Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accessories, trailer hitches and other equipment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Volkswagen Jetta owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Vw 2010 tdi - radio dead. Completely went black, unresponsive. Discovered wrong fuse in line with radio - 15a when it should have been 10a according to spec. This over time caused the radio to fry. Vw of a doesn't care about this issue and gives the standard reply that it is not under warranty. A 5 year old vehilce, with 100K miles - the radio should not be failing at this age, further, this is a 1000+$ fix. Ridiculous
The radio and Bluetooth system want kaput upon starting the car one morning. This is a problem that others have documented on social media (http://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-t36009_ds552583) and that vw will not acknowledge as a manufacturers' flaw. It's a $700 fix for most customers and an issue that potentially causes safety issues if not addressed, considering the tie to the hands-free phone system.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the Bluetooth feature failed to work whenever the radio was inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 61,000.
I went to drive to work and turned on my car. No radio. Nothing. No power to it. Absolutely nothing. No Bluetooth for safe and hands free driving, nothing. Can't get it fixed for less than $1000. Nothing to explain what causes it. No blown fuses no anything. No explanation whatsoever.
Rcd-510 radio stopped working and is confirmed "dead" by the dealer. No warning, no reason and no fix available. Bluetooth no longer works because it uses the radio to power car speakers, so cannot do "hands free" communication.
I turned my car on and the radio was dead. The radio is also the Bluetooth device and is now unsafe for me to use my phone while in the car. I have read that many other people have had the same problem with this vehicle.
I dropped my 2010 Volkswagen Jetta tdi sports wagon to my dealer to have a front end alignment on May 30, 2014. My car went in with a perfectly good working radio, I went to pick up my car on May 31, 2014, the radio was display and controls were not working, I did not leave the dealer's lot. I promptly went back inside to tell them that the radio was not working and that I found it to be odd that the radio was not working when it came in with a perfectly good working radio. They kept the car and said they will do a diagnostic test on it. When they called me back they said that they were able to get the radio to work for a short time then it went dead again. The service person proceeded to tell me that I needed a new radio for $1100.00. This seems absolutely absurd that a radio would fail after 3 yrs. …
Premium 8 touchscreen radio with Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, entire unit no longer working. Normally a radio is not a safety concern, however, operation of this unit allows auto operator to have "hands free cell phone use", which most definitely is a safety issue when operating the vehicle. We are in our 70's and have owned many automobiles, we have never had a radio die like this. Our other vehicle is 13 years old and radio works fine. Many complaints are on the internet about the number of failed units in relatively new vehicles. It seems like this is a faulty batch of radios that Volkswagen has installed in there vehicles.
I got in to my car after work on Saturday I turned on the car and no radio. I checked the fuses and they were fine. Yes, there wasn't one in the plug (18) but I put one in there to see if that would work for me and it did not. Then my windshield wipers were not working either. I turned the car off and back on and the wipers started working. It's rainy season here. So I hope they continue to work. . This morning I called the dealer and they said that my car was not covered under the extended warranty for the radio. Many other vw customers are having the same problem. Http://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-t36009_ds552583.
Well over a 100 people have complained about the same exact issue with their 2010 vw touch screen radio dying out of no where. The website with all known complaints is at: http://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-t36009_ds552583. Vw refuses to be accountable for their merchandise. Wear and tear on engine parts, completely understandable. A $1000 crashing out on multiple 2010 vws is a trend and should be handled accordingly by a responsible organization. However, this is not the case. Vw considers a radio a luxury item and will not repair the radio.
Equipment complaints in other Jetta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are equipment problems on the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the equipment & accessories of the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta, 3% of the model year's 852 complaints. The component named most often is electrical › radio/tape deck/cd etc. (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Volkswagen Jetta equipment problems?
No. NHTSA lists no equipment & accessories recall for the 2010 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 2010 Volkswagen Jetta equipment problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 5% 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.