2012 Volkswagen Jetta problems
The 2012 Volkswagen Jetta has 694 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (20%) concerns electrical system. After that come engine (13%) and fuel system (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 694 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 33 and 10
- Injuries and deaths
- 21 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 53,000 miles 569 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 119 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 81 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 112 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 115 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 67 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 26 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 26 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 13 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 8 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 569 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 53,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 60,000 miles (116 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 33 complaints mention a crash; 10 complaints mention a fire; 21 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 9th most-complained-about out of 35 model years of the Volkswagen Jetta with enough data (468 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I was injured in a car accident in my 2012 VW jetta where the airbags should have been deployed but were not. People including police and insurance companies were surprised my air bags did not function. Looking further into the incident I found out via internet that there was a recall in 2016 for this problem. However, I was never notified (of the recall or problem) as the owner of this vehicle who purchased this new from a VW dealer.
2012 volkswagen jetta. Attorney representing consumers requests recall notices for vehicle. *smd both occupants in the vehicle were injured.
Tl* the contact owned a 2012 volkswagen jetta. Another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the contact's vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the left foot, left knee, and left arm. The passenger sustained injuries to the chest, arms, and left leg that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15v483000 (air bags). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.
I'm still continuing to have problems with this var 2012 jetta volkswagen. Up in till recently it was fixed on a recall notice that displayed vehicle right roll even if placed in part and ignition turned off !! Unfortunately it happened to my son during christmas 2019. What if there was a body in from that car. This car has been a nightmare and volkswagen USA knows it. I took it in and was addressed of new recall which relays the same savageness; it was fixed till when ??
I was driving on the interstate on moderate traffic at about 35 MPH when all of a sudden the car stalled and the steering wheel and brakes got really hard. I had to use the emergency brake to stop the car because the brakes wouldn't work. My jetta has the automatic transmission and it was set on "manual with no clutch" when it happened. The thing is I wasn't even touching that when the car stalled. That first incident happened less than 2 weeks after I'd gotten the car fresh off the dealership.