Avg. Price Paid:$8,526 - $10,404
Original MSRP: $16,490 - $25,185
MPG: 22 City / 30 Hwy
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Volkswagen Jetta Recalls & Reliability

These scores and this review are from when the car was new.

Scorecard

Overall: 2007 Volkswagen Jetta U.S. News Best Cars 8.2
Critics' Rating: 8.5
Performance: 8.4
Interior: 8.5
Safety: 8.7
Reliability:
How we calculate scores
Research analyzed for this review

Pros & Cons

  • Solid interior quality for an affordable, compact  car
  • Extensive safety features
  • Highly praised for its ride and handling
  • Volkswagen cars (and the Jetta in particular) have spotty reliability histories

Research Other Years

Review Last Updated: 5/2/08

Recalls

There have been 2 safety recalls issued from NHTSA.

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFTRecall Date: 05/13/2009
  • Consequence: IF THE VEHICLE IS MOVING WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE DETACHED DRIVESHAFT COULD CAUSE DAMAGE THE GEARBOX HOUSING. A DAMAGE GEARBOX HOUSING COULD LEAK GEARBOX OIL ONTO THE STREET AND CREATE A RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH FOR BOTH THE DRIVER AND OTHER MOTORISTS.
  • NHTSA Campaign ID: 09V164000
  • Potential Number of Units Affected: 25594
  • Summary: VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 25,594 MY 2006-2009 JETTA 5TH GENERATION EQUIPPED WITH 2.01 ENGINE. THE FASTENING SCREW CONTACT SURFACES ON THE DRIVESHAFT COVER PLATE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. SOME SCREWS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TORQUED PROPERLY DURING ASSEMBLY AND COULD LOOSEN OVER TIME, CAUSING A KNOCKING SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE DRIVESHAFT SCREWS COULD LOOSEN TO THE POINT WHERE THE DRIVESHAFT DETACHES FROM THE GEARBOX.
  • Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DRIVESHAFT SCREWS AND REPLACE THE SCREWS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JUNE 19, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
  • Notes: VOLKSWAGEN RECALL NO. 40J2/S4. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTSRecall Date: 09/17/2007
  • Consequence: INAPPROPRIATE, NON-STANDARD LIGHTING COULD REDUCE VISIBILITY OF VEHICLES AND INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR A CRASH.
  • NHTSA Campaign ID: 07V442000
  • Potential Number of Units Affected: 340000
  • Summary: 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.
  • 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 IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 31, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW AT 1-800-822-8987.
  • Notes: VOLKSWAGEN RECALL NO. Q8. CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

Reliability

Our reliability score is based on the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) rating or, if unavailable, the J.D. Power Predicted Reliability rating.

Dependability Ratings1 2007
Overall Dependability
Powertrain Dependability
Feature & Accessory Dependability
Body & Interior Dependability

1These scores come from consumer ratings of their vehicles after three years of ownership.

  • Key:
  • Among The Best
  • Better Than Most
  • About Average
  • The Rest

J.D. Power and Associates Power Circle Ratings do not include all information used to determine J.D. Power and Associates awards. See JDPower.com for more information on Power Circle Ratings. Your experience may vary.

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Warranty

The 2007 Volkswagen Jetta offers a four-year/50,000 mile basic warranty, and also comes with a five-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Many reviewers warn about Volkswagen's spotty reputation for reliability. "Although improving, VW's reliability and repair history still lag behind its Japanese competitors," says Kelley Blue Book.

MSN reports, "Recent Jettas haven't scored high in independent studies on reliability and quality. For example, the Jetta never was among the top three compact cars in J.D. Power and Associates' annual Initial Quality Studies and Durability Studies in recent years."

Next Steps: Volkswagen Jetta