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Volkswagen Jetta Won’t Start: How to Resolve the Problem?  

Volkswagen Jetta Won't Start

Volkswagen Jetta starting issues are usually related to one of 5 main categories: the battery, the starter, the alternator, the fuel system, or the engine. 

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Volkswagen Jetta Is an amazing sedan vehicle suitable for families and comes with a great room for this vehicle size. The vehicle was featured on many websites and is attracting multiple customers every day.

As a Volkswagen Jetta driver, it is very important to familiarize yourself with simple repairs and fixes you need to follow, especially those related to starting issues.

Dealing with sorting issues can be frustrating for many people, especially those living in cold environments. 

If your Volkswagen Jetta won't start, there are multiple potential reasons that you can check for to pinpoint the problem and resolve it fast to reduce any headache.


This article lists all possible reasons beyond Volkswagen Jetta starting issues. We also list the potential solutions and some workarounds to get you moving for a couple of days or at least reached the mechanic shop. 

We also focus on some other symptoms that you need to be aware of when you start. Each symptom indicates a particular problem. Thus, if you keep an eye on certain noises and symptoms, you can help your mechanic save a lot of time and effort getting your problem result. In some scenarios, you can even get rid of the problem yourself without needing the mechanic at all. 

What would cause a Volkswagen Jetta not to start? 

Volkswagen Jetta starting issues are usually related to one of 5 main categories: the battery, the starter, the alternator, the fuel system, or the engine. 

Let's look at how each category can potentially prevent your Volkswagen Jetta from starting: 

  •  A bad battery

 The battery is responsible for only providing the initial shock for your vehicle to get started. There is a very common misconception that the vehicle is better is responsible for continuously providing the electrical current to all electrical components.

However, it is not the battery's job; it is the alternator's job.

When your battery does not work properly, the first thing you will notice is that your Volkswagen Jetta won't start.

These batteries are not designed to last forever, and there will be a point in time where you must replace it. In some scenarios, your battery might not be completely drained; It might have a small charge to only turn on the lights, for instance, or make some clicking noises. 

That's why if you realize that your Volkswagen Jetta it won't start and your lights are flashing, or you can hear some clicking noises, there is a high chance that the battery is called causing the problem.

  • A faulty starter 

After checking the battery, the next step is to look at the faulty starter. As the name suggests, the starter is responsible for getting the vehicle started with the battery current's help.

If the starter goes bad, the electrical current will not make its way to the engine, and therefore, your Volkswagen won't start. 

Volkswagen Jetta starters are designed to last for a long time. They usually don't break before 100,000 miles and sometimes 150,000 miles. This, however, does not mean that your starter might not breakdown before this threshold mileage range. 

  • A defective alternator 

As we already mentioned, your Volkswagen Jetta alternator is responsible for providing continuous support of electrical currents to all your optical system.

The Volkswagen Jetta alternator is designed to last between 200,000 miles and 300,000 miles. This, however, does not mean that it won't break down before. If for any reason, you confirm that the battery and the starter do not have any problem, it's worth checking the alternator and making sure that it's working properly.  

  • Issues with the fuel system 

At this point, most Volkswagen Jetta starting issues should be resolved before getting to the fuel system checks.

However, if the battery, the alternator, and the starter are in good condition, the next step for you is to look at some of the possible culprits in the fuel system components.

The first one is your fuel filter. The filter might get clogged due to debris or contamination, which prevents the fuel from reaching the engine. Once there is no fuel getting to the engine, how is your Volkswagen Jetta going to start? 

Fuel filter problems do not usually cause your Volkswagen Jetta not to start. Unless the fuel filter is completely clogged, your vehicle will still start, but it will not behave normally. In other words, when the fuel filter is partially clogged, you will notice it, and you will see that your vehicle's overall performance is reduced significantly. 

  • A failed engine 

The last possible reason for your Volkswagen Jetta starting issue is related to a failed engine. Although this is very rare, some people might miss the major symptoms of a bad or failing engine.

Before the engine feels, you will realize that it will feel sometime soon by seeing and noticing weird noises and smells in your vehicle. Thus, it's rare that someone gets to a point where he questions his vehicle's starting issues due to a failed engine. 

How to resolve Volkswagen Jetta won’t start issues? 

At this point, you have a good understanding of all potential reasons for your Volkswagen Jetta won't start issues. Let's analyze all potential solutions to get rid of the problem temporarily and permanently.

  • Volkswagen Jetta won't start due to battery issues 

If your Volkswagen Jetta won't start because of a bad battery, then you can temporarily use a jumpstart to get your vehicle going. However, the jumpstart is not always a final solution, and you can't do it every day, especially on cold mornings.

Thanks, your permanent solution here would be to visit a professional mechanic and have him inspect the battery and see whether it's the time to replace it or not.

Cars Batteries are not super cheap. Therefore, you might need to stop for a proper use battery for your Volkswagen Jetta. However, keep in mind that installing a used battery might introduce some problems very soon. Therefore, if you don't want to deal with your battery very soon, it might be worth investing in a new Volkswagen Jetta battery.

If replacing the battery or jumping starting the vehicle did not resolve the problem, knowing that the battery is not working properly. Your Jetta starting issue is related to the battery and has something else to do with the other components.

Thus, once you install the new battery, you need to also take care of any potential other problems causing your Volkswagen Jetta not to start.  

  • Volkswagen Jetta won't start due to starter issues

When your Volkswagen Jetta starter breaks down, you need to get it fixed immediately. Luckily, a simple trick as a workaround when you are a Volkswagen starter does not work.

What you can do is when turning your vehicle's key, use a metal or a stick tool and hit the starter motor gently. Your Volkswagen Jetta should get going. Keep in mind that this is only a temporary solution, and you must get your vehicle inspected and repaired by a professional mechanic to resolve the issue. 

  • Volkswagen Jetta won't start due to a faulty alternator 

Unfortunately, alternator problems are one of those problems that you can't resolve unless you install a new part. Thus, if your mechanic confirmed that your Volkswagen Jetta wouldn't start because of a bad alternator, you must install a new alternator. 

  • Volkswagen Jetta won't start due to fuel system issues 

If you're a Volkswagen Jetta starting issues related to the fuel system, you need to fix the faulty component.

For example, if your fuel filter is clogged, you must get it cleaned or replaced immediately; otherwise, you can't start the vehicle. 

  • Volkswagen Jetta won't start due to a failed engine 

We don't think that this needs any explanation; When your engine fails, you can't drive the vehicle, and you must install a new engine or perform an engine rebuilt. 

Volkswagen Jetta won't start potential other symptoms 

As you already noticed, there are many potential reasons for your Volkswagen Jetta won’t start issue. Therefore, keeping an eye and ear for other symptoms might help your professional mechanic pinpoint the problem much easier and faster.

Here is a couple of common symptoms associating Volkswagen Jetta starting issues: 

  • Volkswagen Jetta won't start clicking 

When your Volkswagen Jetta won't start, and you're still hearing some clicking noises, this indicates that your battery is draining or has a very little charge. The battery might have enough charge to make the clicking noise. Once the starter requests a huge amount of electrical current to get the vehicle started, the battery's voltage depletes immediately, and your vehicle won’t start. 

  • Volkswagen Jetta won't start any click 

If your Volkswagen Jetta won't start and you don't hear any clicking noises, this is not related to the battery or the alternator possibly. Therefore, your next step is to check the starter motor or the ignition switch. In some scenarios, you might need to look at the fuel system components we mentioned earlier. But most likely, you will resolve the problem by fixing the starter motor or the ignition switch. 

  • Volkswagen Jetta won't start says no key 

When your rooks wagon Jack can't detect the key and won't start, the problem is most likely related to a dead key battery.

One quick check is to use a second key or to have your mechanic take a look at the key battery to determine if it has a charge or not. 

  • Volkswagen Jetta won't crack 

If your Volkswagen Jetta won't start, the problem is related to either the battery itself or its terminals. If the battery does not hold the charge or the terminals are corroded, the engine will not receive any electrical signal to get started. 

Perform a quick jump start and see if the problem is resolved. If the problem was not resolved, take a closer look at your vehicle's terminals and look for corrosion signs. If you notice any corrosion around the terminals, you need to make sure that there are no cracks before attempting to clean it up. 

  • Volkswagen Jetta turns over but won't start 

Will, your Volkswagen Jetta turn over, but it can't start? The problem is most likely related to something with the engine itself.

Probably the spark plug is not producing the necessary spark, or maybe the engine is not receiving the required amount of fuel. 

Bottom line

The Volkswagen Jetta is a great family sedan that many people love to own. Dealing with Volkswagen Jetta won't start issues can be a little challenging to many inexperienced drivers.

This article provided you with all potential reasons associated with your Volkswagen Jetta won’t start issue. We also provided you with simple temporary solutions that are considered a workaround to get your vehicle going for a couple of miles. We also indicated all potential permanent solutions to resolve your problem.

If your Volkswagen Jetta starting issue is not resolved and it's giving you a hard time or probably repair costs are piling up, it might be now the right time to instill this car and use its payments toward a better vehicle.

If you're looking for someone to purchase your Volkswagen Jetta as is with its problems, Cash Cars Buyer guarantees to buy it! 

We will not only pay you the top dollars for your Volkswagen Jetta, but we will also provide you free towing no matter where you're living around the United States. 

If you would like additional details about our process, you can always reach out to us at 866-924-4608 or visit our home page click on the free instant online offer

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