10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
25,490 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2016 Volkswagen Jetta brakes problems

brakes problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2016 Volkswagen Jetta Owner Comments

problem #20

May 012023

Jetta

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Emergency brake handle button came off, rendering the emergency brake not functional.

- Sunnyvale, CA, USA

problem #19

Apr 012021

Jetta

  • 88,887 miles
In April 1 2021 I was driving from home to my job in dch tustin Acura delar is 10 min drive when I take the exit of freeway I press the brake pedal and the car don't brake, the pedal go all way down and the car don't stop, a technician said that is a problem whit the master cylinder. What can I do now?.

- Santa Ana, CA, USA

problem #18

Oct 092019

Jetta

  • 62,140 miles
My daughter was involved in a mva in which she slammed on her brakes and the brakes locked on her. She hit the rear of the other vehicle. She was going roughly 25-30 mph. She was roughly 30-40 feet away from the other vehicle when the brakes were applied. Her airbags did not deploy which considering the amount of damage done to her car is roughly $6500. I researched both issues and it seems to be a common problem in the VW Jetta.

- Longwood, FL, USA

problem #17

Oct 022019

Jetta

  • 34,100 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I just bought my Jetta a week ago and as I driving I'm noticing the car takes at least a good 5 seconds to accelerate and when it does accelerate it takes off also when I hit the brakes they don't work I don't believe a car with 34,000 miles should be having these unsafe problems I'm almost scared to drive the car

- North Chesterfield, VA, USA

problem #16

Aug 042019

Jetta

  • 55,765 miles
"brake failure" son was driving vehicle in stop and go traffic. The car in front of him started to go he slowly followed. He was going about 10-15mph, and the truck in front of him slammed on brakes suddenly. When caused him to have to brake. When he hit the brakes he heard a boom ( sounded like a tin can crushing) and the continued to slide into the Toyota Tacoma in front of him. The Jetta is a total loss.

- Bayville, NJ, USA

problem #15

Dec 032018

Jetta

  • 78,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact took the vehicle to gunther Volkswagen of coconut creek (4300 fl-7, coconut creek, fl 33073) for a software update per NHTSA campaign number: 15V705000 (engine and engine cooling, service brakes hydraulic). The contact was advised by the mechanic that the oil consumption on the vehicle was high and metal shavings were found inside the oil reservoir. The vehicle was not repaired for the metal shavings. The contact also stated that after the software update was performed the "ECM" warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

- Ft Laudedale, FL, USA

problem #14

Jan 202016

Jetta

  • 3,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The VIN number for my car is not included in the recall to update the software that affects the brake booster. Since about 2 weeks after purchasing the car it started to trigger the check engine light.

- Hershey, PA, USA

problem #13

Nov 142018

Jetta

  • 60,500 miles
Today (nov14, 2018) when I braked to avoid running into a braking car in front of me, the car didn't seem to reduce speed at all. It resulted in a crash that deployed 5 air bags of my car. The same car had a similar accident in which brake didn't work on March 7, 2018.

- Gaithersburg, MD, USA

problem #12

Jul 122018

Jetta

  • 38,000 miles
The contact owned a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving 25 mph, the contact depressed the brake pedal and heard a loud boom sound. The contact's vehicle suddenly accelerated to approximately 45 mph and rear ended the preceding vehicle. The vehicle was towed and the insurance company declared it a total loss. The driver was slightly injured along with the driver of the other vehicle, but neither motorist received medical attention. A police report was not filed. The contact's vehicle was kept by the insurance company from July to October 2018 because they could not locate the vehicle in the salvage yard. The manufacturer was notified and stated that they could not assist until they heard from the insurance company. The dealer had not been contacted. The failure mileage was 38,000.

- Richmond, CA, USA

problem #11

Aug 152018

Jetta

  • 31,300 miles
Was traveling at a slow rate of speed preparing to park car with foot on break. When suddenly car accelerated well my foot was on the break and hoped the curb. Car would not stop and had to use the E brake.

- Boynton Beach, FL, USA

problem #10

Jul 122018

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 4,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owned a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving 40 mph, the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to respond. As a result, the vehicle accelerated and struck the rear of another vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact sustained minor injuries to the right knee that did not require medical attention. The condition of the occupants in the other vehicle were unknown. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed by the insurance company to a tow lot where it was deemed destroyed. The dealer (hanlees hilltop Toyota, 3233 auto plz, richmond, ca 94806, (510)-243-2020) was contacted, but the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 4,000.

- Richmond, CA, USA

problem #9

Jul 122018

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 3,999 miles
The contact owned a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving at a slow speed with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated from 3 mph to 40 mph and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. The contact was not injured; however, the driver of the other vehicle sustained a whiplash. Medical attention was not received. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was deemed destroyed. The dealer was not contacted to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 3,999.

- Richmond, CA, USA

problem #8

Sep 072017

Jetta

  • 37,017 miles
I believe my car is the result of a recent series of bad storms to hit this country and my car. I believe my car is a flood-car that has been very well cleaned inside and out, and cleaned so well that the title got a good wash, known in the industry as title-washing. I bought this car because it carried a guarantee making it a certified used car. A car that carries a certified used title of condition then one would expect nothing less than perfection. How I came to know about the possibility of a flood-car was there was what looked like river gravel deep in the cars door seal and there was a clear water-line behind where the moving part of the steering-wheel attached to the car. Now I'm unsure if Y'all are able to help me with this situation, even if it's to steer me in the right direction to find resolution to my flood-car issue. I really want all my money back and start all over with something less prone to flood waters.

- Granite Bay, CA, USA

problem #7

Dec 012017

Jetta

  • miles
The rear brakes create a substantial residue that is noticeable over the side of the vehicle after each drive. The rear brakes sqeak and seem to be worn from the grinding sound yet the discs look fine. The brakes definitely are faulty and the vehicle only has 17K on it. I have also given gone through a tire and soon need to repair another one from side wall damage and it is at the same contact point that the wheels come to meet the outer tire. It is slicing into the tire because of how it lays on the tire. So these all may be related but the rear tires are not right. I have a 1.8 sel 17'alloy wheels with all/season tires. The sounds comenrandomly but not when breaking in an incline or from fast speeds.

- West Hollywood, CA, USA

problem #6

Jun 282017

Jetta

  • miles
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. While the contact's son was driving 50 mph, he attempted to make a right turn and lost control of the steering wheel. When he depressed the brake pedal, the brakes failed to respond quickly. As a result, the contact's son had to use the parking brake to stop the vehicle, which resulted in the vehicle spinning out of control and crashing into a lamp post. As a result, the front right fender was damaged. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer (Toyota collision center, 966 international speedway blvd, (386) 947-7800). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

- Ormond Beach, FM, USA

problem #5

Mar 272017

Jetta

  • 12,200 miles
I drove into a parking lot 27march 2017 and proceeded to park my Jetta in a parking spot however, as I was doing so the car accelerated forward and leaped the curb. I stepped on the brake but the car would not stop until it hit 2 vehicles with my foot pressing the brake pedal and as the car impacted the other cars.

- St Petersburg, FL, USA

problem #4

Jul 302016

Jetta

  • 7 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. When the brake pedal was applied, it traveled to the floorboard several times without warning. In addition, there was a strong vibration coming from the braking system when the brake pedal was applied. The vehicle was taken to the dealer more than three times to inspect the brakes, but was unable to replicate and diagnose the failure to provide a solution. The dealer indicated that the brake master cylinder failed. The contact was not aware of NHTSA campaign number: 15V705000 (engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that they would respond back to the contact within a specific time frame. The contact was waiting on a response from the manufacturer, but was unable to determine when the vehicle would be diagnosed and repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 7.

- Fremont, CA, USA

problem #3

Jan 212016

Jetta

  • miles
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. The vehicle was slot to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was applied. The brakes were also slow to respond when applied, which caused the contact to apply force to the brake pedal. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure after checking the brake system. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was not available.

- New Rochelle, NY, USA

problem #2

Mar 152016

Jetta

  • 383 miles
I just purchased a 2016 VW Jetta S 1.4 gasoline turbo engine on 3/5/16. It has under 400 miles on it with light driving. The check engine light came on within a week of purchase and was taken to VW dealer service immediately. I was told issue was "defective brake vacuum and relay". there is currently an NHTSA open recall (23R1) that applies to the 1.8 and 2.0 turbo gasoline engine, but it should clearly include the 1.4 turbo gas engine. This is a major, safety critical issue to sell a car with. Brake failure could likely lead to fatalities driving in either highway or city conditions the Jetta 1.4 turbo gas engine model should be included with recall 23R1, NHTSA campaign number: 15V705000 I feel fortunate that I was not driving the car to experience brake failure, collision or death. This is completely unacceptable in a new car and has caused me to lose faith in the safety of the vehicle.

- Cambridge, MA, USA

problem #1

Oct 312015

Jetta

  • 500 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving 40 mph and attempting to engage the brakes, the brake pedal traveled to the floor and failed to stop the vehicle without warning. Also, the vehicle veered to the right and emitted an abnormal grinding noise. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the brake pads and performed an alignment. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and verified that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V705000 (engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 500.

- Anderson, IN, USA

Not what you are looking for?