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1999 Volkswagen Jetta Recalls & Complaints

7

open safety recalls on record

Critical

488 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.56 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical02V026000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Filler Pipe And Cap

FUEL LEAKAGE CAN OCCUR raises the risk of A FIRE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL FIT PASSAT VEHICLES WITH A NEW WHEEL HOUSE LINER THAT WILL BETTER PROTECT THE CAR'S FILLER NECK. JETTA VEHICLES WILL BE FITTED WITH A DIFFERENT METAL SHIELD DESIGNED TO ENHANCE ABRASION PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF TIRE DISINTEGRATION. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 13, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

ON SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL TANK FILLER NECK CAN SUFFER ABRASION DAMAGE IF THE REAR TIRE GOES FLAT AND THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN UNTIL THE TIRE DISINTEGRATES.

Critical99V022000

Structure:Frame And Members

THIS COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE MATTING MATERIALS FROM INSIDE THE B-PILLAR ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE SOUND ABSORBING MAT ATTACHED TO THE INSIDE OF THE B-PILLAR SIDE TRIM PANEL COULD HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED. SURFACE AND EDGES OF THE MAT COULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS. IT COULD IGNITE WHEN EXPOSED TO THE EXHAUST GAS OF THE SEAT BELT PRE-TENSIONER IGNITER IN THE EVENT OF A SEVERE FRONT OR SIDE COLLISION.

Serious14E007000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

failure of the timing belt may cause the engine to shut down, potentially raises the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy & full details

Gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during May 2014. Owners may contact The Gates Corporation at 1-303-744-1911.

The Gates Corporation (Gates) is recalling certain aftermarket Tru-Flow Water Pumps, part number TFW 41127, sold at certain NAPA Auto Parts and/or installed by automotive service technicians after November 1, 2013 (and manufactured August 2013 through October 2013) that have a black-colored pulley/sprocket or do not have 'US9377' stamped on the water pump housing. These service replacement parts were sold for use in model year 1999-2005 Audi A4, 2000-2006 Audi TT, 1998-2005 Volkswagen Beetle, 1999-2006 Golf, 1999-2008 and 2011-2013 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2000-2005 Volkswagen Passat. In the affected water pumps, the pulley or sprocket that turns the timing belt may develop microfractures causing the timing belt to fail.

Serious06V183000

Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch

THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OR REMAIN ON.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE NEWLY DESIGNED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 27, 2006. VEHICLES WITHIN THE MAKE, MODEL, AND MODEL YEAR OF THIS POPULATION MAY BE INVOLVED IN EITHER THIS RECALL OR 06V-183, BUT NOT BOTH. THE REMEDY IS THE SAME FOR EACH RECALL. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERS WILL APPLY THE REMEDY BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW AT 1-800-822-8987.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND CRUISE CONTROLS, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON THESE VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY DURING SAFETY RECALLS 03V-265 OR 04V-096.

Serious03V156000

Equipment:Other:Labels

UNDER INFLATED TIRES CAN AFFECT VEHICLE HANDLING, AND DRIVING WITH SUBSTANTIALY UNDER INFLATED TIRES PUTS THE CONSUMER AT A RISK FOR A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH CORRECTED LABELS, OR A DEALER CAN INSTALL THE LABEL IF THE OWNER WISHES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 29, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT VW AT 1-800-893-5298.

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.8L VR6 ENGINES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THE RECOMMENDED COLD TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE PUBLISHED ON THE LABEL FOR TIRES OF THE SIZE 205/50 R15 86H IS 0.1 BAR (1.45 PSI) TOO LOW. IT SHOULD BE 2.5 BAR (36.3 PSI). THE LABEL RECOMMENDS 2.4 BAR (34.8 PSI = 35 PSI).

Serious99V251000

Structure:Frame And Members

THIS CONDITION COULD PREVENT THE CLIP FROM BREAKING ON IMPACT AND RESULT IN LESS DEFORMATION IN THE IMPACTED AREA AND A HIGHER DECLERATION OF THE HEAD FORM, raises the risk of PERSONAL INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE TRIM COVER FROM EACH OF THE B PILLARS AND INSTALL A NEW COVER.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE HEAD INJURY CRITERION REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 201, "OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT." THE UPPER RETAINER CLIP NEAR THE BP1 IMPACT LOCATION IS DESIGNED TO BREAK WHEN IMPACTED BY THE HEAD FORM. IN SOME CASES, THE MATERIAL OF THE TRIM PART MAY BE MORE IMPACT RESISTANT AS A RESULT OF VARIATIONS IN THE MOLDING PROCESS.

Moderate04V096000

Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights:Switch

IF THIS HAPPENS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OR COME ON AND STAY ON, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS PARKED.

Remedy & full details

THIS RECALL HAS BEEN SUPERCEDED BY 06V-183. OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD A REMEDY PERFORMED UNDER THIS RECALL SHOULD RETURN TO THEIR DEALER FOR THE REDESIGNED REMEDY. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON THESE VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION.

Complaint volume

488 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

44Crashes
11Fires
38Injuries
0Deaths

Across 488 complaints. Severity Index 0.56.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Visibility · Power Window…59 · 12%Engine And Engine Cooling…25 · 5%Power Train · Automatic T…20 · 4%Electrical System19 · 4%Air Bags · Frontal18 · 4%Engine And Engine Cooling…17 · 3%Unknown Or Other17 · 3%Vehicle Speed Control16 · 3%
  1. Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls — 59 reports
  2. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 25 reports
  3. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 20 reports
  4. Electrical System — 19 reports
  5. Air Bags:Frontal — 18 reports
  6. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 17 reports
  7. Unknown Or Other — 17 reports
  8. Vehicle Speed Control — 16 reports
  9. Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control — 14 reports
  10. Engine And Engine Cooling — 12 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (6) · 1996 (2) · 1997 (2) · 1998 (3) · 1999 · 2000 (5) · 2001 (7) · 2002 (7) · 2003 (4) · 2004 (5) · 2005 (7) · 2006 (6) · 2007 (6) · 2008 (6) · 2009 (7) · 2010 (5) · 2011 (10) · 2012 (8) · 2013 (6) · 2014 (5) · 2015 (8) · 2016 (5) · 2017 (7) · 2018 (3) · 2019 (11) · 2020 (6) · 2021 (4) · 2022 (1) · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 (2) · 2026 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.