NHTSA Safety Recalls
2003 Volkswagen Jetta Recalls
The 2003 Volkswagen Jetta has 4 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on June 13, 2018.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2003 Volkswagen Jetta. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 456
- Crashes reported
- 25
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
70 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
4 recalls on the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 18V406000
- Reported
- June 13, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 2,564
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 3 other models
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- Campaign
- 07V063000
- Reported
- February 20, 2007
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,002,000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2002, 2004–2005 Jetta, 4 other models
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- Campaign
- 07E023000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2002, 2004–2005 Jetta, 19 other models
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- Campaign
- 14E007000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2000–2002, 2004–2008, 2011–2013 Jetta, 4 other models
2003 Volkswagen Jetta complaints by year
NHTSA has received 456 owner complaints about the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta, the newest on September 17, 2026. Of these, 25 describe a crash (5%) and 70 a fire; owners reported 85 injuries and 1 death.
In complaints about the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta, the component group named most often is the seats (22%), followed by the electrical system (21%) and the air bags (17%).
1 of the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta's 4 recalls also concerns the air bags.
Where 2003 Volkswagen Jetta owners gave the mileage (374 complaints), the median was 56,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Seats100
- Electrical System97
- Air Bags77
- Power Train54
- Engine And Engine Cooling45
- Exterior Lighting28
Complaints received, by year
| 2002 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 43 | |
| 2004 | 84 | |
| 2005 | 57 | |
| 2006 | 48 | |
| 2007 | 32 | |
| 2008 | 36 | |
| 2009 | 24 | |
| 2010 | 28 | |
| 2011 | 13 | |
| 2012 | 9 | |
| 2013 | 19 | |
| 2014 | 22 | |
| 2015 | 9 | |
| 2016 | 12 | |
| 2017 | 7 | |
| 2018 | 4 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta peaked in 2004, when NHTSA received 84. 51% arrived between 2002 and 2006, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2003 vehicles, the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta drew 1.7× the complaints of the median Volkswagen Jetta year in the same window: 8th highest of the 22 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 5/5
The 456 complaints about the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Volkswagen Jetta by model year
Other 2003 Volkswagen models
Newest record on this page: September 17, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted