Having the engine of your car stall while you are driving can be very dangerous and having the entire electrical system of your car fail is perhaps even worse. Unfortunately, these are two possibilities for some 47,651 Volkswagen Jetta models in the United States.
In a recall issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Volkswagen Group of America has revealed that Jetta models equipped with a conventional ignition switch have a polyfuse component in the semiconductor circuit that could fail. The chance of failure increases in high temperature areas and if that is to happen, it can lead to engine stalling and failure of the vehicle’s electrical issue, both of which would dramatically increase the risk of a crash.
Owners of vehicles that encounter the issue will display two warning messages on the instrument cluster. The first will read ‘Ignition switch off, safely stop the vehicle,’ while the second message reads ‘Starter system faulty, please service vehicle.’
Read: VW Jetta GLI 40th Anniversary Edition Combines Special Touches With Affordable Pricing
As mentioned, some 47,651 VW Jetta models are involved in the recall, all from the 2019 and 2020 model years. These cars were produced between September 3, 2019 and December 21, 2019.
VW started investigating the issue earlier this year and quickly discovered a large number of field claims related to the issue. In fact, there have been 2,654 warranty claims made about faulty ignition switches on Jetta models between August 2019 and August 2023.
The automaker’s dealers were notified of the recall on September 1, while owners will be alerted on or before October 27. Dealers will resolve the issue by replacing the ignition switch free of charge and reimbursing any owners who have paid to have the issue fixed.