Steering column lock went out while driving causing the steering to be lose and as soon as vehicle stopped it shut off and wouldn’t restart.
2019 Volkswagen Jetta electrical complaints
Page 2 of 6: complaints 11 to 40 of 154, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle was exposed to high-temperatures, the instrument panel failed to function properly, rendering the speedometer and turn signals inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V604000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that after driving and shifting into reverse(R), the vehicle failed to reverse as intended. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the valve body, the wiring harness, and all fluids needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, after driving 5 miles, the vehicle started jerking and the message "Transmission Error - Please Pull Over Safely" was displayed. The vehicle was towed back to the same dealer, where the contact was informed that the seal was installed incorrectly, and the seal and the valve needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred the same day. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, where it was determined that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the engine revved, but the vehicle failed to accelerate. There was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle lost motive power. The message "Error Start/Stop" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.
During high temperatures, the electronics in my car will shut off after a few minutes of driving. I will receive 2 possible messages on the display. Sometimes it says, “Ignition switch off, safely stop the vehicle,” or “Starter system faulty, please service vehicle.”
While driving, the vehicle suddenly shut off without warning. The engine lost power and multiple dashboard warning lights illuminated. The vehicle then displayed a malfunction related to the transmission, with the park (“P”) indicator blinking, and the vehicle would not shift out of park. The failure appears to be related to an electrical or ignition system issue, possibly the ignition switch. This created a significant safety risk as the vehicle lost power while in motion, increasing the risk of a crash. Prior to the failure, the only warning observed was a check engine light. No other warning messages were present before the incident. The problem has been confirmed by an independent mechanic/contractor. The failed component is available for inspection upon request. This issue appears consistent with known ignition switch/electrical failures reported in similar vehicles
Subject: Request for Recall Consideration – Ignition Switch Failure in Volkswagen Jetta I am writing to formally report a serious safety issue I experienced with my vehicle and to request that it be considered for inclusion in the existing recall related to ignition switch failures. On [XXX] while driving my Volkswagen Jetta, the vehicle suddenly experienced an ignition switch failure. This caused the engine to shut down abruptly, along with the loss of all dashboard power and controls, while the vehicle was in motion. An error message clearly indicated "Ignition Switch Failed." I immediately contacted Camelback Volkswagen and reported the incident. I was advised to bring the vehicle in for inspection. I brought the car to the dealership on September 8, 2025, and after inspection, they confirmed that the ignition switch was malfunctioning. The faulty part was subsequently replaced, and I paid for the repair out of pocket. During my visit, I mentioned the known recall for ignition switch failures affecting the same model vehicles. However, I was informed that my Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is not currently included in the recall. Despite this, the issue I experienced matches the recall description both in nature and severity. Given the serious safety implications of an ignition switch failure while the vehicle is in motion, I respectfully request the following: Re-evaluate the recall scope to include vehicles like mine. Investigate whether other vehicles with the same ignition switch part number or serial are affected. Consider reimbursing the amount paid toward the repair charges, as this issue aligns with an existing known recall. I believe this is a legitimate safety concern that warrants immediate attention and formal investigation. Thank you for your time and consideration. I have attached the service report along with the paid receipt for your review and records. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My car began flashing a bunch of warning lights, including the passenger air bag and the blind spot warning and locks working on the inside. I took my car to the dealer and had them diagnose it. Turns out it needs to parts that are connected; one part they have, another they have tried to order from corporate. This part has been on back order for 8 months.
I was driving my car on a 100 degree day and and after about a block, a warning popped up on the little screen behind the steering wheel that said "Ignition switch off, safely stop the vehicle". I feel like the engine may have shut off, but I'm not sure as I just rolled to the side of the road and turned off my car as fast as a could. I waited a few minutes and turned it on, drove about a block, and it said, "Starter system faulty, please service vehicle". I once again turned it off, waited a few minutes. I googled on my phone instances of this and people saying they were still able to drive that car, so I turned it back on and started to drive it the two blocks back to my house, the "Starter system faulty" message popped up again and suddenly all of the electrical in the car shut off (the engine was still running). My radio, speedometer, everything was just off. I made it home, got on my computer and found an article about a recall that match my car's make, model, year, and key rather than button ignition. It described my exact experience. I looked up my car to see if it had a recall and it didn't. I called the dealership and they were no help, so I called the Volkswagen of America customer care line. They told me my VIN didn't qualify "probably" because it wasn't within the "manufacturing dates". I'm having a hard time understanding that since everything else lines up. Additionally, I just purchased this vehicle used from a VW dealership less than two months ago. The dealer plates are still on the car. According to them, the car was in great condition...
When outside temperatures get too hot, the electronics on my car completely shut off. I turn the key and within 1 minute, the electronics shut off and the display reads a message stating "Starter system faulty. Please service vehicle". This is a hazard, as the brake lights shut off as well. This only happens when outside temperatures are hot. Furthermore, my car matches the year, model and even the specific ignition style as a current recall. However, the recall is VIN specific and my VIN is somehow not part of the recall.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed in extremely hot weather, the message "Starter System Fault - Please Service Vehicle" and another message “Pull Over and Exit Vehicle” were displayed. The contact was able to continue driving to the residence nearby; however, the electrical system became inoperable. The failure recurred and progressively became worse. While attempting to make a turn from a complete stop, the vehicle stalled and failed to restart within two minutes. The message "Starter System Fault - Please Service Vehicle" was displayed. The weather was hot and the contact's [XXX] son was also occupying the vehicle at the time of the failure. The contact stated that the A/C was inoperable, and the doors were locked. The failure was a recurring failure while the weather was extremely hot. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Car shuts off after a few miles in the middle of the road. I live in Arizona. Mechanic stated the ignition switch is failing. Warning sign pops up- “starter system faulty please shut down vehicle” - electronics die immediately.
I was driving my car when all of a sudden a message came up my dashboard saying “starter system faulty please service vehicle followed by ignition switch off safely stop vehicle “message . My screen , AC and everything turned black and had to merge to the curb and a car almost hit me. This has happened more than three times and it is not okay. There is currently a recall on the 2019 jettas with this specific problem but my VIN doesn’t fall in that even though it’s giving me the same exact problem. My safety is in danger and my car is showing exactly the same problem and message as the recall going on so it needs to be recalled so Volkswagen can fix the issue that is going on with my car.
Open recall under the federal safety agency Campaign ID 23V604000. When the interior of the car is too hot the ignition switch will fail causing the electrical system to shut down. My vehicle does not fall in the recall manufacturer range but it has the exact same issues.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the starter failure message displayed. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, several unknown warning lights on the instrument cluster started blinking. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the brake pedal was difficult to depress, and the steering wheel was also difficult to turn. The contact stated that the Sheriff's Department towed the vehicle to an impound lot. The contact had researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V604000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that the recall was associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
As reported by many other drivers on this website and all over the internet that 2019 having ignition switch problem in 2019 Volkswagen jettas. I started having the same problem aswell. This has happened several time already and now I am scared to drive this car on the highways. It is clearly mentioned that 2019 and 2020 ignition systems are faulty than why vw is not helping people who have those year cars. This is the big safety concern and I believe it should not be overlooked. I tried searching with my plates and vin but it’s says 0 recalls. Every thing shuts off inside (ac, infotainment screen, all the dash lights, wiper blades, speedometer, rpm meter, everything) I hope the federal safety agency will take this problem seriously as not hundreds but thousands of vehicles are affected with this problem so far. Thank you
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly turned off. During the failure the message "Ignition Switch Failure" was displayed. The cause of the failure has not yet been determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V604000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 90,000.
While traveling on [XXX] in Van Buren, Arkansas, I was involved in a hit-and-run accident. The impact caused significant front-end damage and resulted in physical injuries. The vehicle’s dashboard/electrical system indicated AIRBAG:ERROR, and the police report reflects that airbag deployed yet we have photo evidence that the airbag did not deploy. However, photo evidence clearly shows that no airbags deployed for any occupants. The airbags remained completely intact following the crash. The vehicle is a certified pre-owned 2019 Volkswagen Jetta that was still under warranty at the time. This raises serious safety concerns regarding the accuracy of the airbag deployment system and the failure of the airbags to function during a serious collision. The vehicle is being held for preservation at the co-part yard. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
It was a hot day and I went to start my 2019 Jetta, it sent me a warning code to safely stop the vehicle and then all electrical shut off but the engine then proceeded to stall in place and not want to start back up. I got it to restart and the parking break locked up. I turned it off again and restarted it and managed to get the parking break off after several attempts. I had to have it towed as it was clearly not safe to drive. As soon as the temperature dropped the car was completely fine no electrical errors making me think this is similar to other Volkswagen vehicle issues. There is no recall in place but this is extremely unsafe for me to drive and I just purchased the vehicle
The ignition switch failed. Although VW had a recall for 2019 and 2020 Jettas for just this reason, the car was not included in the recall. When driving, the car warns starter system faulty and to pull over as the car will shut off. This happened on two separate occasions but was not diagnosed when first taken to the dealership 6 months ago. This time it was diagnosed but not covered by VW. I cannot get any information on how many other 2019 Jettas that were not recalled have had this problem. Any data regarding this would be appreciated. Thank you.
Without any warning whatsoever the entire electrical system goes completely off while driving the vehicle after 5 mins of it being on. This means that the lights including blinker and brake lights go off, air conditioning stops, and the entire dashboard goes off. The engine is still able to run. I am able to use the gas and breaks but I do not know what my speed is or any other information that is typically available via the dashboard. I have tried to do a reset when the problem occurs but that does not help the situation. The safety of myself and others is definitely at risk when this happens since the break lights and turning signal will no longer function at all. I can only use the hazard lights to indicate the hazard this presents. I’ve brought this issue up to multiple Volkswagen dealerships having paid the $200 diagnostics fee every time and they inform me that they are not recognizing the issue. I ask if this has anything to do with a recall that had happened to this car and been “fixed” in 2021 and they do not answer the question. I ask if it is possible that the recall was not fixed correctly and that is why I am having issues and they do not answer the question. I have also emailed customer support at Volkswagen worldwide and they state that my car never had any recalls done which is so incredibly false. I have the paperwork to confirm that it had a total of 6 different recalls done in 2021. I believe one of the recalls was never fixed properly and has only deteriorated worse since 2021. Volkswagen dealership of San Bernardino does not give any codes or anything that is more specific than possible alert to car battery/terminals/cables/clamps issues. Their recommendation was to change the car battery but that was already replaced in Aug 2024. They also recommended to change my oil filter but I had an oil change less than 5 days before at a different location. The pep boys diagnostic Revealed code P253200 which indicates a problem with the ignition switch
Without any warning whatsoever the entire electrical system goes completely off while driving the vehicle after 5 mins of it being on. This means that the lights including blinker and brake lights go off, air conditioning stops, and the entire dashboard goes off. The engine is still able to run. I am able to use the gas and breaks but I do not know what my speed is or any other information that is typically available via the dashboard. I have tried to do a reset when the problem occurs but that does not help the situation. The safety of myself and others is definitely at risk when this happens since the break lights and turning signal will no longer function at all. I can only use the hazard lights to indicate the hazard this presents. I’ve brought this issue up to multiple Volkswagen dealerships having paid the $200 diagnostics fee every time and they inform me that they are not recognizing the issue. I ask if this has anything to do with a recall that had happened to this car and been “fixed” in 2021 and they do not answer the question. I ask if it is possible that the recall was not fixed correctly and that is why I am having issues and they do not answer the question. I have also emailed customer support at Volkswagen worldwide and they state that my car never had any recalls done which is so incredibly false. I have the paperwork to confirm that it had a total of 6 different recalls done in 2021. I believe one of the recalls was never fixed properly and has only deteriorated worse since 2021.
Nothing has happened as far as a crash goes yet but my air bag lights are on. Indicating that they need repair of some sort. There are also electrical issues that include doors locking while in the vehicle and various lights. I have called different Volkswagen dealers and I was told that there are no current recalls on my vehicle. As a result I was told I would have to pay for these issues on my own. This is not a possible scenario, I receive Social Security as my total income. My family is in danger at this point due to these issues. Volkswagen also requires an upfront amount of 200 "just in case" something else is wrong that is not covered. I could be wrong but I think this is a form of extortion that takes my choices away. Anyway at this point I don't quite know what to do to take care of these issues before one of us dies that drive the car?? I never even wanted this car but the dealer told me I could only get and afford this vehicle, A 17,000 dollar vehicle??? I thought it must be what he wanted to get rid of but I needed a car, so??? Help us?? Phone # [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My manual transmission clutch went to the floor without warning and the car suddenly was inoperable. Bay VW in Great Neck, NY performed a $4,000 repair.. I picked uo the car today and within five miles drive the clutch failed again and the car was inoperable. In December 2022 the same thing happened while driving on [XXX] . I was in the passing lane and lost complete control of the car except for steering. I had an elderly passenger with dementia and it was providential that we weren't in an accident. It's now three breakdowns of the same kind. Obviously, another part is defective causing these operational failures. It's a safety risk and the three two VW repair shops, on three occasions, have not been able to detect it. I am afraid for my safety and that of my passengers. I can provide the repair invoices. Please look into this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the “Triangle with an Exclamation Mark” symbol was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence. The contact stated that while pulling into the driveway the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that prior to the failure the vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V604000 (Electrical System). The contact related the failure to the recall and the repair completed by a local dealer. The contact was not able to have the vehicle towed to the dealer because the vehicle was unable to be shifted into neutral(N). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
The ignition switch failed while vehicle was in motion. Engine stalled and the electrical system shut off. There is currently a the federal safety agency recall on this vehicle (the federal safety agency recall 23V604, 2019 Jetta manufactured between Sept. 3, 2018, and Dec. 21, 2019) however Volkswagen says our VIN number is not included in their recall (VW recall number 28H7)
I took my car for ignition switch recall but after one month I have same issue tge car won't start
I live in Florida where it is very hot - one day my car doesn't turn on and I get the notice on my dashboard that says "STARTER SYSTEM FAULTY. SERVICE VEHICLE". It wont turn on again. I searched the federal safety agency website and it seems there is an open recall already, however for some reason my 2019 Jetta is NOT included, and the dealership refuses to claim it under recall. the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V604000 I am submitting this complaint to include this batch of 2019 Jettas also affected.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 10-15 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the electrical system shut down and the vehicle stalled. The message "Ignition Switch Off - Safely Stop the Vehicle" and "Starter System Faulty - Please Service Vehicle" were displayed. The contact was unable to pull the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle shut off again within 5-15 seconds of driving. The message "Starter System Faulty - Please Service Vehicle" was The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 10-15 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the electrical system shut down and the vehicle stalled. The message "Ignition Switch Off - Safely Stop the Vehicle" and "Starter System Faulty - Please Service Vehicle" were displayed. The contact was unable to pull the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle shut off again within 5-15 seconds of driving. The message "Starter System Faulty - Please Service Vehicle" was displayed.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 10-15 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the electrical system shut down and the vehicle stalled. The message "Ignition Switch Off - Safely Stop the Vehicle" and "Starter System Faulty - Please Service Vehicle" were displayed. The contact was unable to pull the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle shut off again within 5-15 seconds of driving. The message "Starter System Faulty - Please Service Vehicle" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V604000 (Electrical System), which the contact related to the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
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