NHTSA Complaint #11684685 — 2021 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

The rear brake pads on my 2021 Volkswagen Jetta have worn out prematurely twice by 20,000 miles. The first replacement occurred at only 8,006 miles in April 2023. At that time, Volkswagen acknowledged the problem and provided “goodwill” coverage of 50% since my vehicle was only one month outside of the Rear Brake Pad Limited Warranty Extension. Now at approximately 20,846 miles in September 2025, the rear pads have worn out again and required replacement. Volkswagen has refused to provide any assistance this time. Normally, front brake pads wear faster than the rear. In this case, the rear pads are failing far earlier than expected, which creates a potential safety issue since brake performance is being compromised at very low mileage. Volkswagen has already acknowledged this defect by issuing the warranty extension for 2020–2023 Jettas, but coverage expired by time, not mileage, leaving owners like me with repeated failures and no support. When I raised the issue with my dealership, they suggested that the premature wear is due to the emergency brake always being engaged when the car is parked. This explanation does not make sense, since pads do not normally wear when the car is stationary. The fact that VW created a warranty extension for this exact problem shows this is a design defect, not a misuse issue. This issue has been confirmed by a Volkswagen dealer and independent service centers, and is well-documented among other owners. If the pads continue to wear this quickly, it poses a recurring safety risk and results in abnormally high repair costs for a critical safety component. I am reporting this so NHTSA is aware that the defect continues to affect owners even beyond the limited warranty extension and goodwill offers, and that a long-term solution is needed.