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2016 Volkswagen Jetta Recalls & Complaints

5

open safety recalls on record

Critical

249 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.76 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical20V648000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System:Fuel Rail

fuel leak raises the risk of a fire.

Remedy & full details

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rail bolts and, as necessary, the fuel rail. The recall began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24Gi.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Jetta vehicles. The fuel rail bolts may become loose over time, allowing fuel to leak.

Critical16V403000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System:Fuel Rail

fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.

Remedy & full details

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cylinder heads, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 15F7.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jetta vehicles manufactured October 31, 2015, to January 21, 2016, 2016 Passat vehicles, equipped with 1.8T engines manufactured November 13, 2015, to December 9, 2015, and 2016 Golf vehicles manufactured November 5, 2015, to November 11, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the fuel rail may detach from the cylinder head and result in a fuel leak.

Serious20E064000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder

If there is a brake fluid leak, it can reduce braking ability, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Beck/Arnley will notify the distributors that sold the master cylinders and will work with the distributors to notify the end users. Affected master cylinders will be exchanged for a new master cylinder (part number 072-9990), free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2020. Owners may contact Tenneco customer service at 1-800-625-9319.

Tenneco Automotive (Tenneco) is recalling certain Beck/Arnley Master Cylinders, part number 072-9831, sold as aftermarket or replacement parts for 2004-2018 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2012-2019 Volkswagen Beetle vehicles. The fluid seal crimp on the master cylinder may be insufficient, causing brake fluid to leak or the cylinder to come apart.

Serious19V615000

Electrical System:Ignition:Anti-Theft:Control Module

Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" raises the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.

Remedy & full details

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."

Serious15V705000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.

Complaint volume

249 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

33Crashes
8Fires
25Injuries
0Deaths

Across 249 complaints. Severity Index 0.76.

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

Engine43 · 17%Unknown Or Other34 · 14%Electrical System30 · 12%Fuel/Propulsion System28 · 11%Power Train22 · 9%Service Brakes21 · 8%Vehicle Speed Control12 · 5%Steering11 · 4%
  1. Engine — 43 reports
  2. Unknown Or Other — 34 reports
  3. Electrical System — 30 reports
  4. Fuel/Propulsion System — 28 reports
  5. Power Train — 22 reports
  6. Service Brakes — 21 reports
  7. Vehicle Speed Control — 12 reports
  8. Steering — 11 reports
  9. Air Bags — 7 reports
  10. Fuel System, Gasoline — 6 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 (7) · 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 · 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.

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