code: 45F2 (published March 17, 2017) that seems very applicable to my vehicle. Safety concerns include but are not limited to the following: loss of vehicle control, failure to brake properly, auto engagement of brakes not by the driver, etc. All safety concerns may cause my life or the life of another individual.
- NHTSA ID
- 11662407
- Incident
- May 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving or parked, the door locks, gas cap sensor, and tailgate were not working as intended. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to several unknown recalls; however, the vehicle was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11603178
- Incident
- Mar 6, 2024
- Mileage
- 160,000 mi
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS, ESC, and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the ABS control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics, Electronic Stability Control (ESC)), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11598385
- Incident
- Jul 2, 2024
- Mileage
- 90,000 mi
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the brake light, ABS, and Electronic Stability Control warning lights remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted regarding the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 260,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11564842
- Incident
- Jan 2, 2024
- Mileage
- 260,000 mi
Every time it rains, water comes down im assuming from my sunroof, ive cleaned the drains multiple times, it doesnt make a differenc, the water goes through my fuse box on the driver side fuse box inside the car like a white water rapid and collects in the floorboard. It blows all of my fuses, it also blows out my headlights, brake lights, and turn signals. Not to mention the mold that must be growing in the car from all the water. I tried contacting volkswagen but they wont do anything.. eventhough ive spent who knows how much money replacing all those bulbs and fuses. Plus the damprid containers ive bought to help dry everything up, and the cleaners, the air freshners, the cost of vacuuming all that water up.. also my doors wont lock, i cant control anything in the car with the drivers side controls, cant open my trunk with the switch by the drivers seat. This has changed my whole opinion of volkswagen vehicles.. i used to think they were really good cars, not anymore!
- NHTSA ID
- 11549528
- Incident
- Mar 2, 2020
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ABS control module software needed to be updated. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure however, the contact was awaiting a call back. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11546445
- Incident
- Sep 18, 2023
- Mileage
- 100,000 mi
1) IGNITION SWITCH - yes 2) car wont turn off, key is stuck and wont allow to be turned off. this is dangerous for car to be left on. 3) yes - common problem with VW 4) yes by mechanic 5) no warnings, typically ignition needs jiggling to start and turn off ignition but this is the first time it has refused to budge.
- NHTSA ID
- 11546256
- Incident
- Sep 23, 2023
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 - Hotfix 12-V battery test(s) – No battery diagnosis - Inconclusive test result.
ENGINE
Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
ENGINE
Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start.
ENGINE
Lubricating engine components before reassembly.
AIR BAGS
Inquiries
ENGINE
Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards
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
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 62.2 |
| 2024 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 45.6 |
| 2023 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 38.7 |
| 2022 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 44.5 |
| 2021 | 66 | 4 | 0 | 50.5 |
| 2020 | 51 | 6 | 1 | 58.3 |
| 2019 | 544 | 11 | 2 | 62.2 |
| 2018 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 53.2 |
| 2017 | 159 | 7 | 0 | 58.0 |
| 2016 | 160 | 5 | 0 | 57.1 |
| 2015 | 193 | 8 | 0 | 51.0 |
| 2014 | 386 | 5 | 3 | 58.6 |
| 2013 | 516 | 6 | 3 | 57.3 |
| 2012 | 499 | 8 | 5 | 59.3 |
| 2011 | 606 | 10 | 5 | 59.5 |
| 2010Viewing | 852 | 5 | 4 | 56.0 |
| 2009 | 888 | 7 | 5 | 58.0 |
| 2008 | 188 | 6 | 1 | 53.8 |
| 2007 | 201 | 6 | 0 | 51.7 |
| 2006 | 580 | 6 | 0 | 47.6 |
| 2005 | 248 | 7 | 0 | 51.5 |
| 2004 | 231 | 5 | 0 | 55.6 |
| 2003 | 456 | 4 | 4 | 67.4 |
| 2002 | 702 | 7 | 7 | 67.4 |
| 2001 | 668 | 7 | 5 | 62.1 |
| 2000 | 439 | 5 | 6 | 62.7 |
| 1999 | 349 | 7 | 5 | 63.2 |
| 1998 | 192 | 3 | 2 | 57.4 |
| 1997 | 141 | 2 | 2 | 58.9 |
| 1996 | 174 | 2 | 5 | 60.8 |
| 1995 | 220 | 6 | 4 | 64.2 |
| 1994 | 117 | 7 | 2 | 60.2 |
| 1993 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 47.8 |
| 1992 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 57.2 |
| 1991 | 31 | 7 | 3 | 61.1 |
| 1990 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 59.0 |
| 1989 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 54.4 |
| 1988 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 59.3 |
| 1987 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 66.8 |
| 1986 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 61.7 |
| 1985 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 63.1 |
| 1984 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
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.