All generations and engines together · 6,864 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 63k
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 1,675 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
TDI Jettas fitted with the 1.6 or 2.0 diesel (EA189) were caught up in the VW Group dieselgate recall, with a mandatory dealer software update and, on some cars, a mesh fitted to the air mass sensor. The fix started rolling out from January 2016 and is free at any VW dealer. Check the car has actually had it done, as a small number of cars slipped through.
The 7-speed dry-clutch DSG (DQ200) fitted to automatic Jettas can develop clutch pack judder, harsh or delayed shifts, and outright mechatronic failure, with cases reported around 84,000-120,000 miles. VW extended the DSG warranty to 5 years or 150,000km in 2013 after a run of failures, which tells you how common it was. A mechatronic or clutch pack replacement runs into four figures out of warranty. Doesn't apply to manual cars.
Owners report front lower arm bushes wearing out early, with one case failing an MOT for excessive bush wear at just under 34,000 miles and a repair bill of around £450. This lines up with the measured MOT data for this model, where suspension is the standout fault category. It's worth budgeting for arms and bushes earlier than you would on a typical family saloon.
Some 2014-model 1.4 TSI 122PS Jettas have been reported to randomly stall or refuse to start, with suspicion falling on the stop-start system or a flywheel sensor fault. It's not something VW has put a name to publicly, and reports are patchy rather than a flood, but it's come up enough to be worth asking about. Diagnosis and repair costs vary a lot depending on the actual cause.
TDI engines have thrown up early injector failures, including one reported at just 13,000 miles with a dealer quote of around £800, plus EGR valves clogging with soot from around 40,000 miles causing rough running or warning lights. Neither is officially acknowledged as a design fault, but both crop up repeatedly in TDI ownership reports. A car that's done mostly short trips is more at risk of EGR clogging.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (Saloons & estates), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.