2011 Volkswagen Jetta Lights Problems
20 owner-reported lights complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (20)
THE LOW BEAMS ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HAVE FAILED 12 TIMES AND REQUIRED ME BUYING NEW H7 BULBS. THEY HAVE ON 3 OCCASIONS WENT OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. THE REAR TAIL LIGHT ALSO RANDOMLY TURNS OFF, REQUIRING OPENING AND SHUTTING THE TRUNK TO GET IT TO COME BACK ON OR SHUTTING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING IT TO GET THE TAILLIGHT BACK ON. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE 30K MILES, MY VEHICLE NOW HAS 135K.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER SON WAS DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE AND THE HORN BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HERITAGE SUBARU OWINGS MILLS, 9808 REISTERSTOWN RD, OWINGS MILLS, MD 21117, (888)553-0026 TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE HEADLAMP WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE THEN WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CLOCKS SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V196000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT RANDOMLY CAME ON BECAUSE OF SOME SORT WIRING ISSUE. HEADLIGHT BULBS CONSTANTLY SHORT OUT. I'VE HAD TO CHANGE ATLEAST 10 BULBS IN LESS THAN A YEAR. HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AND TAILIGHTS... THESE ARE 2 SEPERATE ISSUES. BUT IF YOU GOOGLE IT, THEY ARE BOTH COMMON ISSUES. IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE ON MY CAR FOR YEARS, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE I COULD REPORT IT.
PREMATURE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT BULB FAILURE. THE LOW BEAM H7 BULBS FAIL AFTER JUST 2 TO 3 MONTHS OF USE. I HAVE USED OEM BULBS, SYLVANIA BULBS OF EVERY LEVEL, AND THE BULBS STILL FAIL AFTER A SHORT TIME. DOING A QUICK ONLINE SEARCH WILL SHOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH EVEN NEWER (SAME BODY STYLE) JETTAS.
LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS GO DARK WITHIN A YEAR AT BEST. I HAVE REPLACED HEADLIGHT BULBS AT LEAST 6 TIMES SINCE I'VE OWNED IT. I RECENTLY REPLACED ONE BULB AND THE NEXT DAY IT WAS OUT. UPON INSPECTION, THE BULB DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE 'BURNED-OUT'. OTHER LIGHTS FUNCTION, INCLUDING THE LOW-BEAM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAR.
BOTH LOW BEAM LIGHTS WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME. CHECKED ALL FUSES NONE BURNT. CHANGED THE BULBS STILL OUT.
MY VW JETTA BLOWS WHITE SMOKE ON START UP. IT FILLS MY GARAGE WITH WHITE SMOKE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT, THE DRIVER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHTS, DIRECTIONAL TURNING SIGNAL LIGHTS, AND THE LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUSE PANEL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS MELTED WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,351.
SINCE 2012 I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS INCLUDING BREAK AND TAIL LIGHTS. MY HEAD LIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST AT 8 TIMES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS OR SO. VW CLAIMS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND ITS MY FAULT BECAUSE I AM NOT REPLACING THEM WITH THEIR BRAND AND BUYING THEM ELSEWHERE.
I HAVE OWNED A 2011 JETTA SINCE IT WAS RELEASED AND THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD TO HVAE THE HEADLIGHTS REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS NO MATTER WHAT SIDE OR BRAND OF BULB AND THERE IS NO INDICATION AS TO WHY.
EXTERIOR LIGHTS KEPT GOING OUT - FIRST THE FRONT LEFT LOW BEAM AND THEN THE HIGH BEAM, THEN THE RIGHT SIDE FRONT LIGHTS, THEN REAR BRAKE LIGHTS - RIGHT, THEN LEFT. PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS A FUSE PLATE - "FOUND 30AMP FUSE THAT CONTROLS LIGHTS THAT ARE OUT IS MELTED AND BLOWN" KNOW THIS WAS PART OF A RECALL FOR OTHER VIN #S FOR THE 2011 JETTA BUT BELIEVE THE PART WAS FLAWED/HAD A DEFECT AND VW WON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *TR
RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT STOPPED WORKING. I TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO CHANGED THE LIGHT BULB. ONE DAY LATER, THE RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT STOPPED WORKING AGAIN. *TR
I PURCHASED A USED 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA IN JULY 2012 WITH APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES. 6 MONTHS LATER I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS WAS OUT. I LOOKED UP THE REPLACEMENT BULB AND PURCHASED A H7 HALOGEN BULB FOR APPROXIMATELY $25. A FEW MORE MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD THE OTHER HEADLIGHT WENT OUT, AGAIN, I PURCHASED THE REPLACEMENT BULB AT PRICE POINT OF $25. SINCE THEN I HAVE REPLACED EACH HEADLIGHT AT LEAST TWO MORE TIMES. WITH THAT SAID, I AM NOW COMING TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE HAS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE JETTAS HEADLIGHTS. I'VE NOTICED OTHER JETTA'S ON THE ROAD WITH HEADLIGHTS OUT AS WELL. IN MOST CARS LIGHTS LAST AT LEAST YEAR OR MORE. I RECALL IN A PREVIOUS VEHICLE I REPLACEMENT THE LIGHTS ONCE AND THAT WAS AFTER 3 MAYBE 4 YEARS, AND THESE WERE ALL DAY RUNNING LIGHTS. THE COST TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WOULD BE $149 AND THAT IS JUST TO LOOK AT THE CAR. THAT WOULD BE UNFAIR FOR ME TO PAY $149 EVERY TIME THE LIGHT GOES OUT BECAUSE OF AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. *TR
HEADLIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS AND LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS ALL WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH A TODDLER IN THE CAR. NUMEROUS WARNINGS FLASHED ON THE CAR. TRACKED DOWN THE PROBLEM TO A MELTED FUSE CONNECTION ON THE FUSE PLATE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, NEXT TO THE BATTERY. THE FUSE (F16) WAS ALSO MELTED. I REPLACED THE FUSE AND EVERYTHING IS NOW WORKING, BUT SINCE THE PLATE IS STILL MELTED, I'M CONCERNED THE ISSUE WILL REOCCUR. I CALLED VW AND APPARENTLY THERE IS A SERVICE ACTION (97AM) TO FIX THIS EXACT ISSUE FOR JETTA SEDANS AND GTIS BUT NOT JETTA SPORTWAGENS. SINCE I'M HAVING THE SAME ISSUE, I BELIEVE THAT THIS SERVICE ACTION SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO 2011 JETTA SPORTWAGENS AS WELL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY SHUT OFF AND FAILED TO ILLUMINATE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE LIGHT BULBS IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO ACTIVATE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BCM MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.
WHILE DRIVING THE 2011 VW JETTA ON 1/5/14 DURING RAIN SHOWERS I SWITCHED THE WIPERS ON (WHICH I HAD PREVIOUSLY USED APROX 5 MINS BEFORE) & NOTHING HAPPENED, THEN I REALIZED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS WERE ALSO NOT WORKING INCLUDING THE HAZARD FLASHERS.. UPON REACHING MY HOME AT REDUCED SPEEDS IN ORDER TO SAFELY MAKE IT HOME I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE NEEDED REPAIR TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, THINKING THE ISSUE WAS A BLOWN FUSE, BUT AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION NO BLOWN FUSES ARE PRESENT & AT THE CURRENT TIME VW SERVICE DEPT. DENIES THAT ANY PART OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS FAULTY & ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM IS STILL CURRENTLY NOT FIXED. ALONG WITH OTHER ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS SUCH AS THE POWER WINDOWS & DOOR LOCKS NOT FUNCTIONING DUE TO THIS ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION THE VEHICLE WILL NOT CRANK & START USING THE IGNITION SWITCH. I FEEL THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT VW NEEDS TO ADDRESS & OFFER A RECALL BEFORE SUCH A MALFUNCTION RESULTS IN A FATAL INCIDENT DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO CLEARLY SEE THE ROADWAY DURING RAINY CONDITIONS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUSE BOX WAS OVERHEATING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,100.
ALL FINE IN THE MORNING, PARKED IN A PAVED LOT AT WORK. LEAVING IN THE AFTERNOON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER TOLD ME A LIGHT WAS OUT. BY THE TIME I WAS LEAVING THE PARKING LOT THE FOLLOWING WERE NOT WORKING: LEFT: FONT SIDE, REAR TURN. RIGHT: HEADLIGHT, DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT, FRONT TURN, REAR TAIL. LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS. A FRIEND IS AN ASE MASTER TECH. THIS IS WHAT HE FOUND: "SO TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE FUSE IT APPEARS TO BE ''COOKED'' ON ONE SIDE. THIS WOULD INDICATE HEAT ON ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE FUSE. I THINK WE CAN AGREE THIS IS NOT A FUSE ISSUE, BUT A WIRING OR SUPPLY ISSUE. WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WHEN YOU TRY AND RUN TO MANY AMPS THROUGH TOO SMALL A WIRE IT CREATES EXCESS HEAT I WOULD VENTURE THAT VW PUT TOO SMALL A WIRE ON ONE SIDE OF FUSE 16. THE FUSE BLOCK IS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IN FR OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER. THE 16 FUSE IS TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE BLOCK AND THE BURNT SIDE WAS TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. I AM NOT SURE HOW WORRIED I WOULD GET ABOUT THIS, BUT SIMPLY PUT A FEW 30AMP FUSES IN THE GLOVE BOX. YA THERE IS AN ISSUE THERE, BUT THE FIRST ONE LASTED 39K." I HAVE THE FUSE. AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON HAS HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE: HTTP://FORUMS.TDICLUB.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=355338&PAGE=3. *TR
THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE INDICATING THAT A HEADLIGHT, SIDE LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, AND REAR LIGHT WERE OUT. I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ALL LIGHTS WERE WORKING. THE INDICATER HOWEVER KEPT COMING ON. UPON TAKING INTO THE SHOP TO CHECK ON THE REPAIR I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE FUSE BOX IN THE VEHICLE WHICH GETS "HOT" AND SHORTS THE BOX OUT. VW IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED TO WARRANT A RECALL. WHEN I ADVISED THAT THIS MAY RESULT IN A POSSIBLE FIRE OR SHORTING OUT OF THE SYSTEM - MAYBLE CAUSING A STALL I WAS TOLD "IT COULD HAPPEN.". THE FUSE BOX WAS REPLACED WHICH COST $785.27. FORTUNATELY, THIS BOX IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY OF THE REPAIR BECAUSE I AM HAVING THE PROBLEM AGAIN FOR A SECOND TIME. *TR
VEHICLE HAS NO FUSE DIAGRAM AND LIGHTER FUSE REPEATEDLY BLOWS.UNABLE TO GET HELP ON LEASED VEHICLE WITHOUT PAYING FOR SERVICE. I UNFORTUNATELY CANNOT ACCESS SIMPLE FUSES WITHOUT HAVING A DIAGRAM. I WAS PUT IN HARMS WAY BY ACCIDENTALLY REMOVING BRAKE LIGHT FUSE. I AM NOT ABLE TO FIND A DIAGRAM ON THE INTERNET OR VW WEBSITE. *TR