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2015 Volkswagen Jetta Airbags Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Airbags reportsComplaints 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.
17
Latest Dec 11, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
9%
of 193 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
4
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
6

What this page shows

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2015 Volkswagen Jetta submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 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.

Owner reports naming airbag

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Airbags
Filed Dec 11, 2025

A warning lamp came on that I didn’t know what it was for. It came on yesterday along with a tire warning lamp. The steering wheel buttons won’t work. I had it inspected by a local service center and it was confirmed to be the clock spring. I was informed it may fall under an active recall. It is a safety issue due to the airbag not being able to deploy if need be.

NHTSA ID
11704592
Incident
Dec 10, 2025
Airbags
Filed May 27, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front passenger’s seat air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the passenger’s side occupant sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V627000 (AIR BAGS). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ID
11663177
Incident
Dec 27, 2021
Mileage
90,000 mi
AirbagsBrakesElectrical
Filed Jan 25, 2023

I'm finding the brake pedal to be extremely hard to depress. This happened overnight, as the car was operating normally; now I'm afraid to move it because I can't brake properly at very low speeds.

NHTSA ID
11503624
Incident
Jan 23, 2023
Airbags
Filed Aug 7, 2022

Horn occasionally stops working. Buttons on steering wheel won't work not allowing access to computer.

NHTSA ID
11478048
Incident
Aug 7, 2022
AirbagsDriver assistanceElectrical
Filed Feb 14, 2022

Clockspring on my Jetta broke which disabled horn and cruise control functions. The safety issue is the horn. The clockspring should not fail on any car with barely 50k operating miles on it. The unit has not yet been replaced. The dashboard shows an airbag warning light. No prior symptoms.

NHTSA ID
11451936
Incident
Feb 11, 2022
AirbagsElectricalInterior & seats
Filed Mar 19, 2021

THE AIRBAG LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT INDICATES THAT A PASSENGER IS NOT THERE WHEN THERE IS. IT WILL START BLINKING RANDOMLY, SOMETIMES REGISTERING THEM AND SOMETIMES NOT. THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING OR WHILE STATIONARY.

NHTSA ID
11403808
Incident
Jan 1, 2021
AirbagsInterior & seats
Filed Oct 22, 2020
Crash reported2 injuries reported

AS THE THIRD CAR IN A 4 CAR ACCIDENT, IT WAS THE ONLY ONE WHERE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. ADDITIONALLY IT WAS THE MOST DAMAGED. THE FRONT DRIVERS SEAT BROKE UPON REAR IMPACT PRIOR TO THE CAR BEING FORCED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS STOPPED AT THE TIME.

NHTSA ID
11365846
Incident
Oct 22, 2020
Mileage
114,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 4, 2020
Crash reported1 injury reported

CAR WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH ON A SUBURBAN STREET AND WAS BROAD SIDED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE IMPACT AREA WAS DRIVERS FRONT TIRE AND THE A POST. CAR WAS DECLARED TOTAL BY INSURANCE COMPANY. CONCERN IS, THE DRIVERS DOOR AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THIS IMPACT WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO RIP THE A POST IN THE MIDDLE AND BUCKLE IT INWARD. THE IMPACT WAS BEFORE THE DOOR WHICH SHOULD OF TRIGGERED THE AIRBAG. THE CAR THAT HIT MINE RIPPED THE OUTER SHELL FROM THE DOOR AND PUNCTURE A LARGE HOLE IN THE LOWER FRONT CORNER. THE ARM TO PROTECT THE DRIVER THAT IS LOCATED IN THE DOOR WAS ALSO SEVERELY DAMAGED. I HAD A BODY SHOP TECHNICIAN LOOK AT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WHICH CAN BE SEEN IN THE DOOR AND THERE IS DAMAGE ALL AROUND THE SENSOR. WHY WOULDN'T THE AIR BAG GO OFF WITH SUCH A HARD IMPACT SO CLOSE TO THE DRIVER IN A SMALL COMPACT CAR?? *TR

NHTSA ID
11327301
Incident
May 27, 2020
Mileage
28,000 mi
AirbagsElectricalSeat belts
Filed Apr 18, 2020

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS OFF AND ON IF I DO NOT KEEP THE SEATBELT LOCKED, EVEN WITH NO PASSENGER. THUS OCCURS WHILE I AM DRIVING AND ASSUME THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE, SAFETY ISSUE, AND POTENTIAL AIRBAG ISSUE. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING OFF AND ON FOR OVER A YEAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
11321511
Incident
Apr 18, 2019
Mileage
30,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Nov 25, 2019

2015 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. CONSTITUENT WRITES REQUESTING FOR AIRBAG ON-OFF SWITCH. *LD *JS

NHTSA ID
11280090
Incident
Sep 16, 2019
Airbags
Filed Jul 13, 2019
Crash reported1 injury reported

I WAS IS A CAR ACCIDENT THAT TOTALED MY 2015 JETTA TDI. THE FRONT END OF MY CAR WAS IMPACTED TO THE POINT WHERE THE HOOD BLOCKED MY WINDSHIELD AND THE ENGINE ITSELF WAS PARTIALLY CRUSHED. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION BECAUSE MY HEAD HIT THE STEARING WHEEL. THIS WAS A THREE CAR ACCIDENT ON A HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ID
11231532
Incident
Jul 9, 2019
Mileage
43,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Sep 13, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OR BEING DRIVEN, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS UNOCCUPIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LAKELAND VOLKSWAGEN (209 S LAKE PARKER AVE, LAKELAND, FL 33801, (863) 804-6160) WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V672000 (AIR BAGS). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

NHTSA ID
11129283
Incident
Mar 1, 2018
Mileage
42,000 mi
AirbagsInterior & seats
Filed Sep 7, 2018

MY VEHICLE IS DISPLAYING THE EXACT DEFECT DESCRIBED IN NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 15V627000 FOR VOLKSWAGEN'S 2015 JETTA. MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN NOVEMBER OF 2014, WHICH FALLS WITHIN THE RECALL TIME FRAME. HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURE REFUSES TO MAKE REPAIRS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT INCLUDED MY CAR'S VIN NUMBER IN THE NHTSA RECALL. THIS ISSUE CAN BE OBSERVED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, AND WHEN IT IS STATIONARY. IT HAS OCCURRED IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE VEHICLE IS ON A CITY STREET AND ON A HIGHWAY AS WELL AS TURNING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO AT THIS POINT, I JUST WANT MY VEHICLE TO BE SAFE. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ID
11128070
Incident
Sep 5, 2018
Mileage
42,804 mi
Airbags
Filed Apr 25, 2017

PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR IS POORLY DESIGNED AND ANYTHING PLACED ON THE SEAT INITIATES THE SENSOR AND THE FASTEN SEATBELT LIGHT AND GONG. ITEMS THAT CAUSE THIS CONDITION HAS BEEN FAST FOOD, SMALL DOGS, PAPERWORK, A CELL PHONE ON A CHARGER, MY CD CASE. I RENTED AN IDENTICAL VEHICLE FROM HERTZ AND THIS ISSUE DID NOT HAPPEN. LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM ONLINE THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH MANY OWNERS STRETCHING BACK TO 2011 MODEL YEARS. IF THE SEAT SENSOR SENSES SOMETHING ON IT AND THERE IS A WRECK BOTH AIRBAGS WILL BE DEPLOYED FURTHER RISKING THE DRIVER TO FLYING DEBRIS. DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS A NORMAL SITUATION. SINCE SOME VEHICLES ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND OTHER VW PRODUCTS ARE NOT I KINDA DOUBT IT.

NHTSA ID
10980512
Incident
Apr 15, 2017
Mileage
29,700 mi
Airbags
Filed Jan 11, 2017

THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. DEALERSHIP SAYS THE AIRBAG MODULE CONTROLLER 4M0959339A03A AND PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR ARE BAD 5C6959340B. ORDERED NEW MODULE, DEALERSHIP ASKED FOR VIN AND SAID THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR PART ORDERED. MAYBE SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT THEY SAID. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WITH NO PASSENGERS WHEN AIRBAG LIGHT WHEN ON INDICATING MALFUNCTION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10944269
Incident
Dec 15, 2016
AirbagsOther / unspecified
Filed Nov 30, 2016
Crash reported2 injuries reported

DRIVING ON FREE WAY 210 CATCHING ON RAMP 5 S FRE WAY BOTH FRONT AND BACK LEFT TIRES EXPLODED ON DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AT INPACT THE MODGILE WAS DEFECTED I WAS SO SHOKED SCARED BUT MY SENSOR WAS ON., ANT THE HEAT COMING OUT OF THE DASH BOARD AND STEERING AND UN SURE CONFUSION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10928719
Incident
Oct 12, 2016
Mileage
36,000 mi
AirbagsSteeringSuspension
Filed Oct 14, 2016

I HAD MY INCEDANT ON THE FREE WAY, LAST NIGHT, STILL KIND OF SHOOKEN UP. MY TIRES BLEW ON A SPEED LIMMIT MPH RAN THROUGH PAVEMENT DEFECT CAUSING THE AIR BAG CENSOR HAS BEEN TRIGGERED WITCH SHOULD OF DEPLOYED THE BAGS TO SAVE ME FROM POSSIBLE INJERY MY BE DEATH, THANK GOD IT WAS OK NO ONE OR AUTO WAS INVOLVED..

NHTSA ID
10916015
Incident
Oct 13, 2016
Mileage
41,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .