Volkswagen Taos and Jetta dashboards went dark while driving

The automaker is forced to recall 83 thousand 2025 model year vehicles in the United States and Canada for repairs due to the fact that the instrument panel on them may completely go out while driving. The problematic vehicles were manufactured at a plant in Mexico.

The potentially defective Jetta sedans were released from September 23, 2024 to July 1, 2025, and the Taos from November 6, 2024 to June 20, 2025. According to documents from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a malfunction in the instrument panel software can manifest itself in two ways: the screen either does not turn on when starting, or goes out during the trip. In both cases, the driver loses access to all information: speedometer readings, fuel level, coolant temperature, fault warnings. The car itself continues to drive.

The Volkswagen Jetta and Taos are the German automaker’s best-sellers in the United States and the most affordable models in its lineup locally. The defect was discovered and corrected on the assembly line back in August 2025. But owners of cars that have already been sold will have to contact the dealer to correct the defect: the firmware update will be uploaded through the OBD-II diagnostic connector using special equipment. If that doesn’t help, they’ll replace the entire panel.

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