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2026 Volkswagen Jetta

Gas
Compact Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
B
Safety Signal
85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical1
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA5
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA34 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2026 Volkswagen Jetta is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Jetta, is EPA-rated at 34 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 5 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
JettaGasFWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo294034$1,850
Jetta Sport/SE/SELGasFWD1.5L 4-cyl turbo294033$1,900

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49269, 49270.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Electrical System

97TC
48,165 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Jetta vehicles. The transmission ground wire may not have been properly connected during assembly, causing an open electrical circuit.RiskAn open circuit may draw a higher current and increase the risk of a fire.FixDealers will inspect and repair transmission ground wire as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97TC. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 13, 2026.
NHTSA campaign 26V138000reported Mar 11, 2026Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
5complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2026: 5

Most-cited components

Electrical System2
Unspecified2
Steering1
Exterior Lighting1
Forward Collision Avoidance1
Engine1

What owners describe

“The vehicle says it’s overheating and will go into limp mode it has also been reported that other 2026 Jettas have had the same issue”Aug 7, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2026 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle brakes engaged independently causing the RPM to decrease and after a couple of seconds the vehicle began to work as intended. No warnings light illuminated A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an i…”Aug 3, 2026 · Forward Collision Avoidance · NHTSA owner report
“I'm not exactly sure on what happened but when using the lane stay assist it doesn't read the lines correctly causing the car to abruptly jerk in a unexpected direction! doing this during certain scenarios would cause an accident for sure. also the headlight auto switching for high beams malfunctions often causing the …”Jan 15, 2026 · Steering · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆13%
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆13%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Compare the 2026 Jetta with

2026 Toyota Corolla →

Other Jetta model years

A

2027 Volkswagen Jetta

0 recalls · 0 complaints

C

2025 Volkswagen Jetta

2 recalls · 28 complaints

A

2024 Volkswagen Jetta

0 recalls · 43 complaints

A

2023 Volkswagen Jetta

0 recalls · 43 complaints

A

2022 Volkswagen Jetta

1 recalls · 42 complaints

C

2021 Volkswagen Jetta

4 recalls · 67 complaints

F

2020 Volkswagen Jetta

6 recalls · 51 complaints

F

2019 Volkswagen Jetta

11 recalls · 545 complaints

C

2018 Volkswagen Jetta

2 recalls · 31 complaints

F

2017 Volkswagen Jetta

6 recalls · 159 complaints

F

2016 Volkswagen Jetta

4 recalls · 164 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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