Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Volkswagen Jetta owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact fell asleep and crashed into a pole. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained head and mouth injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle sustained extensive front end damage and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000. Updated 8/6/15 the consumer also experienced a problem with the windows and door locks. Updated 08/11/15
Driver seat lower right back overheated. Burnt a hole in the seat and melted the coat I was wearing. Smell of burning in the car and intense heat on my back. Turned off the seat heat. When I arrived at my destination, noticed the burn in the seat and later noticed a burn on my coat.. Interior of the car is well maintained, never flooded or abused. Now I have a car driver seat that is badly damaged, a ruined coat and scared to operate the car or to park in my garage in fear of a fire that could burn down my house and car putting myself and family in harms way. I have noticed several vw cars in the past with the same problem in the same spot and was always thankful that it was not my car. Now it is my car with the same problem. Called the vw dealer, and they said that there is not a recall on this. This is a problem that can cause a bad burn on a person. …
Driver seat lower right back overheated. Burnt a hole in the seat and melted the coat I was wearing. Smell of burning in the car and intense heat on my back. Turned off the seat heat. When I arrived at my destination, noticed the burn in the seat and later noticed a burn on my coat. Interior of the car is well maintained, never flooded or abused. Now I have a car driver seat that is badly damaged, a ruined coat and scared to operate the car or to park in my garage in fear of a fire that could burn down my house and car putting my self and family in harms way. I have noticed several vw cars in the past with the same problem in the same spot and was always thankful that it was not my car. Now it is my car with the same problem. Called the vw dealer and they said that there is not a recall on this. This is a problem that can cause a bad burn on a person. …
Originally, the turbo would lose boost and the engine would lose power. After some time, particularly during wet weather, the car will suddenly vibrate, jolt, and then the engine warning chime sounds. The tachometer drops to zero, the oil pressure light comes on, the stability control shuts off, the glow plug lights flash, rear window defroster will not work, cruise control wont work, and if the car is shut off it will not restart. This is particularly dangerous during snow or rain, as the car loses traction control during weather in which it is most important to have. Also, if the car dies and is on the shoulder of the road, during rain or snow, there is poor visibility and it increases the risk of someone hitting the disabled car. …
Been to multiple dealerships claiming in fox valley il rockford il glenview il that either my mechunit is bad/faulty or dual mass flywheel is bad/faulty. Was driving where either my car would shift very rough as if someone who is very inexperienced would let go of the clutch late and shift hard/rough into 1-2-3 with clicking noises. Car just recently shifted from 2 to neutral and scared the crapout of me. The car has extreme vibration and uncontrolled shift patterns. Was turning onto my street and car went from 3-2 to neutral while my car was still in drive and went into a snow bank on side of road. Would just like to have Volkswagen contact me to either replace or fix this problem. This is very dangerous owners of a 2006 vw tdi or any automatic with dsg mechunit beware and please be careful.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the vehicle's battery was replaced three times within a year. The new battery was replaced within a month. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the radio caused the battery to fail. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called york Volkswagen (3475 e market st, york, pa 17402, [phone]) and was informed that there was no guarantee that they could repair the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that he could not drive the vehicle because the key failed to insert into the ignition switch. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for the ignition failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000. The VIN was not available.
My wife was getting ready to go to work, when she opened the door of our Jetta, smoke started coming out from under the drivers front seat. She bent down to see where it was coming from but all she saw was a red glow coming from under the seat. This thing must have set and smolder all night because she didn't unlock the car that morning because she had left the car unlocked do to where we live no one is around for miles. Inspector said that it was fault of (vw) the seat, but it will cost to much to sue vw. We almost lost our home, garage and our lives. We had the seat recall repaired but I think the repair was never made, the video is on youtube under "Jetta fire". One of my questions is why didn't a fuse blow before the car burnt to the ground.
My Volkswagen Jetta tdi 2006 got the prnds flash of death, and I found out it was the mechatronic unit when I took it to the shop. I was driving on the highway going 75mph when the flashes started to occur. I couldn't give my engine any power and I started to decelerate at a quick pace, and the vehicle behind me almost hit me. This is a major saftey issue for me and for all other occupants on the highway, because my faulty car could have caused a major accident, that could have resulted in many injuries. I want to bring this attention to the NHTSA to, provide me with more information as to why the vehicle is faulty, and the amount of trouble I would be in if I didn't manage this situation like I did to protect myself and everyone else.
The driver's side window stopped working. The problem was traced back to a faulty wiring harness in the door hinge. This is a very common vw issue, and many other online complaints reference a wire harness that is too short. I repaired the severed wires with butt connectors. After the repair was completed, the airbag light came on. I inspected the whole airbag system (connectors, wiring, fuses, etc.) to no avail. The airbag light is still illuminated on the dashboard. Again, others have complained of this same issue when fixing a vw's window (I.e., fix the window and the airbag light illuminates). The two issues should not be connected, and this is a major safety concern for me.
My vw Jetta has had issues losing electronic power steering on and off, typically when it rains or the roads have been salted and it is slushy or snowing. This last week I was driving and I lost traction control, cruise control, tachometer, ABS brakes and oil pressure. The car would not idle. Researching the issue, I found there May be an issue with the wiring harness. I inspected the harness and discovered that several wires have been chafed by the plastic loom and worn through the insulation, exposing the wires. I also discovered that the positive cable to the starter had chafed and worn through the ground wire insulation creating a potential hazard to short the battery.
Electrical complaints in other Jetta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Volkswagen Jetta?
NHTSA has 112 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, 19% of the model year's 580 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Volkswagen Jetta electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, though it has 4 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 2006 Volkswagen Jetta electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 3 fires and 2 injuries to electrical system 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.