"How reliable is the 1991 Volkswagen Jetta?"

"Based on 38 NHTSA complaints, the 1991 Volkswagen Jetta has a median complaint mileage of 103000 miles. The most common issue is Heater Core."

"What are common problems with the 1991 Volkswagen Jetta?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1991 Volkswagen Jetta is Heater Core, accounting for a significant portion of the 38 total complaints filed."

1991 Volkswagen Jetta: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 38 complaints

Total Complaints

103,000mi

Median Mileage

Heater Core

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

94,363 25th Percentile

103,000 Median Mileage

147,980 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Heater Core

Vehicle Speed Control

Alternator/Generator/Regulator

Anchorage

Cooling System

Accelerator Pedal

Engine

Latch

Automatic Transmission

Steering Wheel/Handle Bar

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. (OTHER VEHICLE ON 479567) *SKD"

"TRANSMISSION SEAL FAILED. *SKD"

"VALVE COVER GASKET FAILED."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 7 RI: 5 NJ: 5 MD: 3 CO: 3 PA: 2 OH: 2 NV: 2 NH: 1 TN: 1

Who Files Complaints?

15.8%

Original Owners

84.2%

Second+ Owners

Volkswagen Jetta — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	29	120,000	Heater Core	2
1992	33	-	Gasoline	6
1993	22	-	Latch	0
1994	167	-	Accessory Scissor/Screw/Bottle Jack/Lift	9
1995	338	100,000	Latch	23
1996	36	94,969	Power Window Devices And Controls	3
1997	100	74,500	Power Window Devices And Controls	8
1998	253	78,000	Power Window Devices And Controls	14
1999	488	70,419	Power Window Devices And Controls	44
2000	633	55,000	Power Window Devices And Controls	38
2001	861	51,120	Side/Window	44
2002	885	54,900	Seat Heater/Cooler	41
2003	552	56,860	Seat Heater/Cooler	38
2004	295	69,995	Electrical System	16
2005	354	74,000	Power Train	13
2006	792	76,000	Electrical System	21
2007	280	60,000	Electrical System	15
2008	250	62,000	Electrical System	7
2009	1269	66,655	Fuel System, Diesel	53
2010	1184	54,000	Electrical System	31
2011	880	50,000	Electrical System	37
2012	690	53,000	Electrical System	32
2013	736	55,450	Electrical System	22
2014	550	57,000	Engine	33
2015	283	41,000	Engine	11
2016	248	38,937	Engine	32
2017	247	38,000	Engine	27
2018	34	32,000	Unknown Or Other	2
2019	758	4,900	Power Train	36
2020	75	6,000	Electrical System	2
2021	91	9,000	Service Brakes	3
2022	55	-	Service Brakes	1
2023	55	20,000	Engine	3
2024	41	17,600	Engine	1

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28