There are 4 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2020 Volkswagen Jettain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Upon “starting” car, all systems turn on and car tells me the engine is on; however, if I put into any gear nothing. Only once I press the ignition one more time does the engine actually start.
October 9, 2025 EPC light on. October 10, 2025, called Brown's VW in Charlottetown, PEI and brought the car in. The EPC light was off. The scan revealed that turbo on the vehicle had a seized wastegate. The cost of repair is $4,026.85 and a wait for parts. If the EPC light was flashing, the vehicle would buck and stop in the middle of the road causing a safety issue. There were no warnings previous to the EPC light going on. the vehicle is out of warranty but low mileage. Please note I spend 6 months a year in PEI, Canada and 6 months in the US. My address in Canada is: 81 Kilkenny Rd., Rte 250, Harrington, PE CIE 3A5. The vehicle is registered in PEI and had a RIV certificate. I was also told by an independent source that the above problem is common in the Atlantic Provinces because of the position of the wastegate and also the salt in the air in the Atlantic Provinces. I am certain in sea coast areas of the US, there is a similar problem with this VW turbo and the VW Tiguan is also affected. Many years of the VW Jetta have the same problem.
My check engine light came on on Sunday Dec 1. I immediately took it to a diagnostic service station in my local area. They diagnosed that my car has a vent control valve malfunction. This issue is a KNOWN problem to Volkswagen. They do not replace this part if it fails after 60K miles. This makes zero sense to me. I purchased my car, used with 63K miles on it. It now has 80K. At no time was I made aware that this part would/could fail! The vent control valve is over $250 and labor will be another $200. When I called VW they said they don't issue recalls, only NTHSA does. Furthermore, VW also said that if I am to get reimbursed, should they see fit to issue this recall, that I must take it to a VW dealer. All well and good, but VW wants $238 to diagnose a problem that already cost me $130. I was also told that there are currently 11K cars waiting on this part. That is not a statistical anomaly. Therefore, NTHSA needs to issue a recall and help VW owners get their vent valve control replaced before our engines are damaged.
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving uphill at 55 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly shut off with an unknown warning light flashing on the instrument panel. Despite the failure, the contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to the residence. The vehicle was later taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed but no defect was found. The contact then stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle shut off with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle eventually restarted after several attempts. The dealer was contacted about the failure and the contact was promised a callback. The contact had not yet heard back from the dealer. The manufacturer was also notified about the failure and the contact was referred to another dealer for service. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 46,625.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.