YearToAvoid

2014 Volkswagen Jetta Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

67/100

#6 most-complained of 16 Jetta years

The 2014 Volkswagen Jetta ranks 6th worst of 16 model years, with a Complaint Index of 67 and a Caution verdict. NHTSA lists 386 complaints, 4 recalls, and 20 crashes, with Engine problems as the top complaint area at 119 reports.

Complaints
386
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
20 / 2
Injuries / deaths
18 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
28.5
24.5 city / 35 hwy

Top 2014 Volkswagen Jetta problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine119 (31%)
  2. Electrical System109 (28%)
  3. Transmission & Powertrain73 (19%)
  4. Other72 (19%)
  5. Fuel System42 (11%)
  6. Airbags37 (10%)
  7. Brakes28 (7%)
  8. Steering17 (4%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires15 (4%)
  10. Structure & Body11 (3%)

What owners report

  • Owners report brakes becoming ineffective at highway speed, requiring harder pedal pressure with reduced stopping power.
  • Some drivers describe a loud noise followed by brake pedal failing to decompress, leading to a collision while parking.
  • Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in low-to-moderate speed frontal or side impacts, resulting in injuries.
  • Owners describe repeated transmission and clutch failures, including a rebuilt transmission and a gear dropping out on the highway.
  • Electrical issues include a persistent tire sensor warning and water leaking into the cabin regardless of driving conditions.
  • A seat belt reportedly failed to lock during a rear-end collision, causing the driver to strike the steering wheel.
2014 Volkswagen Jetta complaints: complaints filed per quarter402013 Q42015 Q32017 Q22019 Q12020 Q42022 Q32024 Q22026 Q1
536 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2013 Q4 to 2026 Q2; peak 2019 Q4 (40).

2014 Volkswagen Jetta recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V615000Aug 22, 2019Electrical System679,027 vehicles

    Electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."

    Risk: Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.

    Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.

  2. NHTSA 15V483000Aug 4, 2015Airbags415,825 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.

    Risk: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.

  3. NHTSA 15V028000Jan 23, 2015Fuel System44,658 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system:fuel rail

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to November 24, 2014, 2014-2015 Passat vehicles manufactured April 7, 2014, to November 18, 2014, 2015 Golf and GTI vehicles manufactured July 1, 2014, to November 20, 2014, and 2014-2015 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles manufactured March 31, 2014, to November 27, 2014. A sealing cap at the fuel rail may fail, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment.

    Risk: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.

    Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails with new parts, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24BL. Note: This recall expands and supersedes recall 14V-809 (Volkswagen recall number 24Bi) and only affects vehicles not previously repaired under that campaign.

See all 4 recalls for the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta →

2014 Volkswagen Jetta fuel economy and fuel cost

City
24.5 MPG
Highway
35 MPG
Combined
28.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,775
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2014 compared with other Jetta years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2012Avoid80499526.5
2013Caution73516426.5
2014Caution67386428.5
2015Good47194728.5
2016Caution60161429

All Volkswagen Jetta years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2014 Jetta has a Complaint Index of 67 and a Caution verdict, ranking 6th worst among 16 model years of the Jetta.
What are the most common problems with the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta?
Engine complaints lead at 119 reports (31% share), followed by Electrical System issues at 109 complaints (28%) and Transmission & Powertrain at 73 complaints (19%), with a median failure mileage of 55,000 miles overall.
Does the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2014 Jetta covering the Electrical System, Airbags, Fuel System, and Transmission & Powertrain, including a fuel rail replacement and a transmission oil cooler O-ring fix. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2014 Jetta compare to other Jetta years?
The 2014 Jetta's Complaint Index of 67 is better than 2010 (93), 2011 (87), and 2012 (80), all rated Avoid, but worse than 2015 (47) and 2018 (0), which are rated Good and Best.
What is the fuel economy of the 2014 Volkswagen Jetta?
EPA rates the 2014 Jetta at 28.5 mpg combined (24.5 city / 35 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,775.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.