2020 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA Recalls, Complaints & Safety

Upon “starting” car, all systems turn on and car tells me the engine is on; however, if I put into any gear nothing. Only once I press the ignition one more time does the engine actually start.

While driving southbound on I-15 near Exit 300 (5300 S, Murray, Utah), the sunroof on my 2020 Volkswagen Jetta SEL suddenly and spontaneously exploded outward without any impact or external object striking the glass. The vehicle had approximately 72,000 miles at the time. There was no tint, film, or modification to the sunroof. The weather was clear, and the road was smooth. The explosion produced a loud gunshot-like sound, followed by glass fragments scattering across the sunshade. Fortunately, the sunshade was closed, which prevented most of the glass from falling into the cabin. However, the incident caused a significant distraction which posed a serious safety risk while driving at highway speeds. No warning lights, messages, or symptoms appeared before the failure. The glass appears to have shattered from internal stress rather than impact, as there were no visible signs of an object strike. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by Volkswagen, law enforcement, or insurance, but the glass remains available for inspection if needed.

October 9, 2025 EPC light on. October 10, 2025, called Brown's VW in Charlottetown, PEI and brought the car in. The EPC light was off. The scan revealed that turbo on the vehicle had a seized wastegate. The cost of repair is $4,026.85 and a wait for parts. If the EPC light was flashing, the vehicle would buck and stop in the middle of the road causing a safety issue. There were no warnings previous to the EPC light going on. the vehicle is out of warranty but low mileage. Please note I spend 6 months a year in PEI, Canada and 6 months in the US. My address in Canada is: 81 Kilkenny Rd., Rte 250, Harrington, PE CIE 3A5. The vehicle is registered in PEI and had a RIV certificate. I was also told by an independent source that the above problem is common in the Atlantic Provinces because of the position of the wastegate and also the salt in the air in the Atlantic Provinces. I am certain in sea coast areas of the US, there is a similar problem with this VW turbo and the VW Tiguan is also affected. Many years of the VW Jetta have the same problem.

While driving down a the road, my husband, 2 children and I, with no cars around us, we heard a loud pop (almost exploding like). We all looked around and then my husband looked up and our sunroof glass was shattered. As we exited the vehicle to take a better look, you could clearly see that the glass was broken from the inside, as if it was popped like a balloon. While no glass fell in the vehicle due to the shade being shut, there was glass all over the top that my husband had to clean up. Unfortunately due to no negligence on our part, we had to file an insurance claim.

This is the same thong that was recalled on the other 2020 vw jetta..I also had a 2016 jettabefore I was allowed to trade it in for the 2020 jetta and the air went out on the both of them before the car was 2 years old. Now the 2020 has rain water coming in holding in the doors. When you open it the water comes out. What's showing is: 1.front assist not available 2. Fault electronic parking brake 3. Transmission in emergency mode you can continue driving 4.only exit vehicle in P position service engine soon Number 3 has shown before and I had another transmission put in. Also engine light was on for the longest. I'm not sure of the exact date. I do have repair bills but I will have to go in my storage unit. Would like to send later

When I start the car Multiple times the car will throw over half of all the error code and could not start the vehicle. Driving in the highway doing 65mph with the cruise control on the car completely shut off and I had to limp it to the shoulder and was unable to start the car. Each time I cleared the fault codes then was able to start the car. If I didn’t have my scanner I would have had to get towed each time to the dealer. I see there is an ignition switch recall on the 2019 and the 2020 cars but for some reason I don’t see my 2020 included in that. Now the proximity sensor is at fault and I have to take it to the dealer again. Please let me know what I should do

Vehicle has been displaying "Emergency services unavailable" along with lights for steering and braking systems, Intermittently since new. The dealer stated no problem found.. Now that the vehicle is out of warranty they tell me it needs a new computer module. I believe they said Telematics control unit.

My check engine light came on on Sunday Dec 1. I immediately took it to a diagnostic service station in my local area. They diagnosed that my car has a vent control valve malfunction. This issue is a KNOWN problem to Volkswagen. They do not replace this part if it fails after 60K miles. This makes zero sense to me. I purchased my car, used with 63K miles on it. It now has 80K. At no time was I made aware that this part would/could fail! The vent control valve is over $250 and labor will be another $200. When I called VW they said they don't issue recalls, only NTHSA does. Furthermore, VW also said that if I am to get reimbursed, should they see fit to issue this recall, that I must take it to a VW dealer. All well and good, but VW wants $238 to diagnose a problem that already cost me $130. I was also told that there are currently 11K cars waiting on this part. That is not a statistical anomaly. Therefore, NTHSA needs to issue a recall and help VW owners get their vent valve control replaced before our engines are damaged.

Will not take fuel. Even when the gasoline tank is empty it will not accept fuel properly. Fuel seeps out and leaks. Problem presents identically to the 2015-2020 VW & Audi recall. VW doesn’t acknowledge my VIN as a vehicle with the problem. My car is on the identical platform as the Audi A3 and is FWD. my problem is identical to the recall but VW will not acknowledge the problem.

I recently purchased a vehicle on July 11th, and on July 12th, I noticed a significant issue with the transmission. Specifically, the vehicle began grinding when I attempted to engage reverse gear. Concerned for safety, I promptly contacted the dealership. Initially, they advised that the proper procedure was to shift from first gear to reverse, attributing the issue to a known Volkswagen transmission characteristic. Upon further inspection at the dealership, they acknowledged the problem as a documented issue with Volkswagen transmissions, providing a "tech tip" confirming its severity. This issue poses a serious safety risk due to the delay in shifting from first to reverse, potentially impeding quick maneuvering in emergencies, thereby compromising driver and passenger safety. The problem was replicated multiple times during dealership visits, with no warning lights or indications prior to the grinding in reverse.

My brakes have always sounded weird to me. But the dealer and my mechanic assured me that they were fine. On Saturday 7/6/24, I noticed a horrible grinding noise. I took it to my mechanic and was told that due to a faulty brake caliper the passenger side front inner brake pad has gone metal to metal. I can see that there is a recall on the calipers for 2020 VW Jetta but it doesn't show up for my VIN #. I am having to pay $541.07 and feel that if this is a recall I shouldn't have to pay.

The built-in navigation and apple carplay periodically show the wrong location, offset by several hundred feet from the real one. A huge number of cases on the Internet, Volkswagen does nothing about it. They update the software, but it doesn't help.

There is a spring that it out of place and when I turned to get out of the seat it scratched my back.

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The fuel door would not open for me to put gas in my car. I cannot drive my car without fuel. If I can’t get to my gas tank because the fuel door has malfunctioned I become a danger to those who drive as well as myself and my vehicle. My car tells me everything else but not that. I only find out once I need gas and others getting upset because they waiting on the gas spot can get me hurt or killed in this day and age with peoples lack of patience. I had to spend extra money to tow my car just for them to break the actuator just so I can put gas in my car. Now my fuel door hangs open and now I have to worry about my car and who may do something in that instance. The car doesn’t offer a switch or button in the car to release the fuel door. My car runs on gas if the malfunction happens every 6 months or every year it stops my life. I need to work go to school and so much more. This is an issue that will continue because of the build of the vehicle and others like it in many make and models. Help please

Mid-drive, the vehicle gave me a "check starter system" warning, a known 2020 VW Jetta issue. However, my car has not gotten a recall message yet. The message also disappeared again after I turned off the car for 10 minutes and started it again.

Vehicle's sunroof spontaneously shattered while driving, raining down thousands of shards of glass. There was a loud bang, it sounded like a firecracker went off. I was not behind another vehicle and was going 55-60 mph. Another issue that this brought up was that after I had pulled off and assessed what happened, I wasn't initially able to buckle my seat belt due to glass in the receptacle.

After buying this vehicle in June 2020, and the "Emergency SOS Module" never malfunctioning once, I enrolled in VW's free "Safe and Secure" service through the myVW mobile application on March 7, 2024, and immediately received an "Emergency SOS Error" light. The vehicle manual states that the vehicle is not safe to drive and must be taken to the dealership immediately. I then called my local VW dealership asking if I could stop by since I was in the area, and the service department stated that have seen a lot of vehicles coming in with this issue lately and the car must be brought in to replace the emergency call module. Upon bringing my vehicle in, the dealership stated that there is a diagnostic charge of over $250, in addition to the cost of potentially replacing the module (which I'm reading online others have paid between $900-$1,500 for replacement. This is completely unacceptable to pass on a charge to a customer for something that is not included in the vehicle's scheduled (or unscheduled) maintenance list, as well as has nothing to do with the mechanical operation of the vehicle – in addition to posing a safety risk. I never had an issue with this module until the minute I decided to enroll in VW's free "Safe and Secure" service, at which point it seems either they have installed faulty equipment in their vehicles or have an error in their software.

The SOS emergency that is supposed to work when you press the button or if your car is stolen the module failed and on months of back order

The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving uphill at 55 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly shut off with an unknown warning light flashing on the instrument panel. Despite the failure, the contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to the residence. The vehicle was later taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed but no defect was found. The contact then stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle shut off with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle eventually restarted after several attempts. The dealer was contacted about the failure and the contact was promised a callback. The contact had not yet heard back from the dealer. The manufacturer was also notified about the failure and the contact was referred to another dealer for service. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 46,625.

The front strut spring broke. The dealer warned against driving it at all, since it could cut open the tire or damage other parts that would cause a lot of control. The vehicle is just past the three year warranty. But it is too new for aftermarket parts, so I had to replace it the same parts. The dealer said this is very common on this make/model and to expect these parts to consistently fail.

The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 70-80 MPH, the electronic parking brake engaged independently. The message "Driver's Side Door Fault" and a message indicating that the auto Start/Stop feature was unavailable were displayed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving at various speeds, while making turns, and while coming to a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the driver's side door wiring harness had failed and caused the module to experience an electrical shortage. The dealer informed the contact that the electronic parking brake had engaged because the door was securely closed while driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 65,789.

Incident Occurred in May. Was on Reddit and saw someone say to report any issues to NHTSA so that's what I'm doing At the end of the month in May (2023) when starting my car after work that had been sitting in the sun, it turned on but then turned off about 10 seconds later saying "ignition switch off safely stop the vehicle" then it flashed to another screen saying "please check the starter system." I waited about 10 minutes then I was able to start my car with no issue. Then after leaving work I pulled onto the highway and the issue happened again while going 60+ mph. Everything cut off and it gave me the same message. My jetta is a manual so it was still in gear and could keep driving but it was super sketchy. I immediately pulled off the road and when I came to a stop the car completely shut off. Then I waited another 10 minutes. Started my car again and the exact same thing happened and I had to pull off the highway. After that I was able to start the car without it happening again and I drove straight to the Volkswagen dealer to have them fix it. I left the the next day to go to a work conference out of state and returned the following Sunday to my car which was now fixed. Part P2532 was replaced in the ignition switch. Luckily I have a 4 year 40,000 mile warranty so I didn't have to pay anything.

The sunroof shattered after closing the car door from the pressure or motion of the car door closing. The sunroof glass panel popped up in the center and all the shattered glass was in an upward motion indicating the cause was from the pressure in the cabin. There were no visible chips or debris on the sunroof prior to this occurring. I took the vehicle to the Volkswagen dealership for an inspection and repair but they denied warranty coverage even though the vehicle is under the original warranty. Volkswagen claims that a chip or rock would cause the sunroof to shatter from the door closing. This is not a safe or acceptable design - sunroofs should not shatter when car doors are opened/closed or from the movement of the vehicle driving.

Internal Component on Transmission has failed, Vehicle is Available for inspection (Niello Volkswagen has already confirmed). The vehicle shakes when shifting which could potentially cause an accident. Yes, Niello Volkswagen confirmed the issue. Dealer for Manufacturer has confirmed issue. No vehicle warning or Lights or messages, check engine light didn't trigger. Dealership attempted to "Flash" Transmission and ECM which made the issue worse.

I live in a very hot area where the temperatures rise to well above 100°. My dashboard gets hot. I imagine that the computer system is in the dashboard after the car has been in the sun I get into my vehicle start my engine things seem fine and then I’m driving down the street and the whole front panel turns off. The air turns off, the stereo turns off most importantly, the air turns off and there is an ecosystem set in my car, where the engine turns off while I’m idling. . The air turns off, the stereo turns off most importantly, the air turns off and there is an ecosystem set in my car, where the engine turns off while I am at a lot of times the whole car will turn off. I cannot see any of the gauges and I can’t roll the windows down for air most of the time, the car will continue to drive down the street, but under very dangerous and uncomfortable conditions. Below I’m going to add today’s date because it’s the most recent time that it happened but it happens. Every day doesn’t happen at night doesn’t happen in the morning because the car was cool overnight. Let me be clear that the engine is not overheating. It is the computer system. Just like when an iPhone is too hot to work.

MY SUNROOF WAS EXPODED during I drive to home.

The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while exiting a parking lot, the instrument panel went blank without warning. The contact turned off the vehicle and after several attempts was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 25,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the panoramic sunroof shattered without impact. The contact stated that he was cut by shards of falling glass from the sunroof. The contact stated that no medical attention was sought. The contact pulled over and inspected the vehicle but found no cause or evidence that an object had struck the sunroof glass to cause the failure. The contact was able to drive to the residence with no additional issues. The local dealer was notified of the failure and suggested that the vehicle be brought in for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,829. The VIN was not available.

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Hit a pot hole in the road and vehicle completely shut down and will not crank. Diagnostic code U0100 is saying that the ecm and pcm are no longer communicating. If I had been on the highway or in a high traffic area that could have been a life threatening situation as everything is run through the electronics of the car.

The problem I am facing is with making calls in the car both via android auto and Bluetooth. When making a phone call, if the volume is adjusted during the call, the other person will hear a very bad echo of their own voice. The echo only occurs when the call volume is adjusted, and I can't hear it in my own car. I have been to the dealer twice to diagnose this issue, and talked to VW Customer Care, neither has been able to fix the problem or determine why it's happening. The first visit I didn't know that changing the volume caused the issue, during one of the trips they replaced the microphone and tried multiple phones (iPhone and Android), neither fixed the problem. I purchased this car used with around 10k miles on it from VW and have had the issue ever since. This is NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, it’s just very annoying.

When I was driving my engine randomly increased rpms and i was forced to apply the brake. Regarding my brakes, my brakes make a clicking noise and sometimes have decreased braking performance at times which is a serious safety concern.

When vehicle goes over 60mph starts to shake really bad and warning not enough power for engine light is on

Since I PURCHASED MY Jetta SEL the car IN 2020 March the back right tire will not hold air. Have taken to the dealership and the young man said it was the valve stem and simple fix small issue. Claiming had an stem issues. Leaving the dealership 15 minutes later Hit the interstate and all of a sudden light comes on low air right tire ongoing issue for over a year refuse to be fixed by the car dealership just being pushed over. Bought car brand new very upsetting treatment.

Was is merging onto interstate i95 and the Jetta wouldn’t accelerate no matter how hard I pushed the gas pedal eventually took my foot off and had to turn on emergency lights then The Jetta started slowly moving as if it was just going to stall almost got rear ended and then the car wanted to send me in to another lane. Due to the angry driver behind me.

The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V492000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and a case was opened. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.