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Your vehicleHome›Volkswagen›Jetta› 2016
Volkswagen · Compact Sedan

2016 Volkswagen Jetta

Hybrid Gas
Compact Cars
7 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
C
Safety Signal
75 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 4
Complaints18 crash · 5 fire · 14 injured reported 164
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 44 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2016 Volkswagen Jetta is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact sedan with 7 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Jetta Hybrid, is EPA-rated at 44 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 164 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Volkswagen Jetta — photograph via Wikimedia Commons
Volkswagen Jetta · Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Jetta HybridHybridFWD1.4L 4-cyl turbo + 220V Li-Ion424844$1,850
JettaGasFWD1.4L 4-cyl turbo284033$2,050
JettaGasFWD1.4L 4-cyl turbo283932$2,100
JettaGasFWD1.8L 4-cyl turbo253529$2,300
JettaGasFWD1.8L 4-cyl turbo253629$2,300
JettaGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo243327$2,500
JettaGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo233327$2,500

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36821, 37074, 36822, 36674, 36741, 36677, 36678.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
Jetta Hybrid7–9 / 10Bin 3 / PZEVAll 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standardsSmartWay
Jetta5–6 / 10Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEVAll 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standardsSmartWay
Jetta5–9 / 10Bin 5 / Bin 3 / PZEVAll 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standardsSmartWay
Jetta5–9 / 10Bin 5 / Bin 3 / PZEVAll 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body styleSedan/Saloon
Doors4
GVWR classClass 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders4
Displacement1.4 L

Engine Output

Horsepower150 hp

Fuel Economy

FuelGasoline

Transmission

TransmissionManual/Standard
Transmission speeds5

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: 1.8T SEL, SEL Premium TDI S, SE, SEL, 2.0T GLI SE, SEL, S, SE). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada
Length183.1 in
Width (body, without mirrors)70.1 in
Height57.1 in
Wheelbase104.3 in
Track, front60.2–60.6 in
Track, rear60.2–61.0 in
Curb weight2,804–3,311 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear60/40

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 5 configurations: 4-door Sedan 1.8L Tsi, 4-door Sedan 2.0 Tdi, 4-door Sedan 2.0L, 4-door Sedan Turbo Hybrid, GLI 4-door Sedan 2.0L. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

Also on file Beside the 2016 Jetta
Other years The 2027 Jetta Recalls Volkswagen recalls
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Factory warranty running out?

The 2016 Volkswagen Jetta is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.

What to check before you buy →

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

24Gi
218,192 vehicles 68% reported repaired
Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Jetta vehicles. The fuel rail bolts may become loose over time, allowing fuel to leak. Risk A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire. Fix Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rail bolts and, as necessary, the fuel rail. The recall began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24Gi.
Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 20V648000 reported Oct 21, 2020 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Steering

37M2
679,027 vehicles 49% reported repaired built Jul 11, 2014 – Dec 9, 2017
Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park." Risk Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash. Fix Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 19V615000 reported Aug 22, 2019 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

15F7
55 vehicles 80% reported repaired built Oct 31, 2015 – Jan 21, 2016
Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jetta vehicles manufactured October 31, 2015, to January 21, 2016, 2016 Passat vehicles, equipped with 1.8T engines manufactured November 13, 2015, to December 9, 2015, and 2016 Golf vehicles manufactured November 5, 2015, to November 11, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the fuel rail may detach from the cylinder head and result in a fuel leak. Risk A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire. Fix Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cylinder heads, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 15F7.
Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 16V403000 reported Jun 6, 2016 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Engine And Engine Cooling

23R1
91,867 vehicles 93% reported repaired built Nov 12, 2014 – Sep 29, 2015
Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist. Risk If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 15V705000 reported Oct 26, 2015 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific Jetta

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Volkswagen publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Volkswagen’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

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Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
164complaints filed

18 involved a crash · 5 a fire · 14 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2015: 1 · 2016: 7 · 2017: 15 · 2018: 18 · 2019: 32 · 2020: 24 · 2021: 19 · 2022: 11 · 2023: 16 · 2024: 9 · 2025: 8 · 2026: 4

Most-cited components

Engine 45
Electrical System 38
Fuel/Propulsion System 35
Unspecified 35
Service Brakes 24
Power Train 22

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The key periodically get stuck in the ignition or the ignition will not turn. Some times wiggling the ignition, steering wheel, shift selector, pressing on the break or rocking the car is necessary
Electrical System at 35,000 miles Mar 6, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11184590
The contact owned a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving at a slow speed with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated from 3 MPH to 40 MPH and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy.
Air Bags at 3,999 miles Jul 16, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11111646
While driving the car on city streets and on the highway at 65 MPH the car suddenly becomes unresponsive and slows to a stop. The steering wheel locks and the accelerator does not work. The car will not immediately restart. If the car is turned off and allowed to sit for 10-15 minutes it will usually restart.
Engine at 5,100 miles Feb 15, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11073064
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. After driving the vehicle and parking it, a very strong odor of fuel was detected. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred several times. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.
Fuel/Propulsion System at 32,000 miles May 29, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11098649
I believe my car is the result of a recent series of bad storms to hit this country and my car. I believe my car is a flood-car that has been very well cleaned inside and out, and cleaned so well that the title got a good wash, known in the industry as title-washing.
Service Brakes at 37,017 miles Dec 24, 2017 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11056312
3 times car popped out of 3rd gear while car was in motion, nothing in particular brought this on (no bump in road, etc), car has less than 7k miles, brought to VW dealership and after driving it only two miles, they said they would not even inspect the transmission because they couldn't recreate the problem.
Power Train at 6,869 miles Nov 18, 2017 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11047222

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Volkswagen itself: 19 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 22 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every Jetta model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 44k

miles, typically

Half the 92 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 24,000 and 69,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

under 10k 15
10k–20k 6
20k–30k 5
30k–40k 13
40k–50k 14
50k–60k 7
60k–70k 10
70k–80k 5
80k–90k 6
90k–100k 4
100k–150k 5
150k + 2

Median mileage by component

ComponentReportsMedian milesVs same age
Electrical System2541,6000.92×
Engine2346,0000.74×
Service Brakes1737,0170.93×
Fuel/Propulsion System1747,0001.0×
Unspecified1742,731—

Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2016-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆11%
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Volkswagen warranty extension (9) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 1,186
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-17
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 1169 service bulletins, 15 others, 2 warranty extensions

Most often about: Equipment, Engine, Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Power Train.

  • V0116152014815_20 Service bulletin
    2026-09-17 · Engine
  • Suggested fuel additive
  • 2026-09-09 · Unknown Or Other
  • This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
  • 2026-08-06 · Unknown Or Other
  • Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order
  • V0026012081638_2 Service bulletin
    2026-08-04 · Unknown Or Other
  • Differences between a leak and seepage
  • V4823022072282_3 Service bulletin
    2026-08-03 · Steering
  • Clean and install an additional plastic "ring" to prevent ingress of dirt,hair. Foreign bodies into the clock spring.
  • VOS-26-42 Service bulletin
    2026-07-15 · Electrical System
  • This 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 issue: DA 0019 - Hotfix 12-V battery test(s) – No battery diagnosis - Inconclusive test result.
  • V1718062017813_24 Service bulletin
    2026-07-09 · Engine
  • Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
  • TT 13-20-01_3 Service bulletin
    2026-06-18 · Engine
  • Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

CodeWhat it meansMost often filed underWhere it appears
P0420
P0420 on Volkswagen →		The catalytic converter on bank 1 is not cleaning up the exhaust as well as it should.Equipment · Catalytic converter →16 bulletins
P0430
P0430 on Volkswagen →		The catalytic converter on bank 2 is not cleaning up the exhaust as well as it should.Equipment · Catalytic converter →16 bulletins
P013E
P013E on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment11 bulletins
P2407
P2407 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment11 bulletins
P0463
P0463 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Unknown Or Other6 bulletins
P309D
P309D on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment6 bulletins
P0441
P0441 on Volkswagen →		The evaporative purge is not flowing the way it should.Unknown Or Other · EVAP purge valve →5 bulletins
P04F0
P04F0 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Unknown Or Other5 bulletins
P309F
P309F on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Equipment5 bulletins
P0496
P0496 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Unknown Or Other4 bulletins
P06E9
P06E9 on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Unknown Or Other4 bulletins
P06EF
P06EF on Volkswagen →		Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Unknown Or Other4 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta failed the emissions check on 3.2% of first inspections — lower than the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 3.4% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%).

New York inspections 3.2%

failed emissions

2,875 initial inspections of 2,806 vehicles.

MeasureThe 2016 JettaEvery 2016 vehicleBehind it
Failed the emissions check3.2%4.2%2,868
Failed the safety inspection3.4%2.2%2,875
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit0.56%0.27%2,875
Miles driven a year10,35610,028odometer at inspection
Average odometer106,509103,109odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Jetta by model year

all years, side by side →
Year Safety Recalls Complaints
2027 A 0 0 34 mpg2026 B 1 6 34 mpg2025 B 2 30 33 mpg2024 A 0 46 34 mpg2023 A 0 43 35 mpg2022 A 1 43 35 mpg2021 B 4 70 34 mpg2020 D 6 54 34 mpg2019 F 11 549 Do not drive2018 B 2 32 33 mpg2017 D 6 160 33 mpg2016 this page C 4 164 44 mpg

Common questions about the 2016 Jetta

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta. The most serious on file is 20V648000, covering Fuel System, Gasoline. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta?

NHTSA gave the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (75/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta?

Across the 7 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta, the best EPA combined figure is 44 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta?

Transport Canada measured it at 183.1 in long, 70.1 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.1 in tall, on a 104.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 2,804–3,311 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta?

Owners have filed 164 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta, most often about engine, electrical system, fuel/propulsion system. Of those, 18 involved a crash, 5 a fire, 14 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta runs 5 to 9 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 3, Bin 5, LEV-II ULEV, PZEV — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta?

The manufacturer has filed 1186 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta, most often covering equipment, engine, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-17. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Volkswagen Jetta failed the emissions check on 3.2% of first inspections — lower than the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 3.4% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations7 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates7 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls4NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints164NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings2 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins1186NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations1NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationOpen and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA9 fieldsNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWhat the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions7 fieldsTransport Canada, Canadian Vehicle SpecificationsLength, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipmentnoneManufacturer press kitWe have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Where to go next

pages beside this one
Other years The 2027 Jetta The Jetta model year with the cleanest record on file — grade A, 0 recalls.Recalls Every Volkswagen recall on file All campaigns filed against Volkswagen vehicles, newest first, with the manufacturer's own number.Recall Watch Watch this Jetta by VIN Give it the VIN and you hear the night a campaign is filed — from $29 a month for a lot, free for ten.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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