MY CAR WHILE PARKED AND THE ENGINE GOING WILL STOP. ALSO WHEN I'M ON THE FREEWAY THE EPC LIGHT WILL TURN ON AND FEEL LIKE I HAVE A LOSS OF POWER AND IT FEELS LIKE IT IS ACCELERATING. MY MECHANIC HAS NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY CAR.
2005 Volkswagen Jetta
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Jetta years
Owner complaints for the 2005 Volkswagen Jetta are substantially higher than the model-year median of 68.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Jetta years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
206 reports with mileage · 42 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
11 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIR…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 279,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT CONSUMER STATED INCIDENT HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN.*JB
MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND IT NEVER GOES OFF WHEN I FIRST START IT IT HAS A WARNING NOISE AND SAYS AIRBAG FAULT THEN THE LIGHT STAYS ON THE CAR ALSO WHEN DRIVING IT SOMETIMES GETS STUCK IN THE RPM WINDOW BETWEEN THE 2 AND THE 3 AND IT WONT WANT TO GET UNSTUCK YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR FOOT COMPLETELY OFF THEN PLACE BACK ON THE PEDAL…
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MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND IT NEVER GOES OFF WHEN I FIRST START IT IT HAS A WARNING NOISE AND SAYS AIRBAG FAULT THEN THE LIGHT STAYS ON THE CAR ALSO WHEN DRIVING IT SOMETIMES GETS STUCK IN THE RPM WINDOW BETWEEN THE 2 AND THE 3 AND IT WONT WANT TO GET UNSTUCK YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR FOOT COMPLETELY OFF THEN PLACE BACK ON THE PEDAL AND THEN IT JERKS AWAY
FUSE BOX ON THE TOP OF THE BATTERY CAUGHT FIRE AND MELTED THE FUSIBLE LINK FROM THE ALTERNATOR TO THE BATTERY CONNECT. GOING AT 40 MILES PER HOUR AND CAR SHUTS OFF, NO BRAKES NO POWER ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS OFF DASH LIT UP LIKE CHRISTMAS TREE. THANK GOD FOR THE DITCH AND THAT WE WEREN'T ON INTERSTATE OTHERWISE SOMEONE COULD HAVE…
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FUSE BOX ON THE TOP OF THE BATTERY CAUGHT FIRE AND MELTED THE FUSIBLE LINK FROM THE ALTERNATOR TO THE BATTERY CONNECT. GOING AT 40 MILES PER HOUR AND CAR SHUTS OFF, NO BRAKES NO POWER ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS OFF DASH LIT UP LIKE CHRISTMAS TREE. THANK GOD FOR THE DITCH AND THAT WE WEREN'T ON INTERSTATE OTHERWISE SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED SUCH AS MY PREGNANT WIFE.
2005.5 JETTA--VEHICLE HAS ROUGH SHIFTING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS. AS WELL AS DOWNSHIFTING. WHILE DRIVING ON A MOUNTAINSIDE, GOING 65 MPH, THE CAR SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED TO 3RD GEAR AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I HAD TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN, WITH CARS FLYING BY ME. THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS UNTIL TURNED OFF …
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2005.5 JETTA--VEHICLE HAS ROUGH SHIFTING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS. AS WELL AS DOWNSHIFTING. WHILE DRIVING ON A MOUNTAINSIDE, GOING 65 MPH, THE CAR SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED TO 3RD GEAR AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I HAD TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN, WITH CARS FLYING BY ME. THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS UNTIL TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN. THIS IS NOW HAPPENING DURING REGULAR ACCELERATION AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN, AS I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE DUE TO LOSS OF POWER/SPEED. *TR
AS I TRY TO ACCELERATE THE GEARS JUMP ERRADICALLY.
TL*THE CONTACT LEASED A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE VEHICLE IS A DRIVE BY WIRE VEHICLE AND THERE IS NO MECHANICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ENGINE. THE DRIVE BY WIRE IS PART OF THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CONTACT IS A TWO FOOT DRIVER AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MODIFIED. WHILE ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE FAILS TO MOVE …
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TL*THE CONTACT LEASED A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE VEHICLE IS A DRIVE BY WIRE VEHICLE AND THERE IS NO MECHANICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ENGINE. THE DRIVE BY WIRE IS PART OF THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE CONTACT IS A TWO FOOT DRIVER AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MODIFIED. WHILE ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE FAILS TO MOVE FORWARD. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO AN INTENTIONAL COMPUTER PROGRAM, WHICH PREVENTS SIMULTANEOUS BRAKING AND ACCELERATING IN ORDER TO PREVENT STRAIN TO THE DRIVE TRAIN. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO REPAIR AVAILABLE TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. ON OCCASION, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AGAINST TRAFFIC OR TRYING TO MERGE, THE VEHICLE FAILS TO MOVE FORWARD. WHEN THE VEHICLE DOES MOVE FORWARD, IT ACCELERATES AT HIGH SPEEDS, APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AND CAN BE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THERE HAVE BEEN 15 OR MORE NEAR CRASHES. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE COMPUTER INTERLOCK BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS WERE FEDERALLY MANDATED. THIS DELAY IS TO PREVENT A CRASH IF THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR FAILS IN THE OPEN POSITION. ON NOVEMBER 7, 2007, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE VOLKSWAGEN MANUFACTURER DROVE THE VEHICLE AND DUPLICATED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR WHEN DRIVING WITH TWO FEET OR ONE FOOT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 13,850. EQ-10209410-4200. 12/12/07. UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR
FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, MY 2005.5 VW JETTA TDI HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY BEEN LOSING POWER UPON ACCELERATION. UNFORTUNATELY, I NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN; THUS IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU GO TO PULL INTO TRAFFIC AND HAVE NO ACCELERATION POWER. MY CAR, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER'S CARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, HAS BEEN IN …
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FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, MY 2005.5 VW JETTA TDI HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY BEEN LOSING POWER UPON ACCELERATION. UNFORTUNATELY, I NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN; THUS IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU GO TO PULL INTO TRAFFIC AND HAVE NO ACCELERATION POWER. MY CAR, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER'S CARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, HAS BEEN IN THE "SHOP" SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO *FIX* AS OF YET. THOUGH VW AND THEIR NUMEROUS TECHNICIANS KEEP *GUESSING* AND REPLACING PARTS, THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST. FOR THOSE OF US DRIVING THESE AUTOMOBILES, WE ARE VERY LUCKY IF WE GO WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR BEING THE CENTER OF AN ACCIDENT WHEN YOU HAVE NO ACCELERATION POWER. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE WILL MOVE FOR A SPLIT SECOND THEN STOP. IF THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF FOR 15 MINUTES, IT WILL GO FOR 10 MILES. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOUR TIMES. THE DEALERSH…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE WILL MOVE FOR A SPLIT SECOND THEN STOP. IF THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF FOR 15 MINUTES, IT WILL GO FOR 10 MILES. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOUR TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE A PROBLEM, BUT HAS REPLACED MULTIPLE COMPONENTS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS RESET THE CODES, REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY CONTROL VALVE MODULE, THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, THE WIRES CONNECTING THE ECM, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, 18 CONNECTORS, THE WIRES TO THE PEDAL, BOLTS, AND INSTALLED A HARNESS. THESE EFFORTS HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE PROBLEM AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP.
DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN ACCELERATING BETWEEN 25-30 MPH THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND LURCHED FORWARD. THIS PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT IN NATURE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES. HOWEVER , THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK
Official recalls
407V442000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights
Sep 24, 2007
CERTAIN VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." SOME VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE HAD A REQUIRED CAP INSTALLED WHICH DISABLES THE HEADLIGHT HORIZONTAL AIM AND SOME VEHICLES MAY CONTAIN A CAP THAT DISABLES THE VERTICAL AIMING SCREW.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: NONCOMPLIANCE CAN INHIBIT PROPER HEADLAMP AIM ADJUSTMENT FOR ROADWAY ILLUMINATION, IMPROPERLY AIMED HEADLAMPS COULD CAUSE REDUCED ROAD VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR THE PRESENCE OF A CAP IN THE SOCKET OF THE LOW BEAM HORIZONTAL AIMING SCREW AND INSTALL ONE IF MISSING, AND INSPECT FOR THE PRESENCE OF A CAP IN THE SOCKET OF THE VERTICAL AIMING SCREW AND IF PRESENT, THE CAP WILL BE REMOVED. THE RECALL WILL BEGIN ON OCTOBER 31, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW AT 1-800-822-8987.
07V063000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
Feb 20, 2007
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER, WAGON, AND CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OR WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OR REMAIN ON. FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE PROPER SIGNAL WHEN BRAKING COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE NEWLY DESIGNED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 27, 2007, AND WILL BE CONDUCTED IN SEVERAL STAGGERED MAILINGS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 21, 2007. 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.
05V305000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Jul 5, 2005
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.5L GASOLINE ENGINE, A FUEL SUPPLY LINE CLAMP LOCATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT MAY NOT BE POSITIONED PROPERLY AND COULD CAUSE A FUEL LEAK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE POSITION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUEL SUPPLY LINE CLAMP AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE CLAMP. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 11, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW AT 1-800-822-8987.
04V586000 · Fuel System, Diesel
Dec 15, 2004
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE HIGH PRESSURE DIESEL PUMPS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN IMPROPER FASTENER, WHICH COULD ALLOW DIESEL FUEL TO ESCAPE FROM THE PUMP.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DIESEL PUMP. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 8, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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