New Volkswagen Jettas are suddenly catching fire, prompting a recall this week.
I know I recently stood up for Ford and other carmakers by saying that not every recall is dangerous. Some are pretty silly. I basically said, please don’t judge a vehicle by its recalls. However, I now take it back. Around 50,000 Volkswagen Jettas from 2025 and 2026 are being recalled due to a human-made factory error that is causing electrical fires.
According to Volkswagen, it all started at their assembly plant down in Mexico. The grounding cable on the hydraulic pump control unit on the transmission didn’t get connected to the chassis. This left these models with open circuits. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that the fire can suddenly start without warning, with an open circuit drawing excessive current and eventually catching fire. While Volkswagen claims only 1% of new Jettas actually have the open circuit error, you can’t really know if it’s yours or not until the car explodes.
Fun!
And it really has happened. Unfortunately. Back in December 2025, two damaged Jettas were inspected and found to have this circuit flaw. It was confirmed by February 2026, with Volkswagen initiating the recall immediately. At this point, six vehicles have been found to have an open circuit, including three incidents in which the engine caught fire. Luckily, nobody was injured. So far.
Volkswagen Jettas are catching on fire, but there’s a fix
Earlier this month, Volkswagen Jetta owners could look up their VINs on the NHTSA website to see if their car was part of the recall. Volkswagen will not notify owners until May 8th, but you can already find out for yourself if you are afraid your engine might suddenly catch fire without warning. Understandable fear.
Dealerships have already been informed of the recall, so you can start calling local dealerships to see if you can get your Jetta inspected. The repair will be free, but it could end up being a bit extensive if your Jetta is one of the unlucky ones. Technicians will first inspect the ground wire to make sure it’s connected to the chassis as intended. If so, you’re good to go. However, if you have an open circuit, dealerships have been directed by Volkswagen to replace the transmission’s hydraulic pump control module, including all of its wires.
The guide reads: “Without a proper transmission ground, high current flows through the Auxiliary Hydraulic Pump Control Module ground during engine start. This can damage the module. Therefore, the module, the 4- pin module connector, and any damaged wiring must also be replaced if the transmission ground cable was not connected to the left crossmember.”
You may be without your Jetta for a while (which is hard, I know), but it’s better than your Jetta suddenly melting.
Another dangerous recall that hit drivers this month involves the 2026 Hyundai Palisade. After a toddler was crushed in the backseat, the SUV was recalled over its malfunctioning second- and third-row seats. Since the recall was announced, heartbreaking information has come out surrounding the case. According to a police report, the two-year-old was “sitting in the third row” when the seat, not detecting her, automatically collapsed and pinned her.
“The dad was doing some shopping, and they wanted to allow the children the room to just roam and play around in the car, but at some point — we’re not certain of how this happened — that button that releases the seat went down, and the child was trapped,” Lt. Michael Murphy stated.
Elsewhere on the internet, we have caught wind of yet another Ford recall. We didn’t even bother to cover this one. Is it really even news? I don’t know. Well, just so you’re aware, 339,619 SUVs have been recalled for rearview camera issues. Again, not every recall is something major. Some have even praised Ford for being so quick to issue recall after recall to improve their vehicles and keep them as safe as possible. It can’t hurt.
