Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Volkswagen Jetta owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving at any speed, under any acceleration, accelerator pedal fails and the vehicle's throttle does not respond. Once while driving 70 MPH on the e-way, vehicle began decelerating as if gas pedal were not depressed and I had to quickly pull over to shoulder to avoid being stranded in the middle of e-way. Another time I pulled out into heavy traffic and accelerator pedal failed, nearly causing a serious accident. Both times, epc light illuminated in dash cluster - I was able to reset the problem by shutting vehicle off and restarting engine. Dealer diagnosed a failed valve in the throttle body. When I asked the service writer if this was a common problem, he replied "well, not all of them fail." to me this implies a widespread problem. I contacted vw and they would offer no assistance in replacing a part that controls the throttle - this should never fail! …
The vw vehicle is programmed to cripple the engine performance and speed in case of an epc fault. Any fault causing a rich or lean condition will cause this "limp mode". This is a safety issue especially people on the highway going 65-75mph and a 80,000 pound tractor trailer behind them as one person experienced. There are too many non-vital component failures to list that can cause this fault. I refer to non-vital meaning the component failure will not harm the driver of the car. The fault light indication isn't enough? Now they have the right to force you into a repair shop and buy more vw parts. I feel that this is a money making scam endangering our lives. We do not put a halt on this now- soon any fault will cripple our cars. It's not just vw (Hyundai did a similar "limp mode").
While driving at various speeds: the vehicle loses speed control (acceleration pedal non-responsive), the epc sensor light turns on, and the engine light turns on. Without speed control I must quickly maneuver to the shoulder to avoid obstruction of free-flowing traffic. If I shut the engine off and turn it on again, the vehicle regains speed control until the next occurrence (there is no pattern). My mechanic s handheld computer has identified an intermittent problem with the throttle body , which is a by-wire speed control system. Having read similar complaints on the web, I suspect that this May be a common problem with this speed control device that costs almost $700 to replace (excluding labor).
While driving on rt. 495 near exit 19, I took my foot off the accelerator and I felt my speed continue to increase. I stepped on the brake and my speed continued to increase. I downshifted and when I let the clutch out we really took off. Depressing the brake had no effect. With the clutch depressed, managed to pull on to the shoulder and stopped. As I reached for the key, the engine shuddered and died. I was unable to restart the car and had to be towed. The result of this incident was that the engine self-destructed and had to be replaced. There were no trouble codes in the ECM and the tps showed no defects when tested.
I was driving my 1999 vw Jetta at highway speeds, and it suddenly began to accelerate. I shifted the car into neutral, and the engine continued to rev to the redline. I then tapped the gas pedal and the throttle released. My wife had the same problem on a side road. The car began to accelerate, and she applied the brakes but could not stop the car. She turned the ignition off and was able to stop safely using the emergency brake.
When I shift from reverse to drive there is a 2 second delay and at times I can still be rolling back an additional 2-3 ft. Also my vehicle will accelerate w/o me touching the gas. I have to hit the brakes and at times this will not work. I was involved in an accident when I braked and my jette accelerated into the back of another vehicle. Please help.
While driving vehicle got stuck in full throttle and accelerated at a high speed. Consumer had to put vehicle in neutral to decrease speed. The dealership indicated that this was caused by a failure in the engine control module. Ph
I was pulling into a parking spot (going approximately 3 MPH) when the car accelerated on its own at approximately 45 miles an hour. (I did not have my foot on the accelerator. My foot was on the brake.) the engine was revving and it jumped a curb, crossed over an island of grass, a pedestrian sidewalk and landed in the middle of a two way street and finally stopped. Luckily, thre were no pedestrians or vechicles in my way; otherwise, a major accident would have occurred. The dealer checked the car and could not find any defects and bascially blamed it on drive error. I also called Volkswagen. Volkswagen stated that since the dealer could not find any defects, there was nothing they could do. No other incidents have occurred since the initial one. (I, of course, was convinced that somehow I had caused the car to accelerate until I read the other incidents in this database.
The windshield wipers were intermittent. The dealer stated the wipers were incompatible. The wipers did not work in cold weather and did not have the proper speed in warm weather. The driver side window had fallen down into the door, the locking mechanism had malfunctioned and was replaced, the metal triangle pieces on the doors had been replaced, the cruise control never worked from purchase, and the front brakes had to be replaced. The consumer would like to know if there was a recall on the wipers. (no recall for wipers) mr scc
Oil light came on 2000 miles after oilchange/burning or leaking excessive oil,and oil level low. Passenger's window motor stopped working, resulting in window falling down,. Also, engine revved high/ light switch on interior light fell off/ front right Michelin tire blewout, and had to replace battery. Dealer kept repairing problems. Consumer contacted vw co, and was told they would get back to her, but never did. Consumer felt vehicle was a lemon. Please add additional information.
NHTSA investigations
Fuel tank puncture
The office of defects investigation opened this investigation on August 10, 2000 based on 9 reports regarding punctured fuel tanks involving the jetta, passat, and cabrio models.the reports indicate additional reports in its response to the preliminary evaluation.this investigation has been upgraded for further study.
Fuel tank puncture
Acceleration complaints in other Jetta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1999 Volkswagen Jetta?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1999 Volkswagen Jetta, 7% of the model year's 349 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Volkswagen Jetta acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 1999 Volkswagen Jetta, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Volkswagen Jetta acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.