2022 Volkswagen Jetta Owner Complaints

The vehicle is currently experiencing steady coolant loss with no external puddles.My vehicle is at 65,000 miles, placing it just 5,000 miles outside of the 60,000-mile factory powertrain warranty. This specific issue matches the exact symptoms of Volkswagen Technical Service Bulletin #2071245 (Service Action 15-23-01) regarding the premature failure of the factory head gasket.Because this is a well-documented manufacturing defect that VW.

NHTSA ID

11756558

Incident

Aug 7, 2026

My 2022 Volkswagen Jetta (purchased new) has a recurring Travel Assist/Adaptive Cruise Control safety malfunction that has existed since before approximately 24,000 miles. While driving with Adaptive Cruise Control or Travel Assist engaged, the vehicle repeatedly warns me to "Take Control of the Vehicle" or indicates my hands are not on the steering wheel even though both hands are firmly on the wheel. I often have to immediately tighten my grip to prevent the system from escalating. On numerous occasions, the vehicle has also applied the brakes unexpectedly at highway speeds when there was no apparent hazard in front of the vehicle. These unexpected braking events create a serious safety concern, especially in traffic. I drive between [XXX] and [XXX] approximately twice each month. During a typical one-way trip, the steering wheel recognition warnings may occur a dozen or more times while using Travel Assist or Adaptive Cruise Control. Unexpected braking has occurred repeatedly over the course of ownership. The vehicle has been taken to an authorized Volkswagen dealer multiple times for this same issue. Volkswagen has replaced the steering wheel multiple times, updated software, opened a Technical Assistance Center (TAC) case, and at least one technician duplicated the concern during a test drive. Despite these repeated repair attempts, the problem continues. I am reporting this because I believe the recurring Travel Assist failures and unexpected braking present an ongoing motor vehicle safety defect. Below it asks for the approximate date the incident occurred. It started approximately in XXX but it happens all of the time still. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11749181

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle experienced a failure related to the steering wheel assembly that caused the "Travel Assist Not Currently Available" warning to appear while driving. The issue affected the operation of the vehicle's driver assistance systems, including Adaptive Cruise Control and Travel Assist functions. An authorized Volkswagen dealership diagnosed the vehicle and confirmed that the steering wheel assembly requires replacement. The vehicle is currently available for inspection. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The failure caused the vehicle's driver assistance and safety systems to become unavailable while the vehicle was being operated on public roadways. The unexpected loss of Adaptive Cruise Control and Travel Assist functionality could increase driver workload and create a potential safety risk, particularly during highway driving where these systems are designed to assist with vehicle control and spacing from other traffic. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. An authorized Volkswagen dealership inspected the vehicle, retrieved diagnostic fault codes, and confirmed that the steering wheel assembly is defective and requires replacement. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized Volkswagen dealership. The dealership diagnosed the fault and determined that the steering wheel assembly requires replacement. The dealership has submitted a goodwill assistance request to Volkswagen because the issue first occurred before the vehicle exceeded the warranty mileage limit. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The vehicle displayed a "Travel Assist Not Currently Available" war

NHTSA ID

11743357

Incident

May 29, 2026

Travel assist unavailable warning comes on several time a minute with a visual indicator and loud chime. Very distracting while driving. Known issue to VW

NHTSA ID

11742529

Incident

Jun 2, 2026

Head Gasket, premature failure at 49k miles. Online this a very common issue for Jetta and Taos owners that Volkswagen is not addressing through a recall. This will cause engines to fail.

NHTSA ID

11742452

Incident

Jun 6, 2026

the components that failed are the rear brakes and rotors. we no longer have the components as the vehicle would not pass inspection without having the work completed. The manufacturer sent a letter to customers affected by this issue as it is a known issue for this year/make/model. the inspection location advised that given the mileage on the vehicle there is no reason it should need this type of work performed, under 25k miles on vehicle. the only warning that was given was the letter sent by the manufacturer. we took our vehicle back to the dealership when the letter was received and were informed they would not complete the outlined work on our vehicle. now that the vehicle would not pass inspection, the brake work had to be performed so my daughter could get back and forth to work

NHTSA ID

11741996

Incident

May 16, 2026

The steering wheel touch sensors has malfunctioned and whenever the steering wheel is grabbed from the bottom half, the lake keeping assist errors out and the car throws a "travel assist unavailble" in the guage cluster. My steering wheel was replaced under warranty less than a year ago for this issue, it seems to have returned (unfortunately my car is out of warranty now). VW seems to be aware that this is a wide-spread issue since they have released an internal TSB for it, but refuse to issue a warranty extension for the same.

NHTSA ID

11740896

Incident

May 28, 2026

The contact owned a 2022 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the contact heard a dinging noise twice coming from the instrument panel. The driver assist not avaiable warning light was illuminated. An Independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact mention the failure has occurred on several different occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 75,000.

NHTSA ID

11740386

Incident

Oct 15, 2025

Mileage

75,000 mi

I took this car in a year ago and they replaced the steering wheel because I kept getting a "travel assist" error. Not only is this problem back but has a very load chime every other min that is very distracting while driving. I have taken the car back to the dealer and they state they dont see the problem. yet it seems many VW owners are having this issue.

NHTSA ID

11730829

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

Car was hit in rear by tractor trailer, spun into another tractor trailer. Then the second tractor trailer slammed the vehicle front end first into the median. Front end crushed, driver side door caved in, rear end damage. No airbags were deployed the entire time. 55 mph (approximate) to a complete stop in a fraction of a second. The vehicle is currently in the possession of the insurance company, and it was a massive risk to my own safety. I have no idea how I did survive, and no airbags deploying makes it a very difficult situation to ever purchase a VAG vehicle again.

NHTSA ID

11706221

Incident

Dec 18, 2025

The “travel assist currently not available” warning keeps coming on over and over through a drive cycle. The dealer is telling me that the steering wheel needs to replaced. Since the car is out of the warranty period, they advised that the cost will be $999.

NHTSA ID

11697051

Incident

Apr 16, 2024

Travel Assist is disabled which includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while driving. Warning lights and warning sounds are designed to alert the driver to a potential safety issue so ignoring the lights and sounds is dangerous in the event it is a different caution/warning. However, also not ignoring it is dangerous because of the frequency of the warnings which causes the driver to look away from the road. After speaking with the maintenance department at my VW dealership, they indicated that this is a widely known problem that is remedied only with the replacement of the steering wheel. There are several other sensors that are triggered by the same issue I was told by the maintenance department. They are uncertain at this time if it impacts the airbag system which is another potential safety concern. The steering wheel can only be ordered after inspection by the maintenance department and there is shortage and/or back order of the part to fix the problem.

NHTSA ID

11685589

Incident

Sep 6, 2025

Had the steering wheel replaced once for a sensor at around 38,000 miles and the issue now popped up again around 80,000 and now it’s 90,000 still there

NHTSA ID

11671786

Incident

Apr 24, 2025

- Rear brake pads. They were replaced at 22,464 miles under warranty due to premature wear, and at just 34,170 miles (less than 12,000 miles later), they are already down to 4mm. Yes, the component is available for inspection upon request. - The rapid and premature wear of the rear brake pads reduces braking efficiency and increases stopping distance, particularly in emergency situations or adverse weather. If this wear continues unnoticed, it could lead to brake failure or reduced rear braking function, creating a serious safety hazard for myself, passengers, and others on the road. - Yes. The original issue was diagnosed and confirmed by Safford Brown VW in Richmond, VA in January 2024. The dealership replaced the rear pads under warranty at that time and stated the wear was premature. Those same pads are now down to 4mm after less than 12,000 miles. - Yes. Volkswagen authorized the original replacement under warranty due to premature wear. The issue has now recurred, and I contacted Volkswagen Customer Care directly, who declined to offer a solution and redirected me back to the dealership. - No warning lamps or messages appeared. The only symptom is the abnormal wear itself, confirmed by a technician upon routine inspection. The pads were previously found to be under 2mm in 2024, and now, less than 12k miles later, are already down to 4mm—far faster than what is typical for rear pads.

NHTSA ID

11663209

Incident

May 15, 2025

Difficulty gasing up the vehicle. Noticeable fuel leak coming from the rear passenger side fender well. It appears the fuel evap canister is leaking.

NHTSA ID

11661085

Incident

May 14, 2025

I bought this 2022 Jetta new on August 2022. The dealership replaced brakes on their own on July 1, 2023. This was 11 months after I purchased the vehicle. Vehicle had 10, 900 miles on 7/1/2023. On August 26, 2024 I brought the vehicle to the dealership and reported issues with the breaking system. The service technician discovered worn-out pads and break rotors needed replacement. The service department refused to complete the work because the vehicle was out of warranty. A claim was filed with Volkswagen Corporation(case #06407327). Claim was declined. Break pads and rotors are being worn-out within 11-15 months. This is a safety issue. Volkswagen Corporation refuses to recognize the mechanical issue.

NHTSA ID

11652587

Incident

Jul 1, 2023

Have had the car to dealer numerous times for brake noise issues. Now front and rear brakes make a growling and squealing noise especially when they are cold . Squealing and growling sounds are severe especially when backing up and the brakes are cold. All four brakes make squealing noise Noticeable scraping sound to rear brakes when brakes are not being applied. Rear brakes replaced twice. Car has just over 24,000 mi.

NHTSA ID

11633945

Incident

Jan 3, 2025

Rear brakes replaced twice on warranty. The car only has 24,000. Car remains with loud chattering brakes on all 4 brakes especially when brakes are cold. Especially loud chattering and squealing brakes still exist especially on rear brakes. Issue with a fuel valve needing to be replaced on warranty. EPS engine light on dash. Driver's door widow regulator malfunction for door not going down with one touch. Replaced under warranty. Dealer for VW stated that they would no longer do any brake repairs. Obviously, the material being used for brake materials is cheap and doesn't last. Have had situation with the main radio Information screen going blank on 2 occasions and having to do a hard reboot to get it to work. Cause unknown for screen totally going blank.

NHTSA ID

11631862

Incident

Nov 2, 2024

OBD-II port is not connected properly meaning that when a checked engine light came on I am unable to diagnose the issue.

NHTSA ID

11627249

Incident

Nov 9, 2024

My car only had twelve thousand miles on it when the problem started with the rear brakes. They were at an eight and in less than two weeks time they started dragging not fully disengaging and went down to a one. Screeching. I looked it up and seems to be a common problem. If it is common and VW is aware of it not only affecting my specific model but other models as well. I believe it should be addressed and figure out a way to stop it. It messes with my fuel economy as well as goes thru pads way sooner than what they should. Which is gonna be costly over time.

NHTSA ID

11621423

Incident

Sep 24, 2024

I have a 2022 VW Jetta and my breaks lasted 13,400 miles, I have a daily commute of 11 miles and I believe this is not a normal condition on a car. The delaer refused to replace the breaks despite the eviden condition of low quality. In addition I have a problem in my door where the door does not close in case of really cold weather. I have a video but it I cannot upload.

NHTSA ID

11617140

Incident

Sep 27, 2024

It has been about over 3 weeks that my travel assist alarm has been going off without any notice.

NHTSA ID

11612746

Incident

Aug 12, 2024

The rear brake pads needed to be replaced when the car only had 30,530 miles. The dealer stated the pads and rotors needed to be replaced. At a different shop, they turned the rotors and replaced the rear brake pads. The service tech said he had never seen a car with such worn pads with so few miles.

NHTSA ID

11608851

Incident

Aug 11, 2024

The car just stated saying “drive assist not available” it beeps every 5 minutes. Dealer says might need to change steering wheel which is in back order. It’s very annoying because it makes a very loud sound while driving. I researched and seems lots of owners are having the same issue.

NHTSA ID

11598605

Incident

Jul 3, 2024

The driver rear brake is sticking and locking up and has premature wear. Rear brakes and rotors have been replaced at 18,000 miles under warranty.. when driving rear brake does not release causing front tire to spin and create handling issues. The problem is worse and dangerous in wet conditions. Volkswagon calls it a wear and tear but it is a safety and handling issue. Case number 06285728

NHTSA ID

11593426

Incident

Jun 7, 2024