Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
40–25K
225–50K
1350–75K
1175–100K
20100–150K
1150K+
51 reports with mileage · 11 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.
Service Brakes. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesUnknown Or Other
AS PER NHTSA 16V-913 MY VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT HAS BEEN PRESENTING THE SYMPTOMS STATED IN THE SAFETY RECALL. THE ABS LIGHT, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND BRAKE LIGHT HAVE COME ON NUMEROUS TIMES AND HARD BRAKING, AND IN NOT SO HARD BRAKING IN THE SNOW. HE PROBLEM HAS PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED TO THE POINT THAT THESE LIGHTS NO LONGER …
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AS PER NHTSA 16V-913 MY VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT HAS BEEN PRESENTING THE SYMPTOMS STATED IN THE SAFETY RECALL. THE ABS LIGHT, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND BRAKE LIGHT HAVE COME ON NUMEROUS TIMES AND HARD BRAKING, AND IN NOT SO HARD BRAKING IN THE SNOW. HE PROBLEM HAS PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED TO THE POINT THAT THESE LIGHTS NO LONGER GO OUT AFTER AND IGNITION CYCLE. I AM ESSENTIALLY DRIVING WITHOUT ABS OR STABILITY CONTROL, ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I PURCHASED THIS CAR. THE CODE FOR U0121 LOST COMMUNICATION WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) CONTROL MODULE NO LONGER CLEAR WITH A HAND HELD CODE READER OR A LAPTOP RUNNING ROSS-TECH'S VCDS SOFTWARE. I TOOK MY BROKEN VOLKSWAGEN TO DANBURY VW IN DANBURY CT TO PERFORM THE SAFETY RECALL (16V-913). BECAUSE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ABS CONTROL MODULE TO UPLOAD THE NEW SOFTWARE, THEY HAVE DENIED THE RECALL AND SAY I MUST FOOT THE BILL TO REPLACE THE MODULE SO THEY CAN THEN UPLOAD THE NEW SOFTWARE TO SEE IF THEY GET THE CODE FOR FAULTY SOLDER JOINT. VOLKSWAGEN IS TRYING TO SIDE STEP THIS ISSUE. I BELIEVE MY CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UPLOAD THE SOFTWARE WHEN THIS ISSUE FIRST STARTED HAPPENING, BUT NOW THE ABS CONTROL MODULE HAS COMPLETELY FAILED, PROBABLY DUE TO THE BAD SOLDER COMPOUND. NOW THEY ARE DENYING CLAIMS, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. THE NTHSA NEEDS TO LOOK DEEPER INTO THIS PROBLEM.
NHTSA ODI #11005418
62,000 miles · Mar 15, 2017
Service BrakesUnknown Or OtherCrash
I BELIEVE THE FAULTY ABS WAS THE REASON I GOT IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON DEC 20, 2016 AND AGAIN ON MARCH 14, 2017. ON DEC 20, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN CHICAGO, AFTER RECENT SNOW, SO ROADS WERE A LITTLE WET. 2 OTHER CARS HIT EACH OTHER IN FRONT OF ME, SO I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MORE THAN ENOUGH DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND …
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I BELIEVE THE FAULTY ABS WAS THE REASON I GOT IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON DEC 20, 2016 AND AGAIN ON MARCH 14, 2017. ON DEC 20, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN CHICAGO, AFTER RECENT SNOW, SO ROADS WERE A LITTLE WET. 2 OTHER CARS HIT EACH OTHER IN FRONT OF ME, SO I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MORE THAN ENOUGH DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND THEM TO STOP IN TIME IN MOST CORRECTLY FUNCTIONING CARS. WHEN I PUT BRAKES ON, I REALIZED I WASN'T SLOWING DOWN QUICK ENOUGH, AND ENDED UP HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I ORIGINALLY ATTRIBUTED IT TO CONDITIONS, BUT NOW I BELIEVE BAD ABS ALLOWED THIS ACCIDENT TO HAPPEN. ON MARCH 14, I WAS ALSO DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AFTER RECENT SNOW, AND A LITTLE SNOW FELL ON THE LANE IN FRONT OF ME (I THINK FROM 18-WHEEL TRUCK IN RIGHT LANE), I APPLIED BRAKES, STARTED FISHTAILING, AND ENDED UP LOOSING CONTROL AND ENDED UP DOING 180 BEFORE ANOTHER CAR HIT ME. BOTH TIMES DRIVING SPEED WAS SLOW, NOBODY GOT HURT IN ACCIDENTS. AGAIN, I'VE DRIVEN IN RAIN, SLEET, SNOW, AND ICE ALOT OF THE YEARS AND NEVER HAD PROBLEMS, SO I BELIEVE THE BAD ABS ALLOWED THIS ACCIDENT TO HAPPEN
NHTSA ODI #10966180
90,555 miles · Mar 3, 2017
Unknown Or Other
INTERMITTANTLY LOOSE SPEED ON ITS OWN FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND ALSO SPEEDOMETER WILL DROP TO 0 MPH AND ALMOST INSTANTLY COME BACK TO CORRECT SPEED. THIS INTERMITTANT ISSUE CAN CAUSE SOME TO REAR END MY CAR, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ON HI-WAY OR FREE WAY DRIVING.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A loss of vehicle control can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control module software to improve the module's self-testing abilities. Any module that fails the new diagnostic test will be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electronic Stability Control (esc)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.
Consequence: A loss of vehicle control can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control module software to improve the module's self-testing abilities. Any module that fails the new diagnostic test will be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.
Consequence: A loss of vehicle control can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control module software to improve the module's self-testing abilities. Any module that fails the new diagnostic test will be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 JETTA, NEW BEETLE, NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE, MODEL YEAR 2009 JETTA SPORTWAGEN AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 RABBIT VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5L ENGINES. THE JETTA, JETTA SPORTWAGEN, AND RABBIT VEHICLES MAY HAVE A SMALL PLASTIC TAB LOCATED ON THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR THAT MAY CHAFE AGAINST AN UNDERHOOD FUEL SUPPLY LINE. THE NEW BEETLE AND THE NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A FASTENING CLAMP ON A HYDRAULIC HOSE OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM THAT MAY BE LOCATED IN AN IMPROPER POSITION WHICH COULD CAUSE CHAFING AGAINST AN UNDERHOOD FUEL SUPPLY LINE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF CHAFING OCCURS, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A FUEL LEAK TO DEVELOP. FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND IF NECESSARY REPLACE THE UNDERHOOD FUEL LINE. ADDITIONALLY, DEPENDING ON THE VEHICLE MODEL, DEALERS WILL EITHER REMOVE THE PLASTIC TAB FROM THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR, OR INSPECT THE POSITION OF THE FASTENING CLAMP AND ADJUST THE RELATED FASTENING CLAMP INTO THE CORRECT POSITION. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY 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 ↗
Defect investigations
0
No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.
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