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 2010 Volkswagen Jetta owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Im thinking electrical problems lights windshield wipers air locks windows locks dont work when you turn the car off lights dont go out! there is 6 recalls on this car i need to find out if they have been fixed. It was bought for my daughter and can not give it to her like this
The tail lights and brake lights were not working. Discovered during annual state required inspection in September 2015. I was driving the vehicle regularly on rural, city and highway roads without tail and brake lights and was unaware. A repair to the electrical wiring was required. Addtionally, the trunk latch was only working intermittently prior to this repair. Since the wiring repair was made, I have had no issues with the trunk release not working. The rear passenger door on the drivers side doesn't lock and unlock when you depress the keyfob or the button in the car to lock all the doors. This is a very infrequently used door and it is the door used the least in the vehicle. Dealer states it is a bad door latch. I have not repaired it. It doesn't always open from the outside, sometimes I have to reach in and open it from the inside to get the door open. …
The radio stopped working completely, which seems like a common problem. But in addition the lights were malfunctioning from that point on. 12 different error warnings appeared on the readout about different lights not working. I checked the fuses and all of them were OK, not burned. Several years ago I had one of the headlights intermittently not work. At that point I checked the fuses and there was one fuse that had a deformed plastic cap, but the metal part was still in one piece. Part of the fuse box it was inserted in was melted. This all happened when I first started the car. Obviously I could not operate the car since the brake lights, turn signals, and headlights were all affected. The diagnostic display in the car also showed to check the airbags and stability control.
First noticed the rear passenger backup light not working. 1 stop and a few minutes later the passenger headlight went out. After returning home 15 minutes later the entire passenger side except the taillight was out. After searching on the internet fuse f16 has a known issue of melting both the fuse and the fuse box. Sure enough after removing and inspecting, the passenger side of the fuse has begun to melt and the female fuse terminals and plastic fuse box around the connection have all started to melt. Turning the fuse around has gotten the lights working again for tonight, but will likely need to replace the entire fuse box as a permanent fix.
Passage side high and low beam , driverside daytime running light, driverside rear tail light, reverse light and brake lights all stopped working changed all bulbs still didn't work pulled f16 fuse fuse is burnt and melted the fuse port. Vw stated it would not be covered even thou it was recalled for the 2009 same make and model. Called vw care and explained my vehicles build date stated 12.09 Mexico refused to cover it under recall. Explain that my vehicle is not safe to operate.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the electrical system was defective and caused electrical failures in several areas. The front passenger side low and high beam headlights and the turn signals failed. In addition, the driver side brake, tail light, and day time running lights failed. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
While starting my car and getting ready for work I noticed I had a headlamp out. I thought I could drive to work safely so, I started my commute. However, on stopping to get coffee I noticed I had taillights out and upon further testing brake lights were failing to. I stopped at a autoparts store to replace the tail lights and noticed that I had lost the other headlamp and backup lights. I decided to park the car and call the dealership for advice. I had the car towed (to dangerous to drive) to the dealership and at that time it was diagnosed of having a burned fuse panel box. It was replaced for a total of $533.11 dollars. The reason I am reporting this is I read an article in my local newspaper (zanesville times recorder)about the same thing happening in vw tiguans. I wanted to bring to light that it is happening in vw Jetta's also. My car is a 2010 vw Jetta diesel. …
Tl contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. While driving approximately 65 MPH she heard a throbbing noise coming from the speakers and all of the interior lights stopped functioning. She was also unable to use the radio. The vehicle was driven onto the emergency lane and shut off. Upon restarting the vehicle it would function normally. The failure continued to occur intermittently. She also stated that she would attempt to change the radio station but the radio would intermittently display a message reading "no cd" or "no magazine". A few months later while driving approximately 10 MPH the vehicle stalled. Upon restarting the vehicle it functioned normally. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on 3 occasions where they were unable to diagnose the failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100 and the current mileage was 10,000.
On Monday, 11-19, after work I noticed that the bulb indicator light was in on the dashboard. I got out and walked around the car to see what went out and could not find anything. After getting back in I saw that the light was off. The next day when my husband got in the car the same incident happened. Later that same day I drove the car and the light came on. As I turned into a fuel station the turn signal began to flash quickly (indicating the turn signal was out). After I refuel the lights all came back on. No problems were noticed until Thursday, 11-22, when my husband started the car and the indicator light was on and he got out to check and the passenger turn signals was out, along with the passenger headlight, and the whole driver side tail light assembly is out.
Vehicle is equipped with an rcd 510 2din touchscreen radio (delphi premium - 8). Hands free operation comes through this system. On the morning of 8/14/14 I started my car and the radio system was dead. Totally dead, as if there is no power getting to it whatsoever. I checked all fuses (engine compartment, interior of car and the 15 amp fuse located in rear of the radio) and all were fine. It May be a coincidence, but my left headlight has burned out twice in the last 6 months, most recently in early August 2014. In addition, my sirius annual subscription ended on the exact day of the radio dying.
Headlight complaints in other Jetta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the lights of the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta, 2% of the model year's 852 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Volkswagen Jetta headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights 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 headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 12% 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.