Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
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 equipped with aftermarket spyder headlights, part number: 444vg06-HID-drl-bk. While driving 15 MPH, the headlights failed to illuminate the roadway adequately enough to see at night. The failure recurred on a consistent basis. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,000.
2006 vw Jetta, driving down street 11/09/12 door ajar light comes on, I stop to close doors and light goes off. I pull into work parking lot and get out of car as I click the key to lock the car, nothing. I then proceed to check the car.. Nothing is working. Cannot access gas cap to put gas in car, some lights May not be functioning properly, airbag light not on, door will not lock, window will not respond, no car alarm. Drivers side of car has no power at all. I have no idea what is and is not working correctly. Although I did look online and found hundreds of complaints with regard to a "brown wire or wires too short inside the boot to the body connector". Most people report that even after a vw fix, problem not resolved. Car not acting properly and with electrical and having been in a vw car fire do not wish to repeat this scenario. …
The drivers side door electrical system does not work. The locks, windows, mirrors, trunk latch, gas tank latch, mirror defroster et al. In speaking the vw service reps they knew right away that the issue was a broken harness. They indicated it had failed in many other vehicles. However, in speaking with vw customer care they are not willing to accept responsibility for the known issue. I will let the safety experts determine the severity of this design failure but the doors can not be locked or unlocked, the door ajar light remains on and dings all the time, the interior lights are on night and day making visibility at night difficult and last but not least the windows cannot be put down. Please address this as vw does not appear willing and this issue is everywhere with this model year and make. Thanks!
During product evaluation, test drive and upon delivery of my new car, it did not include daytime running lights (drl). After initial service at 5,000 miles, the car suddenly included drl. The dealer explained that he was required by law to activate this feature. The implementation of this function does not include an override switch, nor does it include a darkness sensor that activates the main lights when it gets dark. Therefore, when driving the car as dusk approaches the road is illuminated by the drl, the instrument lights are on, and there is no ability to recognize that the actual lights (including tail lights) are not active. I am very concerned that this presents a significant safety hazard that could lead to rear-end collisions side-impact collisions after dark.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the high beams were aimed too high. They shine upwards into the trees. The failure has been occurring since the vehicle was purchased. The dealer stated that they were unable to adjust the high and low beams. His vehicle is included in NHTSA campaign id number 07V442000 (exterior lighting:headlights); however, he is still experiencing the failure. The manufacturer has not offered any further assistance and the dealer never placed the adjuster cap on the head lamps. The engine size and VIN were unknown. The failure mileage was 6 and current mileage was 17,000.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 MPH on normal road conditions the high beams were observed to be too high although the road was not illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealership who determined the adjustment could only be made to either for the low beams or the high beam. However, if the high beam was adjusted to the appropriate level, the low beam would become too low with the consequence of no road illumination. A second dealership was contacted who also was unable to repair the defect. The manufacturer was contacted and acknowledged the problem and promised to call back however the call was never received.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta. The headlights aim too high and do not shine on the road. The vehicle was repaired for NHTSA campaign id number 07V442000 (exterior lighting:headlights); however, the failure still occurred after the cap was placed on the vehicle. The dealer stated that the lights met Volkswagen specifications. The failure mileage was 2 and current mileage was 36,877. Updated 3/18/08 the consumer stated dealer would not solve the problem. Updated 03/18/08
The car doesn't recognize that the door is open. The interior lighting does not come on and the notification that the headlights remain on is not functional. This has left me with a dead battery twice. Also, the car alarm rearms itself if the engine is not started within 30 seconds. I believe this is a safety issue in that the lighting is not functional which is a security concern at night.
The headlamp assemblies on my 2006 Volkswagen Jetta tdi are designed in a manner that I feel is extremely dangerous. When the low beams are aimed correctly, the high beams are aimed far too high to be effective. The design of these headlamps is such that the high beams cannot be adjusted independently of the low beams. This headlamp design could most definitely result in an accident.
Electrical problems have been abundant in this vehicle starting in 2012. Driver side door locks work randomly. The car responds to the keys randomly even with a new battery. Alarm will sound when it fails to respond to key. Over the last year lights go out monthly. Shifter electronics failed. Repaired in June 2014. Mechanic had no idea why it would go out which was cause for my concern.
Related recalls
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." some vehicles May not have had a required cap installed which disables the headlight horizontal aim and some vehicles May contain a cap that disables the vertical aiming…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for the presence of a cap in the socket of the low beam horizontal aiming screw and install one if missing, and inspect for the presence of a cap in the socket of the vertical aiming screw and if…
Headlight complaints in other Jetta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2006 Volkswagen Jetta?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the lights of the 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, 6% of the model year's 580 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Volkswagen Jetta headlight problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 07V-442 (headlights, Sep 24, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2006 Volkswagen Jetta headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 45% 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.