The vehicle experienced a complete loss of communication with the ABS control module, resulting in multiple warning lights and loss of ABS and related safety systems. The failure is consistent with Volkswagen Recall 45F2, which describes internal ground and solder failures in the ABS module. Prior to total failure, the vehicle exhibited intermittent warning lights and an ABS fault code (01130 – Implausible Signal) in 2021 but was told the car was not under recall by dealer. After the condition progressed, the module became non-communicative and no longer generated fault codes. This is consistent with internal failure preventing communication. The failure affects braking-related safety systems, including ABS and stability control, and creates a potential safety risk, particularly during emergency braking or low-traction conditions. The condition has been confirmed by both a Volkswagen dealership and an independent Volkswagen/Audi specialist. A dealership diagnosis in 2025 once again confirmed that the ABS pump and module had no communication and required full replacement. Independent electrical testing verified that all external wiring, power, and ground inputs were functioning properly, indicating the failure is internal to the ABS module. Despite this, the manufacturer denied recall repair based on the absence of diagnostic fault codes. However, the lack of communication prevents the module from generating fault codes, creating a situation where complete failure does not qualify for recall repair. The failed ABS module is still installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request.
Volkswagen Jetta warning lights comes on
65 of the 9,926 owner complaints about the Volkswagen Jetta describe multiple warning lights, most of them for the 2009 model year.
- owner complaints
- 65
- worst model year
- 2009
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 75,355
By model year
Often reported together
ABS 16Stalling 11Loss of power 11Check engine light 10Headlights 7Won't start 6Fire or smoke 4Power steering loss 3
Trouble codes mentioned
U0121 1
What owners say
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
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that for the past eight months, the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition. Several warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that to start the vehicle, the contact had to plug in the two fuse boxes and connect the battery cable. The contact feared the vehicle might catch on fire. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V615000 (Electrical System, Steering). The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that pre-existing repairs needed to be performed before the recall repair could be performed. The contact stated that the dealer had not provided an official repair estimate, however the total repair cost was provided. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer confirmed that the pre-existing repairs needed to be performed prior to the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 131,260. Parts distribution disconnect.
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
Vehicle problems experienced on 7/22/23. Traveling on Route 93 north to exit 17 just north of Concord, NH at 8:00pm. Used cruse control for most of trip, set to 60mph and 65 mph. The distance feature was working, what a PITA it is. Some where around Concord, NH a warning message in orange was displayed, “Engine speed max 4000” in center of display, an orange triangle with an “!” marked appeared just below the temperature gauge on left side of display, a yellow car with “!” on side appeared just below the estimated mileage remaining – it switched between that car and “EPC” cruse control was no longer available Stopped, checked the engine for over heating however it did not seem tooo hot, fans were not running (engine was off) Started again, lights were OFF. Rest of trip was on local roads so never tried cruse control. Left to return home around 2:00pm all warning lights OFF. Some where around Manchester, NH same thing happened plus orange picture of engine on right was illuminated, Cruse control would not maintain speed and then said unavailable. On hills vehicle would not move along with traffic even when foot was put to the floor. Drove directly to Colonial VW, did not shut vehicle OFF however nobody was available to read the computer codes. Scheduled appointment for Friday Driving home it was almost impossible to merge onto Route 93 even with accelerator pushed to floor. What ever the problem with your programming is the major fact that the vehicle is not able to keep up or merge with traffic even on local streets it a Major Hazard. VW may be concerned with saving their engine – I’m Concerned for my LIFE
The fuse that controls the exterior lights (tail, marker,etc.) and interior lights at first interment would blow/burn out. Sometimes after a few days or a few months for the past year. In the past few weeks the fuse blows immediately once replaced. The car was brought to a VW dealer a year ago who changed the fuse and ran a diagnostic. It was brought back 4-5 months later and they again changed the fuse and ran a diagnostic. The second time was not given a slip indicating it was was there for the service and was not charged. While I understand no charge there is no no proof of service. As the fuse controls all the lights the car is dark at night.
I was driving my car down at residential area and it came to a complete stop on its own I could not get it to accelerate it all I had to get out of my car pop the hood disconnect the battery and then I was able to put in a drive and accelerate all the lights are flashing on the control panel I had no control over my car whatsoever I took it into Tracy Volkswagen and they said they couldn't diagnose it because it wasn't connecting to my computer in my car. Tracy said the control module for the ABS didn't work and they couldn't replace it for me until the headquarters approved it or something about the recall didn't include the control module I can't afford to fix this it's all ABS connected that's what the safety call is for safety.
The ABS lights go on and the speedometer stopped working and all the lights have activated. the abs module has been reported that there is a defect in most of the jettas and so i believe that this should be a recall issue.
While driving on freeway going 80mph in carpool with my toddler in backseat the car turned off losing all power to car. engine stopped, steering did not work, brakes did not work, and all lights on dash turned off along with headlights and break lights. i pulled into emergency lane and pulled key out. the car restarted back up but no lights were on dash to indicate anything was wrong with it. took the car into local mechanic they could not duplicate issue, and didnt find any codes. car was returned not fixed. it has happened 6 more times 5 times while driving and one time while sitting in a starbucks drive through each time taking key out and able to restart car. took car into vw dealership, and told them the issue with no light saying anything. checked for codes. no codes where found mechanic still now trying to duplicate issue. this is very dangerous issue that needs attention to if it wasn't for just a few cars on the freeway my son and myself would have been gone from a malfunction from the vehicle. I hope no one else encounters this issue.
In the middle of driving on the highway, the car spontaneously shut down electrically, as if a fuse shorted, almost all dashboard lights turned on, the steering wheel locked up, and the brakes went unresponsive, nearly causing a collision. Once the car came to a complete stop, it was turned off in an attempt to regain control. After turning the car back on, the same dashboard lights remained illuminated, and the car wouldn't go more than 40mph, creating another accident risk during the remainder of the drive home.
Related recalls
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Jetta and Taos vehicles. The instrument panel may fail to display warning lights or gauges. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
- Risk
- An instrument panel that does not display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the instrument panel software and replace the instrument panel as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 90Z5. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on March 22, 2026.
Recall number 26V185000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Jetta vehicles. The transmission ground wire may not have been properly connected during assembly, causing an open electrical circuit.
- Risk
- An open circuit may draw a higher current and increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair transmission ground wire as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 31, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97TC. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on March 13, 2026.
Recall number 26V138000 · Recall details
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Jetta vehicles. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 114, "Theft Protection."
- Risk
- Without an audible warning, the driver may be unaware that the key is left in the ignition, which can increase the risk of vehicle theft or a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the instrument cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 3, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 90W7.
Recall number 23V619000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf Sportwagen, 2019-2020 Golf GTI, and Jetta vehicles equipped with a conventional ignition switch. The ignition switch may fail, especially in high temperature environments.
- Risk
- Ignition switch failure can cause the electrical system to shut down and the engine to stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 1, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 28H7.
Recall number 23V604000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: control module
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 19V615000 · Recall details
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
- Risk
- If the driver is not notified by an audible noise that the key is left in the ignition, it can increase the risk of vehicle theft or crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 90L3 and 90L4.
Recall number 18V824000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2011 jetta vehicles, manufactured from march 2010 through march 2011. These vehicles may have an electrical wiring and fuse layout where the converter box is protected by the same fuse used by the signal horn and the anti-theft alarm system. Should that fuse be blown, the converter box will be disconnected from the power supply which, in turn, will shut off applications such as the engine management system, lighting system, and wipers.
- Risk
- Should this happen while the vehicle is being driven, the engine could stall, or the headlights or wipers could turn off unexpectedly, potentially leading to a crash without warning.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners when sufficient quantities of repairs kits are available. Dealers will separate the wiring for the horn and the theft protection horn from the power supply of the converter box and route the wires to separate fuses to correct the condition free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during april 2011. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 11V196000 · Recall details
Questions about the Volkswagen Jetta warning lights
Why does the warning lights come on in the Volkswagen Jetta?
Owners who report it most often also describe abs light or abs activating, engine stalls while driving and sudden loss of power, and the codes they mention most are U0121.
Which Volkswagen Jetta years have multiple warning lights problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2009 (17 complaints), 2011 (9 complaints) and 2013 (6 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix multiple warning lights on the Volkswagen Jetta?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Volkswagen Jetta?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history