Collision Avoidance complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The car has a manual transmission. In all other vehicles I have driven with cruise control, when the clutch is depressed, the cruise completely disengages, same as a brake. When cruise control is engaged and the clutch is depressed, the cruise temporarily disengages and re-engages when put into a lower gear or the same gear. VERY scary since a majority of the time, the driver is anticipating a slow down. If left out of gear for a period of time, the cruise will fully disengage. I can only guess someone copied programming for the manual transmission car from an automatic transmission car. I have reproduced this behavior multiple times. Seems unlikely to do in standard cruise control. VW of America contacted and seemed unconcerned. Has not been brought to the dealer.
"My 2025 Volkswagen Jetta is subject to Safety Recall 26V185 (90Z5). The vehicle's instrument cluster fails to display speed, RPM, and safety warnings upon startup, creating a severe safety hazard. I visited Heritage Volkswagen Catonsville on 04/07/26, and they officially documented that the 'REPAIR NOT YET AVAILABLE.' Volkswagen Customer Care has refused to open a repurchase case or provide a safe solution. I am unable to use the vehicle safely and I am requesting an immediate intervention to address this safety issue."
When driving using cruise control, the vehicle will alarm if the driver is not holding the steering. If the driver does not take control of the steering wheel, a secondary alarm will alert the driver on the dashboard to take over steering. If the driver does not take over steering, the vehicle will aggressively pulse the brakes to alert the driver. In this vehicle, the alarm may trigger when holding the steering wheel from the side or bottom, and it generally occurs on straight or minimally curving highways. If music is turned loud, it is difficult to hear the secondary alarm and the vehicle may unexpectedly and aggressively brake even when the driver has full control of the steering wheel. To cancel the alarm may require significant input or even steering out of the lane. In wet conditions, the automatic pulsing of the brakes may cause loss of traction and total loss of vehicle control.
Adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistant defective and has been confirmed by dealership 3 attempts of repair with VW dealership where vehicle was purchased new have not been successful SOS box has flashing red light indicating issue VW dealership is stopped by manufacturer to continue repairs as they are unable to resolve issue Car was purchased in January 2024, has 20k miles and is within bumper to bumper warranty Issue occurred in December 2025 and first repair attempt in January 2026, since then weekly calls with VW to ask for resolution No accidents
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH in traffic, the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated, causing the vehicle to slow down and the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnose. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 25.
The backup camera in my 2023 VW Jetta has been malfunctioning since the car was new. It intermittently fails to display an image when shifted into reverse, creating a serious safety hazard. Backup cameras are federally required safety equipment, and when it doesn't work, visibility behind the vehicle is completely lost. This failure also affects all associated safety systems, including rear cross traffic alerts and lane assist, reducing driver awareness and increasing the risk of a collision. We were advised early on that the issue would probably be resolved through a future software update, but that never happened. The issue continues without warning and has been documented on video. Despite this, Murdock Volkswagen in Logan Utah refuses to perform warranty repairs because no diagnostic trouble codes are present. They have been offered video proof but declined to review it. …
Travel Assist is disabled which includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while driving. Warning lights and warning sounds are designed to alert the driver to a potential safety issue so ignoring the lights and sounds is dangerous in the event it is a different caution/warning. However, also not ignoring it is dangerous because of the frequency of the warnings which causes the driver to look away from the road. …
The steering wheel touch sensors has malfunctioned and whenever the steering wheel is grabbed from the bottom half, the lake keeping assist errors out and the car throws a "travel assist unavailble" in the guage cluster. My steering wheel was replaced under warranty less than a year ago for this issue, it seems to have returned (unfortunately my car is out of warranty now). VW seems to be aware that this is a wide-spread issue since they have released an internal TSB for it, but refuse to issue a warranty extension for the same.
Related recalls (2)
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan LWB, Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas FL and Arteon vehicles. The rear view camera could malfunction during an ignition cycle, leading to a black screen or infotainment system freeze.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Frequently asked questions
Which Volkswagen Jetta years have collision avoidance problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2019 (19), 2021 (13), 2022 (13), 2023 (8) and 2025 (7) model years. Collision Avoidance complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 2019.
Is there a recall for Volkswagen Jetta collision avoidance problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 22V-514 (camera, Jul 20, 2022); 20V-716 (camera, Nov 18, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Volkswagen Jetta collision avoidance problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 22,000 miles; 85% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the warnings (29 mentions), followed by the adaptive cruise control (27).
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.