Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2002 Ford Focus vs 2002 Volkswagen Jetta

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric2002 Ford Focus2002 Volkswagen Jetta
NHTSA complaints939702
Recall campaigns15
Service bulletins (TSBs)143242
Investigations57
Crash reports8231
Fire reports2071
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)20–2819–39
Median reported incident mileage54,000 mi54,000 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentFord FocusVolkswagen Jetta
Electrical System277148
Engine and Engine Cooling103104
Air Bags72108
Power Train58103
Suspension10910
Service Brakes, Hydraulic6446
Seats5101
Tires6215

Symptoms owners describe

Stalling11950
Vibration / shaking4622
Hesitation / surging248
Rust / corrosion230
Won’t start170
Check engine light1726
Loss of power1426
Water leaks90

Compare all Ford Focus vs Volkswagen Jetta years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.