Generation history
Volkswagen Jetta generations and next redesign.
The Volkswagen Jetta has been through 7 generations, starting in 1979, 1984, 1992, 1999, 2005, 2010 and 2018. The gaps were 5, 8, 7, 6, 5, 8 years, an average of 6.5. The pace has been steady. The current generation began in 2018. On that cadence the next full redesign points to 2024 through 2026, centered on 2025. This is a projection. It comes from the model's own past redesign years, not from the manufacturer. A mid-cycle refresh usually lands in between. Public records describe the current generation this way: The seventh-generation 2018 (2019 in the US) Jetta debuted at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, on 14 January 2018, after Volkswagen released an exterior design sketch in December 2017. Specifications, trims and the NHTSA safety record are on the Volkswagen Jetta model page.
Every generation
The Volkswagen Jetta, generation by generation.
| Generation | Code | Years | What changed |
|---|
| First generation | A1, Type 16 | 1979–1984 | Although the Golf (known as the Rabbit in the US and Canada) reached considerable success in the North American markets, Volkswagen saw that the hatchback body style lacked some of the appeal to those who preferred the traditional three-box configuration. |
|---|
| Second generation | A2, Type 20E/1G | 1984–1992 | The second generation of the Jetta is the longest-running so far. |
|---|
| Third generation | A3, Typ 1H | 1992–1999 | For its third generation, the Jetta was renamed the Volkswagen Vento in European countries, following the precedent of naming cars after winds ("Vento" means "wind" in both Portuguese and Italian). |
|---|
| Fourth generation | A4, Typ 1J | 1999–2005 | Production of the fourth generation began in July 1999. |
|---|
| Fifth generation | A5, Typ 1K5 | 2005–2010 | The fifth generation Jetta debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show on 5 January 2005. |
|---|
| Sixth generation | A6, Typ 5C6 | 2010–2018 | The sixth-generation Volkswagen Jetta, known as the NCS (New Compact Sedan) during its development, was announced for the North American market on 16 June 2010. |
|---|
| Seventh generation | A7 | 2018–present | The seventh-generation 2018 (2019 in the US) Jetta debuted at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, on 14 January 2018, after Volkswagen released an exterior design sketch in December 2017. |
|---|
The Volkswagen Jetta spent 6.5 years per generation on average. The current one is 8 years old. Treat 2024 to 2026 as a range, not a date.
Source: Volkswagen Jetta (Wikipedia). The estimate is our arithmetic on those start years.
Open the Volkswagen Jetta model page for specifications, trims, safety record and answers.
In more detail
What each Volkswagen Jetta generation changed.
First generation, 1979 to 1984
Although the Golf (known as the Rabbit in the US and Canada) reached considerable success in the North American markets, Volkswagen saw that the hatchback body style lacked some of the appeal to those who preferred the traditional three-box configuration. The styling of the 1970 AMC Gremlin was controversial for truncating the Hornet sedan, but Volkswagen stylists reversed the process by essentially grafting a new trunk onto the tail of the Golf to produce a larger Jetta saloon. The Jetta became the best-selling European car in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Second generation, 1984 to 1992
The second generation of the Jetta is the longest-running so far. Introduced to Europe in early 1984 and North America in 1985, it proved to be a sales success for Volkswagen. The car secured the title of best-selling European car in North America, and outsold the similar Golf by two to one in that market. Based on the all-new second-generation Golf platform, the car was larger, heavier, and could seat five people instead of four as in the Jetta Mk1.
Third generation, 1992 to 1999
For its third generation, the Jetta was renamed the Volkswagen Vento in European countries, following the precedent of naming cars after winds ("Vento" means "wind" in both Portuguese and Italian). This generation debuted in Europe in 1992, followed by North America in 1993 (as the Jetta) after production delays and quality problems at the Volkswagen plant in Puebla, Mexico. It went on sale in most of Europe in the first quarter of the year, though it did not arrive on the British market until September 1992.
Fourth generation, 1999 to 2005
Production of the fourth generation began in July 1999. Carrying on the wind nomenclature, the car was known as the Volkswagen Bora in much of the world. Bora is a winter wind which blows intermittently over the coast of the Adriatic Sea, as well as in parts of Greece, Russia, Turkey, and in the Sliven region of Bulgaria. In North America and South Africa, the Jetta moniker was kept once more due to the continued popularity of the car in those markets.
Fifth generation, 2005 to 2010
The fifth generation Jetta debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show on 5 January 2005. After the New Beetle, it was the second Volkswagen product to make its world debut at a US auto show. The A5 Jetta sedan went on sale in the US before any other country, reflecting the importance of the car in that market for Volkswagen. The fifth generation was marketed as the Jetta in most markets, and as Bora in Mexico and Colombia, Vento in Argentina and Chile, and as the Sagitar in China.
Sixth generation, 2010 to 2018
The sixth-generation Volkswagen Jetta, known as the NCS (New Compact Sedan) during its development, was announced for the North American market on 16 June 2010. The A6 Jetta marked the departure from being a sedan derivative of the Golf, opting for a dedicated bodywork. It is partly based on the PQ35 platform shared with the Golf Mk6.
Seventh generation, 2018 to today
The seventh-generation 2018 (2019 in the US) Jetta debuted at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, on 14 January 2018, after Volkswagen released an exterior design sketch in December 2017. It is based on Volkswagen's MQB platform, which underpins other vehicles including the Golf and Atlas. The A7 Jetta is larger than its predecessor, offers more interior room, and has the latest generation of Volkswagen's infotainment systems, including integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Generation notes adapted from Volkswagen Jetta (Wikipedia).
Today's Volkswagen Jetta
What the current generation is, and how it has held up.
NHTSA rated the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta overall 5 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.
Recent recalls (2 campaigns across the latest model years)
- March 2026, Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Jetta and Taos vehicles. The instrument panel may fail to display warning lights or gauges. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number… Consequence: An instrument panel that does not display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
- March 2026, Electrical System:Wiring. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Jetta vehicles. The transmission ground wire may not have been properly connected during assembly, causing an open electrical circuit. Consequence: An open circuit may draw a higher current and increase the risk of a fire.
Owners filed 28 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 Volkswagen Jetta, most often about forward collision avoidance (6), power train (6), unknown or other (5).