Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unintendedly shifted into neutral(N). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V333000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,900.
2010 Jetta, manual transmission Key gets stuck in ignition and wont cut car off. Eventually got key out, ignition locked wont let key turn car on. This is a known vw issue with over 860 complaints on this exact issue between 2009-2013. VW refuses to do recall, even though this is a manufacturing parts issue.
Flew to dallas to purchase this car 2/27/15. Drove it home 1500 miles to los angeles over 2 days. Got to el paso on 3/1/15 & got into an accident traveling at a very slow speed (15mph or less) going downhill. My particular issue comes in the way of how the transmission behaves going downhill at high or slow speeds. When the cars ECU (electronic control unit) senses the car going downhill, and you transition from the throttle pedal to the brake pedal, the car behaves as if you were driving a manual transmission downshifting & staying in gear. …
Driving on 2-lane level road, dry weather, dry road conditions, after driving for about 15 miles, at about 35 MPH, vehicle dropped out of gear, appeared to be in neutral while moving. ABS/ESP light came on dashboard. Put on flashers and hand signaled to vehicles behind me and came to a complete stop. I shut off engine and was able to restart car, and went a short distance to a store parking lot, and the ESP light came back on; and this time the gear shift was locked in park and flashing. Vw dealer had replaced original rear brakes (pads & rotors) on 4/16/15 at 104.734 miles. Vw checked vehicle on 4/28/2015 and found an error code 01315 in the ABS and gateway modules which reportedly indicated intermittent no communication with the TCM; however it was functioning at that time. And cleared computer and said if problem returned mechatronic unit and transmission wiring would need replaced. …
2010 Volkswagen 2.0 turbo dsg fault. The vehicle has begun exhibiting dangerous random/unintentional shifting into much lower gears, or possibly even neutral at various speeds under light or no throttle input on two separate occasions thus far. The first time it happened the vehicle was traveling about 25mph, and the dsg transaxle downshifted/shifted into neutral for no apparent reason, engine revving to 4-5 thousand RPM. This happened roughly four times before it resumed normal operation the second time it happened was yesterday afternoon, on the highway with speed control set at 58mph. Vehicle shifted all by itself without reason, again revving to 4-5 thousand. This time it happened twice before returning to normal operation. Additionally, one morning I accelerated from a stop with cold engine/transaxle in drive, and the transaxle would not upshift from low gear for about 3-4 seconds. …
While recently driving the vehicle the gear indicator in the instrument panel began to flash and then disappeared, no longer revealing what gear the car was in while in forward motion, and car began to lose momentum while driving and began sounding and moving as though the car was placed in neutral. Upon stopping the car and again attempting to drive forward, the car engine revved as though in neutral. Had car towed to dealer where they drove it and mentioned the wiring harness leaking oil/fluid. I have had this car at the dealer 4 times within a 6 month period (May-nov 2016) for preventative maintenance, as I keep this car in excellent condition and have it checked throughout the year to prevent issues from occurring. During all these times I had no issues until now, as again, I work very hard to maintain this vehicle. …
When starting from a stop the transmission slips into neutral and the car rolls unpowered to a stop. If the engine is turned off and transmission is shifted to "park" to restart the engine it is then impossible to shift the transmission out of "park" into neutral or any other gear. Whenever this is happening various warning lights appear illuminated on the warning panel-eg. "low washer fluid" and "traction control warning." in traffic this is very dangerous and to get to an "outside lane" May be impossible. To lose power when starting from a stop sign and having to coast to a stop in the lane one has just entered is very dangerous. …
I have the 2010 Jetta tdi. The mechatronics unit has failed and vw will not sell parts for this transmission because it is faulty. Their words but they also won't recall the transmission either. Transmission shops have not been able to buy parts for this transmission for over 4 months so vw is very aware. The issue is the transmission will not allow the car to accelerate safely at all times. I was leaving a business driveway into a 5 lane road and the transmission got stuck in 1st or 2nd gear. It would not allow the car to go more than 32 MPH w/RPM's over 3.5. Shifting into neutral or park and back into drive at the stoplight did not work. I had to use the hazard lights and pull into the next parking lot safely. Turning off the car and turning it back on allowed the transmission to work again but I do not trust driving it on the freeway or merging into high speed traffic. …
While driving home from work, about 30 minutes into a 40 minute drive, driving about 30 MPH, in 16 degree f weather, my vehicle, a diesel with a 6 speed manual transmission suddenly stalled. I was able to engage the clutch, go to a lower gear, release the clutch and re-start the engine. With the engine bucking and hesitating, I was able to drive the rest of the way home. The next morning, the vehicle would not start. I had it towed to a vw repair shop where they found a completely blocked intercooler, full of ice. Doing some research, I have found that vw has a TSB to correct intercooler icing, which involves replacing the original factory unit with a new intercooler design. As I looked on vw forums, I found that many drivers have had similar unpredictable failure due to intercooler icing. …
I enjoyed this car for the first year from then on nothing but constant problems. The daul mass flywheel, the diesel particulate filter #1 at 98000 miles with a con artist service manager at lagdon vw in vernon ct. Telling me I needed another one 3 weeks later and it was my fault and not covered with vwoa standing by the dealer I took the car to a non vw repair shop and they laughed when I told them my story and had the diesel particulate filter fixed in 10 minutes with no charge. The car passed state emissions with no problem. The high pressure fuel pump went. Now with 6 payments left it needs too much to list and I May default on loan because of constant money spent on repairs. The credit union says they May stop financing vw tdi's because of all the complaints and defaults.
Related recalls
Power train › Automatic transmission
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 passenger cars manufactured between September 2008 and August 2009. The wiring harness of a temperature sensor in the direct shift gearbox (dsg) May have connector wires that were insufficiently crimped.
Remedy: Volkswagen will reprogram the transmission control module with updated software free of charge. The recall began on October 20, 2009. Owners May contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Transmission complaints in other Jetta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta?
NHTSA has 111 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta, 13% of the model year's 852 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (24 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Volkswagen Jetta transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 09V-333 (automatic transmission, Aug 20, 2009). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2010 Volkswagen Jetta transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles, and 38% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.