The Volkswagen Jetta, redesigned in 2019, continues to be a popular compact sedan, and the 2022 model year upholds its reputation with robust safety features and crash test performance. This detailed analysis, based on evaluations conducted by both Volkswagen and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), provides a thorough overview of the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta’s safety across various crash scenarios and preventative measures.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Driver-Side
The driver-side small overlap front crash test simulates a collision where only a small portion of the vehicle’s front end impacts a rigid object, like a tree or pole. This is a particularly challenging test, focusing on the vehicle’s structural integrity and occupant protection.
Rating: Good
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta earned a “Good” rating in the driver-side small overlap front test, the highest rating possible. This indicates a high level of protection for the driver in this type of severe frontal crash.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Structure and Safety Cage: Good – The structural integrity of the Jetta’s safety cage was maintained well during the test, crucial for protecting occupants.
- Driver Injury Measures (Head/Neck, Chest, Hip/Thigh, Lower Leg/Foot): Good across all categories – Sensors on the crash test dummy indicated a low risk of injury to critical body regions in a real-world crash of similar severity.
- Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics: Good – The Jetta’s restraint systems, including airbags and seatbelts, performed effectively in controlling the dummy’s movement, minimizing potential injuries.
Technical Measurements Highlights:
- Minimal intrusion into the occupant compartment, particularly in critical areas like the rocker panel and steering column.
- Low injury measures recorded for the driver dummy across head, neck, chest, and legs.
This “Good” rating in the driver-side small overlap test demonstrates the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta’s commitment to driver safety and robust structural design.
Small Overlap Front Crash Test: Passenger-Side
Similar to the driver-side test, the passenger-side small overlap front crash test assesses the vehicle’s ability to protect the front passenger in a comparable collision scenario.
Rating: Good
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta also achieved a “Good” overall rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test, signifying excellent protection for the front passenger.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Overall Evaluation: Good
- Structure and Safety Cage: Acceptable – While still providing a good level of protection, the structure and safety cage received an “Acceptable” rating in this test, slightly lower than “Good.”
- Passenger Injury Measures (Head/Neck, Chest, Hip/Thigh, Lower Leg/Foot): Good across all categories – Similar to the driver-side, injury risks for the passenger were low, indicating effective occupant protection.
- Passenger Restraints and Dummy Kinematics: Good
- Driver Injury Measures (Head/Neck, Chest, Hip/Thigh, Lower Leg/Foot): Good across all categories – Interestingly, driver injury measures are also evaluated in the passenger-side test, and the Jetta performed well, indicating consistent safety design across the front cabin.
- Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics: Good
Technical Measurements Highlights:
- Slightly more intrusion in the lower occupant compartment compared to the driver-side test, but still within acceptable limits.
- Low injury measurements for both passenger and driver dummies, reinforcing the Jetta’s consistent safety performance.
While the “Acceptable” rating for structure in the passenger-side test is a minor point, the overall “Good” rating and low injury measures confirm that the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta provides strong protection for both front occupants in small overlap frontal crashes.
Moderate Overlap Front Crash Test: Original Test
The moderate overlap front crash test is a more traditional frontal crash test, involving a larger portion of the vehicle’s front end impacting a deformable barrier. This test is designed to assess occupant protection in a more common type of frontal collision.
Rating: Good
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta earned the highest rating of “Good” in the moderate overlap front crash test, indicating exceptional performance in this common crash scenario.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Overall Evaluation: Good
- Structure and Safety Cage: Good – The Jetta’s structure effectively maintained its integrity, providing a stable safety cage for occupants.
- Driver Injury Measures (Head/Neck, Chest, Leg/Foot): Good across all categories – Injury measures were low for all critical body regions, demonstrating excellent occupant protection.
- Driver Restraints and Dummy Kinematics: Good – The restraint systems functioned as intended, effectively managing the driver dummy’s motion.
Action shot taken during the moderate overlap frontal crash test of the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta, showcasing the vehicle’s structural response.
Post-crash dummy position in the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta, indicating excellent maintenance of driver survival space.
Greasepaint markings on the crash test dummy, showing effective head contact with the side curtain airbag in the 2022 Jetta.
Minimal intrusion into the driver’s side of the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta during the moderate overlap frontal crash test, ensuring occupant safety.
Technical Measurements Highlights:
- Minimal footwell intrusion, maintaining crucial space for the driver’s lower extremities.
- Limited instrument panel and steering column movement, further protecting the driver.
- Low head, neck, chest, and leg injury measures across multiple tests.
The “Good” rating in the moderate overlap front test, supported by visual evidence of structural integrity and dummy positioning, reinforces the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta’s strong frontal crash protection.
Side Crash Test: Original Test
The original side crash test simulates a collision where the side of the vehicle is struck by another vehicle or object. This test evaluates the effectiveness of side airbags and structural reinforcements in protecting occupants in side impacts.
Rating: Good
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta achieved a “Good” rating in the original side crash test, indicating effective protection in side impact scenarios.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Overall Evaluation: Good
- Structure and Safety Cage: Good – The Jetta’s side structure demonstrated good resistance to intrusion, maintaining occupant space.
- Driver Injury Measures (Head/Neck, Torso, Pelvis/Leg): Good across all categories – Injury measures were low for all critical regions, indicating good protection from side impact forces.
- Driver Head Protection: Good – The side airbags and structural design effectively protected the driver’s head.
- Rear Passenger Injury Measures (Head/Neck, Torso, Pelvis/Leg): Good across all categories – Similar to the driver, rear passenger injury risks were also low.
- Rear Passenger Head Protection: Good – Effective head protection extended to rear passengers as well.
Technical Measurements Highlights:
- Minimal B-pillar intrusion into the occupant compartment, maintaining crucial space for side impact protection.
- Low injury measures for both driver and rear passenger dummies across head, neck, torso, and pelvis/leg regions.
The “Good” rating in the original side crash test demonstrates that the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta provides comprehensive side impact protection for both front and rear occupants.
Side Crash Test: Updated Test
An updated side crash test was introduced with more stringent criteria, simulating a more severe side impact. This updated test presents a greater challenge to vehicle safety systems.
Rating: Acceptable
In the more demanding updated side crash test, the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta received an “Acceptable” overall rating. While still offering a good level of protection, it indicates an area for potential improvement compared to the “Good” rating in the original test.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Overall Evaluation: Acceptable
- Structure and Safety Cage: Good – The structural performance remained “Good,” indicating the fundamental side structure is robust.
- Driver Injury Measures:
- Head/Neck: Good
- Torso: Acceptable
- Pelvis: Marginal – The “Marginal” rating for pelvis injury risk for the driver is the key factor bringing down the overall rating.
- Driver Head Protection: Good
- Rear Passenger Injury Measures:
- Head/Neck: Good
- Torso: Marginal
- Pelvis: Acceptable
- Rear Passenger Head Protection: Good
Post-crash view of the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta after the updated side crash test.
Damage to the occupant compartment and deployed side airbags of the 2022 Jetta after the updated side crash test.
Greasepaint on the driver dummy’s head in the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta, showing side airbag protection in the updated test.
Greasepaint on the rear passenger dummy’s head in the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta, confirming head protection from side airbags in the updated test.
Technical Measurements Highlights:
- B-pillar intrusion was slightly higher compared to the original side test, but still within acceptable limits for structural integrity.
- Pelvis injury measures for both driver and rear passenger were elevated, leading to the lower ratings in these categories.
The “Acceptable” rating in the updated side crash test highlights an area where Volkswagen could potentially enhance the Jetta’s side impact protection, particularly concerning pelvis injury risks, to achieve “Good” ratings across all categories in future models.
Roof Strength Test
The roof strength test assesses the vehicle’s roof resistance to crushing in a rollover accident. A strong roof is crucial for protecting occupants in such events.
Rating: Good
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta earned a “Good” rating in roof strength, demonstrating a strong roof structure capable of withstanding significant force in a rollover scenario.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Overall Evaluation: Good
- Strength-to-weight ratio: 5.84 – This ratio indicates the Jetta’s roof can withstand 5.84 times the vehicle’s weight, a strong performance.
This “Good” rating in roof strength ensures that the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta provides robust protection in rollover crashes.
Head Restraints & Seats
Whiplash is a common injury in rear-end collisions. The head restraints and seats evaluation assesses their effectiveness in preventing whiplash.
Rating: Good
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta received a “Good” rating for head restraints and seats, indicating effective whiplash protection in rear impacts.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Overall Evaluation: Good
- Dynamic Rating: Good – The seat and head restraint design effectively controlled dummy movement in simulated rear-end collisions.
- Seat/Head Restraint Geometry: Good – The physical positioning of the head restraint relative to the seat is geometrically sound for whiplash protection.
This “Good” rating confirms that the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta’s seats and head restraints are designed to minimize whiplash risk in rear-end crashes.
Headlights
Headlight performance is critical for nighttime driving safety. The IIHS evaluates headlight effectiveness in providing adequate illumination while minimizing glare for oncoming drivers.
Rating: Marginal and Poor (depending on trim)
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta’s headlight ratings vary depending on the trim level, highlighting the importance of choosing trims with better headlight options.
Trim Level Specific Ratings:
- SEL and SEL Premium trims (LED projector low beams, LED reflector high beams, High-beam assist): Marginal – While equipped with LED projector low beams and high-beam assist, these headlights received a “Marginal” rating. Performance was fair to good on straightaways and some curves with low beams, but inadequate in other curve scenarios and with high beams.
- S, SE, and R-Line trims (LED reflector low and high beams, No high-beam assist): Poor – These trims, with LED reflector headlights and no high-beam assist, received a “Poor” rating. Low beam visibility was inadequate on straightaways and left curves, and high beams also showed limitations.
The varying headlight ratings for the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta emphasize the importance of considering trim levels and headlight options for optimal nighttime visibility and safety.
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle
Front crash prevention systems are designed to automatically brake the vehicle to avoid or mitigate frontal collisions. The vehicle-to-vehicle test assesses the effectiveness of these systems in preventing crashes with other vehicles.
Rating: Superior
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta’s standard Front Assist system earned a “Superior” rating in vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention, demonstrating excellent performance in avoiding frontal collisions.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Overall Evaluation: Superior
- Forward Collision Warning: Yes – The system meets requirements for forward collision warning, alerting the driver to potential frontal crash situations.
- Automatic Emergency Braking: Collision Avoidance in both 12 mph and 25 mph tests – The Jetta successfully avoided collisions in both low and moderate speed tests, showcasing highly effective automatic emergency braking.
This “Superior” rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention highlights a significant safety feature of the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta, actively working to prevent frontal crashes.
Front Crash Prevention: Pedestrian (Day)
Pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking systems are increasingly important for urban safety. This test evaluates the system’s ability to detect pedestrians and prevent pedestrian collisions in daylight conditions.
Rating: Basic
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta’s pedestrian front crash prevention system received a “Basic” rating. While it demonstrated some effectiveness, there is room for improvement compared to higher ratings.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Overall Evaluation: Basic
- Crossing Child: Collision Avoidance at 12 mph, Impact speed reduced by 12 mph at 25 mph – The system successfully avoided collision with a crossing child at lower speed and significantly mitigated impact speed at higher speed.
- Crossing Adult: Collision Avoidance at 12 mph, Impact speed reduced by 18 mph at 25 mph – Similar to the child scenario, the system performed well in reducing impact speed with a crossing adult.
- Parallel Adult: Failed to slow in 25 mph and 37 mph tests – The system struggled to react to a parallel adult pedestrian scenario, indicating a limitation in this specific pedestrian detection scenario.
The “Basic” rating for pedestrian front crash prevention suggests that while the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta has some pedestrian detection capabilities, it may not be as effective in all pedestrian scenarios, particularly parallel adult pedestrian situations.
Seat Belt Reminders
Seat belt reminders are crucial for increasing seat belt usage, a primary safety measure in vehicle crashes.
Rating: Poor
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta’s seat belt reminder system received a “Poor” rating, indicating a significant area for improvement.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Overall Evaluation: Poor
- Front Row Alert: Negligible duration (under 8 seconds), low volume – The audible and visual alerts for unbelted front occupants are too short and not loud enough to be effective.
- Second Row Alert: None – There is no startup status alert for second-row occupants, further contributing to the “Poor” rating.
The “Poor” rating for seat belt reminders indicates a notable weakness in the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta’s safety features, as effective seat belt reminders are essential for ensuring occupant safety.
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH)
Child seat anchors (LATCH – Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) make it easier to properly install child safety seats, crucial for child passenger safety.
Rating: Acceptable
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta received an “Acceptable” rating for child seat anchors, indicating that while functional, there are some usability challenges.
Key Performance Metrics:
- Overall Evaluation: Acceptable
- Number of LATCH positions: 2 rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware, 1 additional position with tether anchor only.
- Usability: Lower anchors are not too deep in the seat and don’t require excessive force, but maneuvering around anchors can be difficult. Tether anchors are easy to find and not easily confused with other hardware.
The “Acceptable” rating for LATCH in the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta suggests that while it provides LATCH hardware, improvements in ease of use and accessibility could enhance child passenger safety.
Conclusion
The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta demonstrates a strong commitment to safety, achieving “Good” ratings in most crash tests, including small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength, and head restraints & seats. It also boasts a “Superior” rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention. However, areas for improvement include the “Acceptable” rating in the updated side crash test (particularly regarding pelvis protection), the “Marginal” to “Poor” headlight ratings depending on trim, the “Basic” rating for pedestrian front crash prevention, and the “Poor” seat belt reminder system. Prospective buyers of the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta should consider these safety ratings, particularly headlight options and side impact performance, when making their purchase decision. While the Jetta offers a solid safety profile overall, understanding its strengths and weaknesses is key to informed car buying.
