Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
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).
The vehicle has a long history of the throttle becoming inoperative resulting in no-power (idle power strictly speaking) conditions. That condition is cleared when the clutch pedal is depressed and released. Recently there was an instance of uncommanded acceleration: instead of no power, full power was applied by the engine. Again cycling the clutch cleared the condition. The no-power cases appeared more likely in urban driving and soon after a transmission shift but did occur under almost any conditions. The full-power case occurred once, climbing a hill at ~2800' altitude. The power fail occurred as early as 34K miles, and continued with vw's knowledge until ~72K miles, when vw of America technicians finally did something to end it. Those symptoms started recurring at ~270K miles. The acceleration incident occurred at about 275K miles. …
Vw Jetta tdi 2.5l 2006 - plastic engine cover tapped a hole into fuel rail. Diesel fuel leaked all over engine and engine started smoking. Fire was immanent had I continued to drive. Lost fuel on road and ground. Vw customer service line says my VIN does not show a recall for this but the leak issue is posted all over internet and tdi forum sites and youtube. Vw should recall this before someone gets hurt. Hole looks like a lesion or a sore that his been rubbed by the plastic cover on the weak metal tube fuel rail. Now, new jettas are made with rubber fuel tubes. They have definitely known about this for many years (since 2007 at least).
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle was pulled over and restarted, but began to jolt and move slowly. The dealer diagnosed that the failure was caused by "georgia fuel" and that the fuel line needed to be repaired. Also, the passenger side air bar warning indicator remained illuminated. The dealer diagnosed that the air bag needed to be rewired. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 155,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving at various speeds, the parking warning light illuminated intermittently. In addition, the air bag warning light illuminated and the fuel tank leaked intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. The VIN was not provided.
There are some mounting brackets, suspension brackets, nuts and bolts associated to the operation of the vehicle that have broke more than once please contact me and I will give u further detail.[redacted] .
My wife and I were driving home and suddenly my car started jerking and made a "knocking" sound, without any warning (I.e. Check engine light). We were close to home and decided to continue on; however, in the next couple of miles, the problems persisted, still with no check engine light or any indication of what was wrong with the vehicle. Over the next several days, while parked on a secured premise, I started the car up and it had an erratic loping sound. I proceeded to call a nearby Volkswagen dealer and spoke to two certified vw mechanics, who failed to acknowledge the issue that there was no warning indication before the car started to act up and said to bring it in to swap out the engine at approx. $7500; they dismissed the problem as "normal wear and tear". …
Bought new vw Jetta sedan on 08/17/06. On 05/13/10 took the car to the dealer because of car decelerating while driving I.e. Dropping in seconds from 60 miles to 20 miles. It was taken to the dealer multiple times for the same problem. Dealer answer "unable to replicate problem" until warranty of four years expired. The problem continues even after the carbon accumulated on the throttle was cleaned and the fuel pump was replaced. Due to unsafe to drive, requested for the dealer to buy the car back as a lemon. The dealer refuses because the four yr warranty is over. …
At approx 80-90K I started hearing a clattering noise from the engine and extra noise when idling. Also, the car has a hard time shifting (automatic trans). After taking the car to a mechanic, I was told that it's the dsg dmf coming apart and rattling. After doing some research, I find it's a common problem. It started happening shortly after my car went out of cpo warranty, which expired at 74K. I didn't really pay that much attention to it until it got worse. This is a 06 tdi mkv with auto dsg, brm engine. Also experiencing difficulties with soot in fuel filter, likely due to faulty seal in fuel injectors under cam shaft. Once again, common problem according to mechanics and online forums on this model. There's a recall on the dmf for this model in australia, needs to have one for us.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta. The vehicle experienced various recurring failures since the date it was purchased. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on numerous occasions where the battery was replaced, throttle valves were cleaned, the recirculation valve was replaced, the engine fan control module was replaced, the fuel pressure sensor was replaced, the crank case breeder valve was replaced, the high pressure fuel pump was replaced, and the cam shaft follower was replaced. The vehicle was also repaired under the recall 09V164000, power train driveline, driveshaft and had the sunroof drained due to water leakage. The failure mileage was 16,257 and the current mileage was 47,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta diesel. The contact stated that the high pressure fuel pump was malfunctioning and causing the vehicle to stall. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, who stated that the fuel pump had metal shavings inside of it that were clogging the fuel injector. The mechanic also stated that the entire fuel system needed to be cleaned and the high pressure fuel pump and injectors needed to be replaced. The contact notified the manufacturer and filed a complaint. The manufacturer informed the contact that there were no recalls, but they were aware of the failure. The contact stated that the stalling could lead to a crash. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 jetta, new beetle, new beetle convertible, model year 2009 jetta sportwagen and model year 2007-2009 rabbit vehicles equipped with 2.5l engines.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the underhood fuel line. Additionally, depending on the vehicle model, dealers will either remove the plastic tab from the windshield washer fluid reservoir, or inspect the…
Fuel System complaints in other Jetta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2006 Volkswagen Jetta?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, 4% of the model year's 580 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Volkswagen Jetta fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-621 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, Dec 10, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2006 Volkswagen Jetta fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles, and 18% before 25,000 miles.
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.