There are 4 stored owner reports matching the steering leading-label group for the 2004 Volkswagen Jetta in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 4 of 4 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)LOOSE STEERING CHANCE OF LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO INCORRECT TIE ROD END FROM KIT SPECIFIC TO VEHICLE. RESULTING IN RUINED TIRES AND ALIGNMENT. HTTPS://WWW.AUTOPARTSWAREHOUSE.COM/SKU/VOLKSWAGEN/JETTA/REPLACEMENT/CONTROL_ARM_KIT/2004/TDI/4_CYL_1-DOT-9L/REPV281502.HTML . THE KIT I BELIEVE HAS A TIE ROD END MEANT FOR A PREIOUS GENERATION VOLKSWAGON AS IT IS SMALLER IN DIAMETER AND CANNOT TAPER LOCK. IT TOOK ABOUT A MONTH OF DRIVING FOR IT TO LOOSEN UP. THE PHYSICAL PROBLEM IS THE OUTER TIR ROD BUT THE INNER TIE ROD IS OF A SMALLER DIAMETER AND ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE INSTALLING SO THE DUST BOOT WOULD PROPERLY SEAL BUT IT WAS MECHANICALLY COMPATABLE.
2004 VW JETTA GLS TDI OPERATING AT 75MPH ON INTERSTATE ON CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTOFF COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE STILL HAD ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENGINE WOULD CRANK BUT WOULD NOT START. I ROLLED THE VEHICLE OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ATTEMPTED TO RE-START THE ENGINE AND IT FINALLY CRANKED AND DROVE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES BEFORE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR ISSUE. SINCE THAT TIME VEHICLE HAS HAD SAME ISSUE OVER 10 TIMES. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE THREE TIMES AND HAS NOT DISCOVERED ISSUE. *TR
CLICKING/POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN MAKING TURNS. TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TWO TIME AND THEY STATE THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE SOUND. DROVE TECH AROUND AND DUPLICATED SOUND FOR HIM. DEALERSHIP STILL STATED THEY COULD NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. SERVICE ALSO STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD HAVE TO GET WORSE BEFORE THEY COULD DO ANYTHING. *TR
THERE IS A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH IS INTERFERING WITH THE STEERING MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. OWNER WILL CONTACT MANUFACTURER. *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.