2019 VW Jetta (Mk7)

Your Brand-New VW Jetta Is Being Recalled Because It Could Burn To The Ground With No Warning - Jalopnik​

1773768126058.png

If you purchased a new Volkswagen Jetta in the past two years, I have two things to say to you: Firstly, congrats! The Jetta’s a lovely car, and I’m sure you’re enjoying it. Secondly, your car might be getting recalled because it could catch on fire without warning. Sorry.

Volkswagen issued a recall today for nearly 50,000 Jettas built for the 2025 and 2026 model years because the factory forgot to connect a ground wire for the transmission on some models, leading to an open circuit. This circuit could generate excessive draw and eventually start an electrical fire.

The scariest part? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report, the fire can start without warning. That means by the time you sense something might be awry, it could be too late to do anything about it.

If you’re staring into your driveway right now, worried your Jetta might catch fire, I wouldn’t stress too much. Of the 48,165 cars potentially involved, Volkswagen estimates just 1% (around 481 cars) actually suffer from the fault.

According to the carmaker, it was human error at the Jetta’s Puebla assembly plant in Mexico that led to this problem. The grounding cable coming from the hydraulic pump control unit on the transmission was never connected to the chassis, leaving the circuit open.

The issue first popped up in December 2025, after two cars were damaged and inspectors discovered a potential problem, according to the NHTSA’s recall document. By mid-February, VW confirmed the issue and initiated the recall campaign a couple of weeks later. Pretty solid turnaround, all things considered.

VW says it’s aware of six confirmed incidents stemming from the open circuit: Three where the wires and connector for the oil pressure unit melted, and three where the engine compartment actually caught fire. Thankfully, no crashes or injuries have been reported so far.

The recall doc says that there aren’t any warning signs for when a fire could occur, which is kinda worrying for something as serious as a fire. You’d think the smell of burning wire or smoke might be warning signs, but in this case, those signals might mean the car is already on fire.

Either way, if you smell anything weird or see smoke emerging from your engine bay, it’s probably best to pull over and make sure everything’s okay.
Click to expand...

www.theautopian.com

Your Brand-New VW Jetta Is Being Recalled Because It Could Burn To The Ground With No Warning - The Autopian

Volkswagen is recalling nearly 50,000 new Jettas because an uninstalled ground wire could cause a fire, without any warning.
www.theautopian.com www.theautopian.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X