2009 Volkswagen Jetta

midsize car / 4-door sedan

Award applies only to vehicles 4-door sedan and wagon models

2009 Volkswagen Jetta 4-door sedan

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2005-10 models built after November 2004

Tested vehicle: 2005 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4-door

The Volkswagen Jetta sedan was redesigned during the 2005 model year. The new design entered production in December 2004, and the earlier design, which is classified as a small car, was produced through October 2004. Note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door.

The frontal offset crash test ratings also apply to the hatchback version of the Jetta, called the Volkswagen Rabbit for the 2006-09 model years and its restyled successor, the Volkswagen Golf and its sporty variant, the Volkswagen GTI, for the 2010-14 model years. The Rabbit, Golf, and GTI are classified as small cars due their shorter overall lengths and lower weights. The ratings also apply to the station wagon version of the Jetta, called the Jetta SportWagen, beginning with 2009 models.

Beginning with the 2011 model year, these ratings do NOT apply to the Volkswagen Jetta sedan, which was redesigned again. Also, the ratings do NOT apply to the Golf and GTI beginning with the 2015 model year. However, the ratings still apply to the Jetta SportWagen, which remains essentially the same as 2009-10 models.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head hit the roof rail during rebound. Head acceleration from this hit was low.

Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal (shown with carpeting removed).

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0505
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 7
Left (cm) 13
Center (cm) 6
Right (cm) 3
Brake pedal (cm) 2
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 1
Right (cm) 1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 1
Rearward (cm) -4
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 1

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0505
Head
HIC-15 266
Peak gs at hard contact 41
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.7
Extension bending moment (Nm) 30
Maximum Nij 0.50
Chest maximum compression (mm) 28
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.1
Femur force - right (kN) 4.4
Knee displacement - left (mm) 1
Knee displacement - right (mm) 3
Maximum tibia index - left 0.53
Maximum tibia index - right 0.85
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 3.7
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 6.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 89
Right 144

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2005-10 models built after November 2004

Tested vehicle: 2005 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Volkswagen Jetta sedan was redesigned during the 2005 model year. The new design entered production in December 2004, and the earlier design, which is classified as a small car, was produced through October 2004. Note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door.

The frontal offset crash test ratings also apply to the hatchback version of the Jetta, called the Volkswagen Rabbit for the 2006-09 model years and its restyled successor, the Volkswagen Golf and its sporty variant, the Volkswagen GTI, for the 2010-14 model years. The Rabbit, Golf, and GTI are classified as small cars due their shorter overall lengths and lower weights. The ratings also apply to the station wagon version of the Jetta, called the Jetta SportWagen, beginning with 2009 models.

Beginning with the 2011 model year, these ratings do NOT apply to the Volkswagen Jetta sedan, which was redesigned again. Also, the ratings do NOT apply to the Golf and GTI beginning with the 2015 model year. However, the ratings still apply to the Jetta Sportwagen, which remains essentially the same as 2009-10 models.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side curtain airbag.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0506
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -15.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0506
Head HIC-15 302
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.6
Compression (kN) 0.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 36
Lateral force (kN) 1.7
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 34
Average deflection (mm) 26
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.04
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.62
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.3
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.4
Combined force (kN) 3.4
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.8
L-M moment (Nm) 88
A-P moment (Nm) 32

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0506
Head HIC-15 134
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.1
Compression (kN) 0.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 42
Lateral force (kN) 2.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 37
Average deflection (mm) 29
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 2.53
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.55
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.3
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.0
Combined force (kN) 3.2
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 2.2
L-M moment (Nm) 148
A-P moment (Nm) -46

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2005-10 models built after November 2004

Tested vehicle: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta S 4-door

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 3,158 lbs
Peak force 15,867 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 5.02

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual - power seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual - power seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 26
Distance below top of head (mm) 18
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 13.7
Head contact time (ms) 63
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 49
Max neck tension (N) 460

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.