2024 Volkswagen Jetta: Recalls, Complaints & California Lemon Law

My 2024 Volkswagen Jetta has about 14,429 miles, driven almost entirely on the highway between two Texas cities, with little city traffic and no mountain driving. The rear brakes are wearing out far faster than normal. At a dealer inspection on June 15, 2026, the rear linings measured 1 mm and 2 mm, nearly gone, while the front linings still measured 10 mm. This is the reverse of normal wear, since the fronts do most of the braking and should wear first. The vehicle is available for inspection. This is not sudden. A prior dealer inspection on July 7, 2025 already showed the rear linings (9 mm) more worn than the fronts (11 mm). Between the two inspections the fronts lost about 1 mm while the rears lost about 7 to 8 mm, so the rears are wearing many times faster than the fronts. Both inspections were done and documented by an authorized Volkswagen dealer. Given the low mileage and highway-only use, this cannot be normal wear. The rears are approaching metal-to-metal at very low mileage, which compromises braking and is unsafe. The pattern points to a mechanical defect, such as a seized rear caliper or a dragging or malfunctioning electronic parking brake that keeps the rear brakes partially applied. Premature rear brake wear is widely reported on this model, and the manufacturer issued a rear brake pad warranty extension for affected vehicles, acknowledging excessive wear and possible workmanship issues. No crash, fire, or injury has occurred. I am reporting this so the defect can be investigated and other owners protected.

NHTSA #11744699

The rear service brake assembly—specifically the rear brake pads and rotors—suffered premature wear and catastrophic structural failure. The defective parts are not available for inspection, as they were discarded by Firestone during the emergency repair to restore the vehicle to a safe operating condition. The problem was first confirmed by an authorized manufacturer dealer, Larry H. Miller Volkswagen Tucson. It was subsequently confirmed, documented, and repaired by an independent service center (Firestone). The vehicle and the failing brake components were physically inspected by the manufacturer's authorized dealership service department at Larry H. Miller Volkswagen Tucson prior to the repair. No dashboard warning lamps or error messages illuminated. The symptoms appeared suddenly at approximately 33,200 miles in the form of severe metal-on-metal grinding noises, a vibrating brake pedal, and noticeably reduced stopping power during routine deceleration.

NHTSA #11741183

Brakes make loud noise when I come to stop when leaving highway. Rear pads are at 2mm as of 8/28/2025 when they were replaced in on 5/14/2025. Repairs were performed by dealership on 5/14/2025 but they did not replace the rotors, they only replaced the rear pads.

NHTSA #11684897

My 2024 VW Jetta GLI 2.0L 40th anniversary edition is throwing false engine codes. The system rings with a warning and the center display shows a statement that "RPM over 4500" while the real RPM's is at or below 2000 at the time of the warning. The system then immediately puts the car into limp mode and displays the error triangle with ECP next to it. The issue can only be resolved by stopping the vehicle and shut the engine off then restarting the engine. The latest occurrence was at the approximate mileage of: 63,000. This day it occurred at least three times in a 5 minute driving window. The issue was addressed with a VW service manager and he simply said that since your out of your warrantee you would need to pay for any diagnostics and electronic connection fees. Over $250 per check minimum. This issue has occurred over 20 times since it started around the 58,000 mile mark. Limp mode is very dangerous especially when it happens on the interstate highway. The car will not accelerate at all and will only travel at a maximum of 45 mph. Forcing a driver to pull over immediately.

NHTSA #11730226

Purchased the car with around 70 miles. Dealer filled the car up full with gas when driven off the lot. Check engine light at 300 miles. Took into the dealer to deal with it. Dealer reported misfire on multiple cylinders on start up. Was told I put bad gas in the car when the dealer filled it up. Added fuel additive and reset codes, sent me on my way and only have used 91 chevron since. Next around 600 miles check engine light came back one, same issue. They put my car in transport mode and back out. Reset codes and told me to not let the car idle on startup. For a brand new car????? 1300 mile mark check engine light again, same issue. Currently still in waiting to hear what they have to say. As of 8/19

NHTSA #11609429

my Volkswagen Jetta GLI 40th anniversary 6MT, has had multiple misfire check engine lights appear on dash since owning the car, multiple times has the car been to the dealership and multiple times they blamed me as the operator for the issue, i was told it was bad gas, then a software update was made available to fix the misfire issue and within 150 miles of getting the update the misfires happened again. the vehicle can be made ready for an inspection if needed. the misfire check engine light occurs during start up of the vehicle and i am stationary at this time. to my knowledge the components have been inspected by the dealership. the first misfire happened at around 4000 miles and the dealership claimed it was bad gas, then again at 6400 miles at which point the dealership performed the software update. since then i have had 2 additional misfire messages that I had not documented at the dealership.

NHTSA #11657580

Vehicle was parked in my driveway. My wife and I were about 10 feet from it working on another vehicle when we heard a loud pop. We looked over at the vehicle and the sunroof has exploded. It was bubbled upward and completely shattered. I contacted my VW dealer and we slowly drove the car to the shop and left it. The dealer said it probably wasn't covered under dealer warranty because it was glass. It just shattered out of the blue, this should not be my fault or at my expense.

NHTSA #11706244

The key pins on the VW flip keys fall our regularly and can leave motorists stranded in unsafe locations. It is however an excellent revenue generator when you consider the cost of replacement keys. I caught my pin in the process of falling our and saw it was a common problem that has not been resolved in this flawed and unsafe key design that threatens the welfare of consumers and safety of use of their vehicle.

NHTSA #11644027

The small detached windshield above large windshield is defective and temperature sensitive. The vehicle was parked outside all day in hot Arizona ( extreme hot temps) and when we entered we put the ac on full blast. Within minutes with the car still in park. The glass exploded and shattered. Big pop sound almost like a gun shot. We looked outside and the upper windshield was cracked. I informed the dealership and manger said same thing happened to him while driving his Jetta. He thinks it was a rock. I disagree I think its defective and needs immediate action before injury occurs.

NHTSA #11590932

Zero warning lights, dash clusters only allowing two options to show, oil temperature reading 200degrees Fahrenheit or higher, floor board feels like the firewall is almost in the interior of the vehicle and not engine port. Upon performing a thorough investigation of my own, the manifold, intake valve and wires are visibly damaged and BURNT, coil two is visibly damaged and was smoking. The battery generating system is also malfunctioning, with visibly burnt ground wires. Additionally the thermostat and temperature gauges both are not giving out any signal or alert for faulty electrical activity. However the vehicle was so hot from only driving 6 miles from my house that the arm to hold the hood up was legit bending and folding as it become unusually soft from the hot intake. Transfer case has been clicking, as well as the intake sizzling like making repeated sounds of sparking. All of which began in a matter of four days. Something is dangerously wrong with my car please help

NHTSA #11736224

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH up an incline, the hill assist system engaged. The contact stated that while descending the incline, the hill assist was still engaged. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle to disengage the feature. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had gradually become a recurring failure. The contact stated that the vehicle had additional failures with the transmission and the rear brakes due to the hill assist not disengaging as needed. The contact stated that the manual transmission was slipping out of gear and the rear brakes showed premature wear on the pads. The contact had taken the vehicle to several dealers. The contact stated that one dealer recommended that the transmission be replaced. The contact had taken the vehicle to another local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,600.

NHTSA #11705279

When driving to work, two deer ran out infant of my car. I had seen the first one and missed it but by time I had seen the first one I already hit the second one. The impact occurred while driving 73 mph. The impact alone slowed my car down by approximately 20 mph. My whole front end was crushed in causing it to be a total loss according to the insurance assessor. the front emblem with a sensor behind it was broken and the sensor was detached from its original location, being held onto the car only by its wiring.

NHTSA #11735489

Driving on interstate 74 west bound entered rain storm. Did not see car that was slow or stopped until impact. Traveling at a speed of 78 mph. Airbag did not deploy. Is this normal? Rear ended car in front. Volkswagen was totaled with severe front end damage. Other car was a bigger suv. There is dash cam footage that shows impact.

NHTSA #11686353

Codes read cylinder misfire. People say they cannot fix it.

NHTSA #11609456

I keep getting a cylinder 1 and 4 misfire on a 6MT on cold start. I previously had another 2024 jetta gli and it had the same exact problem as this one. the dealer confirmed the problem and bought the car back and now it is happening on the new car.

NHTSA #11610776

Transmission control module light comes on and the light states safely pull car over and put in park. It’s tried to been fixed multiple times, they are waiting on a software update. I’ll drive the car and have to pull over because the TCM light comes on and can’t drive/ accelerate. The dealership told me to drive the car and deal with it until it gets fixed. The issue first appeared in Nov of 2025 and it’s been a recurring issue since. I can’t take it anywhere without it happening, then i have to get towed.

NHTSA #11737692

While driving at approximately 20mph, the front passenger-side steering knuckle suffered a catastrophic structural failure, snapping completely in two. This resulted in an immediate loss of steering and suspension control. Inspection of the fractured part by a mechanic revealed significant orange oxidation (rust) inside the metal cross-section of the break. This internal corrosion on a 2-year-old vehicle indicates a manufacturing defect (casting porosity or inclusion) that allowed the part to weaken and fail prematurely under normal road stress.

NHTSA #11724525

Check engine light came on after attempting a remote start and failed. Upon using an OBD-II code reader, it gave the code: P2421 - EVAP Vent Valve stuck open. This part is not covered under the 8/80k federal emissions warranty but is still an issue and is affecting emissions. There were no other alerts or warnings issued before attempting the remote start that caused the issue.

NHTSA #11712344

The vehicle’s SOS/emergency call system has been inoperative since the vehicle was purchased. At delivery, the emergency call function did not work and displayed error messages. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Volkswagen dealer, and the OCU (online connectivity unit) module responsible for the SOS system was replaced under warranty on 3/17/2025 at approximately 6,294 miles. After the repair, the system functioned temporarily. In December 2025, the SOS system failed again and now displays an “Emergency Call Function Not Available / Please Service Vehicle” warning. The dealer has confirmed the same OCU module has failed again and must be replaced a second time. When the system is inoperative, the vehicle cannot automatically contact emergency services after a collision. This is a safety concern because the emergency call system is intended to function at all times in the event of a crash.

NHTSA #11704903

Adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistant defective and has been confirmed by dealership 3 attempts of repair with VW dealership where vehicle was purchased new have not been successful SOS box has flashing red light indicating issue VW dealership is stopped by manufacturer to continue repairs as they are unable to resolve issue Car was purchased in January 2024, has 20k miles and is within bumper to bumper warranty Issue occurred in December 2025 and first repair attempt in January 2026, since then weekly calls with VW to ask for resolution No accidents

NHTSA #11745099

Sensitive sunroof glass. Sunroof glass shattered a section of the glass that has an open glass area now and will leak in inclement weather conditions.

NHTSA #11686678

Front Windshield wipers randomly go on causing a distraction almost resulting in a accident. The vehicle was taken in for this problem to Colonial VW located at 200 W Street RD, Feasterville PA 19053. Service rep stated he knows of the issue but there is currently no fix for it. This problem first stared approximately 1 month ago. No warning lights or alerts are present on the vehicle. Issue seems to happen more in bright sunlight but can happen at anytime with multiple wipes at once. The issue will go away for a few mins to a day then reappear out of no where sometimes coming and going the whole trip A google search reveals this maybe a a more common problem than just my vehicle.

NHTSA #11691489

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear tires. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear rotors, and brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired at the consumer's expense. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA #11684683

I just got this 2024 Jetta Sport 6 speed manual and tried getting up the drive that's slightly inclined and the brake assist would not disengage or the fuel was cut after it didn't progress then dies. It is possible to power through the brake assist but it will cause premature wear on the clutch, flywheel as well as the rear E brake with all this wireless tech on the brakes, throttle can't figure it out so take it back.

NHTSA #11686138

The tire went flat as I was driving and when I had to change the tire I noticed that the tire had blown out on the sidewall on the inside of the rim of the car. The car only has 12,000 miles and I had a tire rotation done on my first oil change. I called the dealership to see if the tire was covered under warranty since I brought the car new for Steve White VW of Greenville, SC. They told me since I didn’t buy a warranty with the purchase of the car then it was nothing they could do about it. I brought a car thinking that the tires should be good until they wear out not blow out. Also I have TPMS light on as well as the check engine light is on in the vehicle. 205/55R17

NHTSA #11661622

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated without a warning light being illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 5,000.

NHTSA #11646795

[XXX] Invoice [XXX] vehicle was taken to HOY FAMILY AUTO DEALER in El Paso, Texas (1.)to inspect brakes noise and parking brake not engaging at all times, there has been times when the parking brake does not engage, and humming noise while braking and exiting freeway. Service personnel did not dismount wheels to have visual inspection on braking system they just checked for gap wear and tear. (2.)also told service advisor about Emergency braking system warning on dashboard warning system comes on sometimes while braking on empty roads at stop signs and while parking vehicle on a house driveway. (3.) suspension on front passenger side hard hit noise while driving on uneven pavements. (4.) passenger rear side view mirror sensor light most of times does not work on approaching moving vehicles. *Problem persists INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA #11655559

This experience was with a rental vehicle - and I sent an email to the NHTSA address with additional details. Later, I saw this form. I am pasting the information here: Request #[XXX] 2024 VW Jetta Rental Vehicle - Unintended Acceleration / Braking The vehicle was rented from Fox Rent-a-Car in Las Vegas, NV for my short trip to California and back. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA #11594491

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that at start-up, there was an abnormal amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that a cause for the failure was not found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 18,078.

NHTSA #11679401