2016 Volkswagen Jetta engine problems
43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta — 27% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Car was great for first 100000 miles. Then it was not. While driving in heavy traffic on a three lane highway, car lost power, ability to accelerate and went into limp mode. EPC code went on. Very dangerous. Took it to several mechanics, VW dealerships, could find nothing wrong. Issue has happened…”
filed Jan 18, 2026
“My camshaft sensors went bad at 77k miles had it towed to auto repair. Auto shop said my timing tensioner and chain were worn and needed replacement. Cost was 6200.00. A month later the engine blew at 81k miles. This was a lease for the first 3 years so all maintenance was done by Volkswagen. I had…”
filed Jun 19, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear…Campaign 15V705000 · Oct 26, 2015
Related service bulletins
Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
V1718062017813_24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start.
TT 13-20-01_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 18, 2026Lubricating engine components before reassembly.
TT 10-18-02_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 18, 2026Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards
V1719012012855_81 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 4, 2026This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the error message ERP0204E could occur during…
VOS-26-21 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 27, 2026
Engine problems in other Jetta years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Jetta | 1 | 4% |
| 2024 Jetta | 11 | 29% |
| 2023 Jetta | 11 | 26% |
| 2022 Jetta | 11 | 27% |
| 2021 Jetta | 5 | 8% |
| 2020 Jetta | 12 | 24% |
| 2019 Jetta | 146 | 27% |
| 2018 Jetta | 2 | 6% |
| 2017 Jetta | 32 | 20% |
| 2015 Jetta | 43 | 22% |
| 2014 Jetta | 108 | 28% |
| 2013 Jetta | 112 | 22% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.