1994 Volkswagen Jetta
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Volkswagen › Jetta › 1994
These records cover every 1994 Volkswagen Jetta. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
7 recalls name the 1994 Volkswagen Jetta. Newest first.
Sabersport IS recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. these headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. the safety recall began on may 11, 2009. owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589.
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. the rear brake line on the passenger side was routed too close to the corner of the fuel tank. the line could be damaged by chafing against the fuel tank.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Repeated chafing could eventually result in a leaking brake line causing diminished braking in one brake circuit increasing the vehicle's stopping distance.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the brake line and replace any damaged lines.
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. the bolts securing the front hood latch can loosen over time. the latch would move causing disengagement of the hood striker from the latch.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Unexpected opening of the hood could occur obstructing the driver's view of the road while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the hood latch and securing bolts and replace them if necessary.
The sheet metal panels of both rear doors have openings for the routing of the electrical window regulator wiring. The panel openings have sharp edges that can damage the insulation of the wiring harness.
Risk and remedy
Risk
An electrical short in the wiring can occur resulting in a possible fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install a protective edge cover in both rear door inner panel openings.
Improper material was used in manufacturing the radiator fan motor shaft causing the shaft to wear and become noisy.
Risk and remedy
Risk
A worn and noisy fan motor shaft can seize renderingthe fan motor inoperative, eventually causing the engine to overheat and stall. a stalled vehicle in traffic can increase the potential for a vehicle accident.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the complete cooling fan assembly on vehicle having the potential shaft material problem. Dealers will install a new fan blade including a new lock nut on vehicle with loose fan blade lock nuts.
When installed in the vehicles, a tie wrap IS used to guide the cruise control cable in the engine compartment. some tie wraps have been installed with a large loop opening improperly guiding the cable which could prevent the throttle from returning to its full idle position.
Risk and remedy
Risk
The engine speed may not return to idle increasing thepotential for a vehicle collision.
Remedy
Dealers will remove the cruise control tie wrap and install a newly designed guide.
The jacks supplied with these vehicles were assembled with an improperly machined spindle, so that a sharp ridge on the edge of spindle's thread would have remained.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This ridge can damage the inside thread of the jack's scissor shoe when the jack IS used to lift the vehicle. The jack could collapse with the possibility that a person standing close to the vehicle could be injured.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with a new jack.
Owner complaints
117 complaints7 involved a crash6 involved a fire9 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Fuel system, gasoline
The in tank fuel pump design has the actual pump sitting in a plastic housing with rubber seals at the top and bottom to keep fuel around the pump for cooling, even when the tank quantity gets low. the rubber seals on my fuel pump rotted and disintegrated. this would allow the pump to operate…
The in tank fuel pump design has the actual pump sitting in a plastic housing with rubber seals at the top and bottom to keep fuel around the pump for cooling, even when the tank quantity gets low. the rubber seals on my fuel pump rotted and disintegrated. this would allow the pump to operate without the designed cooling of the pump at low gas levels. overheating of the pump because of this could result in a gas tank fire or explosion. *tr
- Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module
Airbag control module failure without warning. I noticed the red light for the airbag did not go off (not noticeable in daylight) this could be a significant public safety issue. the car only has 92K miles. The warning light IS virtually impossible to see in bright daylight. If it fails in the…
Airbag control module failure without warning. I noticed the red light for the airbag did not go off (not noticeable in daylight) this could be a significant public safety issue. the car only has 92K miles. The warning light IS virtually impossible to see in bright daylight. If it fails in the middle of a journey there IS no warning sound.... consumers can be killed or maimed if an accident occurs without realizing this part has stopped functioning, drivers may get a false sense of security. I took the car to a VW dealer was told that the control module for the airbag had stopped working. we, (my husband and i), called VW of america, but was told that because the car was 1. Out of warranty, 2. 'Old' (13 yrs) and 3. 92, 000 miles that there was nothing that would be done to rectify the issue. We disagreed; this IS not a part that should wear out, especially if the car has never been in an accident. it's not the same as engine parts, tires, body, etc. That should be expected to wear after time and mileage. their customer service representative seemed only concerned about it if the car IS within the warranty period. I am supposed to get back to dealer with a decision to replace the module. *jb
- Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
While operating my vehicle (1994 VW jetta) the hood latch broke and hood detached from lock flew up cracking my windshield, braking wipers, I lost control of vehicle crashing into divider of highway. By the grace of god I was able to avoid traffic and drove to safety as my hood covered the…
While operating my vehicle (1994 VW jetta) the hood latch broke and hood detached from lock flew up cracking my windshield, braking wipers, I lost control of vehicle crashing into divider of highway. By the grace of god I was able to avoid traffic and drove to safety as my hood covered the windshield. The glass shattered over the front driving area. Thank god my children were not with me at this traumatic time. I had to call for help and use first aid for cuts. I was unaware of recall and repaired windshield,wipers and temporarily stabilized hood. *jb
- Engine and engine cooling
While driving 25-55 mph vehicle stalled, dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *Ak
- Power train › Clutch assembly
Clutch cable. *la
- Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
Wires are burned out inside dashboard panel, causing the vehicle to shutdown without prior warning. please furnish additional information. Dealer IS aware of problem.*ak
- Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system › Windshield › Electrical heating element
Consumer states that heating/air conditioning control unit IS defective. has had to replace 4X. on two occasions, was driving and began to smell a "wire" burning smell, noticed smoke emitted from vents. reaction melted the front of panel both times almost causing a fire. Ts
- Vehicle speed control
When slowing down vehicle accelerated at a high speed, causing an accident.*ak the vehicle accelerated on its own and struck a manure tank spreader, there was one injury. *yh
- Air bags
Air bags inflated leaving a powdery residue on everything inside vehicle. consumers mother had a severe allergic reaction to the residue. consumer would like to see warnings for people who are allergic to the air bag residue. *jg
- Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Rear windows working intermittently due to a short in electric window regulator. Recall 96v122000 was issued; this vehicle not included. *Ak
- Vehicle speed control
Intermittently cruise control becomes inoperable, and throttle does not return to idle. Recall 95e34000 was issued; however, this vehicle was not included due to vin.*ak
- Equipment › Electrical › Radio/tape deck/cd etc. · Structure › Body › Door · Structure › Body › Hood › Hinge and attachments · Visibility › Power window devices and controls · Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
Driver and passenger power door locks do not lock or unlock properly, cause unknown. Also windows malfunctioned, windows will not go up or down.*ak. the window regulator was found to be faulty, was making a grinding noise. the hood will not open, the cable came loose from the hood latch. the sunroof was broken the cable and wind deflector was inoperable. the radio had an internal short. *jg
- Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
Blower switch gets extremely hot when air conditioning IS running. actually began to smoke from the dash and melted the switch bezel. I was able to extinguish the heat with minimal damage only to the blower switch and dash fascia. I'm not positive that it resulted in fire, but I am positive it…
Blower switch gets extremely hot when air conditioning IS running. actually began to smoke from the dash and melted the switch bezel. I was able to extinguish the heat with minimal damage only to the blower switch and dash fascia. I'm not positive that it resulted in fire, but I am positive it would have if I had not shut the car off immediately. this seems to be a very common problem among this model year jetta.*ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
While driving at any speed, engine shuts down particularly when hot (~190 f ). sometimes when engine IS idle, while hot, vehicle stalls and shuts down without warning. vehicle has to be restarted to regain power. evidently this engine problem causes a safety hazard, particularly when the vehicle…
While driving at any speed, engine shuts down particularly when hot (~190 f ). sometimes when engine IS idle, while hot, vehicle stalls and shuts down without warning. vehicle has to be restarted to regain power. evidently this engine problem causes a safety hazard, particularly when the vehicle IS moving at any speed. this condition occurs frequently: that IS while engine IS hot, it shuts down, then restart engine after it cools somewhat, vehicle may restart; but again this will repeat itself even for short driving distances. dealer claims it cannot find any engine problem!!!!!. *Ak
- Structure › Frame and members
No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak
- Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Right rear winow inoperative/repaired 3 times in past same problem-regulator. *Ak
- Tires › Sidewall
Inner sidewalls on 3 of 4 tires have split - 2 occurred while not driving and the other occured at low speed. They have all failed in less then one month. I have the third failed tire and the forth original. There are no visible signs of damage around the splits. The manufacturer representative…
Inner sidewalls on 3 of 4 tires have split - 2 occurred while not driving and the other occured at low speed. They have all failed in less then one month. I have the third failed tire and the forth original. There are no visible signs of damage around the splits. The manufacturer representative said this was not the first occurance but there IS nothing I can do.*ak (tiresize: 185/60r14)( dot number: tire size: 185/60r14 )
- Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash
The electrical wiring in the dash failed resulting in vehicle fire. (ohio traffic crash report) *mjs
- Electrical system › Ignition
Intermittently vehicle been experiencing ongoing problem with engine stalling at highway speed. Vehicle been in dealer shop on six occasions, and they were unable to duplicate problem. please feel free to provide any further details on this matter. *ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Timing belt deteriorated, causing damage to engine. manufacturer has been notified.*ak the timing belt failure damaged the engine because of faulty engine design. the consumer also states that inner tube was found in supposedly tubeless tire when the tire became flat. *yh
- Electrical system › Starter assembly · Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Radiator assembly · Engine and engine cooling › Engine · Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline · Power train › Clutch assembly · Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings · Suspension › Front › Macpherson strut · Suspension › Front › Shock absorber · Suspension › Rear
When the consumer goes to the store, turns off the vehicle and starts it again, sometimes it won't start, the motor mounts and the radiator failed, this could possibly be an engine related problem. *slc
- Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
Electrical harnesses (3) failed causing fire.*et
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Engine stalls with no warning. engine always restrarts but having engine die in traffic IS dangerous. also, drivers seat frame broke, air conditioner failed, timing belt broke at 50,000 miles and jack collapsed.
- Electrical system › Ignition › Switch · Equipment › Appliance › Air conditioner · Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch · Structure › Body › Door
Prior to recall (98v-160) the front hood came off and smashed in the front window while driving, resulting in obstructing the driver's view. Yh
- Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system
Blower switch, blower motor, resister and switch failed. blower switch got so hot that it started melting. if I didn't notice it in time, it could have possibly caused a fire. *ak
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Fuel tank puncture
- Fuel tank puncture
The office of defects investigation opened this investigation on august 10, 2000 based on 9 reports regarding punctured fuel tanks involving the jetta, passat, and cabrio models.the reports indicate additional reports in its response to the preliminary evaluation.this investigation has been upgraded for further study.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10240922Perfect Delivery Inspection (PDI) - Technician and Detailer Inspections
- 10213843Jetta Bluetooth manual coding procedure.
- 10213836Airbag Issues.
- 10159010The part number listed in the document is to be returned if it meets the criteria provided.
- 10157383VAS 6154 Replacement Part Setup Guide
- 10155644This special notice is to inform dealers to return all part numbers listed in the document and order the superseded part numbers going forward.
- 10128105This document contains the VW Elsa Newsletter that contains a general overview of wiring diagrams updates, technical bulletins, pending service solutions, tech tips, campaigns, updates, and suggestions.
- 10128104This document contains the VW Elsa Newsletter that contains a general overview of wiring diagrams updates, ElsaPro infomedia icons grayed out, workshop equipment tool storage application, technical bulletins, pending service solutions, tech tips, campaigns, updates, and suggestions.
- 10128055This communication is to update our ProFi dealers of the current status of the latest inbound and outbound ProFi requests.
- 10126785Update model year applicability to include 2017.
- 10125849Jetta Perfect Delivery Inspection (PDI) - Technician and Detailer Inspections: A checklist to insure a customer receives a wonderful delivery of a vehicle that looks, feels, and meets the expectations of a new vehicle that he/she has purchased
- 10125764JETTA-JSW Perfect Delivery Inspection (PDI) - Technician and Detailer Inspections: A checklist to insure a customer receives a wonderful delivery of a vehicle that looks, feels, and meets the expectations of a new vehicle that he/she has purchased
- 10125763JETTA Perfect Delivery Inspection (PDI) - Technician and Detailer Inspections: A checklist to insure a customer receives a wonderful delivery of a vehicle that looks, feels, and meets the expectations of a new vehicle that he/she has purchased
- 10026848Volkswagen: exhaust heat shield, replacement guidelines. Heat shields are to be inspected after completion o any type of repair to the underbody (exhaust system transmission, etc.), and if damaged, replaced.
- 10001091Installing new style switch for the throttle position sensor.
- 621613Subject regarding latch system lower anchors and tethers for children, installing / retrofitting.
- 600981Difficulties in closing rear lid.
- 53644Conditions regarding exterior door locks cannot be locked or unlocked with key when ambient temperature IS below freezing.
- 53633Chart identifies which transmission control modules (tmc) are available for various states.
- 53616Toothed belt runs towards outside, wears out/ jumps off, and cracks.
- 53603Engine intermittently will not start, possibledtc's stored in tcm dtc memory
- 53600Vehicles with daytime running lights can experience loss of instrument cluster illumination if driven foe extended durations/replace original instrumentcluster housing with 1996 version.
- 45674Diagnostics for complauints of engine miss/poor performance.
- 45673Hood lock fastener, torque revision.
- 45017Oil accumulation in the air intake system.
- 45015Daytime running lights, resistor wire installation.
- 44003Unknown
- 42012Intake air supply system, oil accumulation.
- 42011Exterior door locks freezing.
Every Volkswagen Jetta model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.