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2012 Volkswagen GolfProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 48 owner complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Golf, most often about the engine. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 18V-148 the manufacturer reports only 56% of affected cars repaired.

2012 Volkswagen Golf
56
CarFlaw IndexSolid year20% below the Golf median · #12 of 27 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 56%Owner complaints488 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage14kEngine, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 8, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: LuvsMG481, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Volkswagen Golf has problems

48 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine110
Air bags103
Power train90
Fuel/propulsion system80
Fuel system, diesel70
Electrical system60
Structure42
Exterior lighting30
Vehicle speed control31
4 other systems50

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2012 Volkswagen Golf recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

65%repaired · 2021 Q1

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 19V-862 · Dec 4, 2019 · 226 vehicles · 147 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

78%repaired · 2020 Q1

Unknown or other

Recall 18V-329 · May 16, 2018 · 252 vehicles · 196 repaired

Risk. If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

56%repaired · 2019 Q4

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 18V-148 · Mar 6, 2018 · 363,713 vehicles · 204,423 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

59%repaired · 2018 Q2

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 16V-078 · Feb 10, 2016 · 659,493 vehicles · 385,916 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
76%repaired · 2017 Q2

Air bags: frontal

Recall 15V-483 · Aug 4, 2015 · 415,825 vehicles · 317,595 repaired

Risk. A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Fuel system, diesel

Recall 11V-490 · Oct 3, 2011 · 168,275 vehicles

Risk. DUE TO THE RESONANCE CONDITION, INJECTOR LINE NUMBER 2 COULD DEVELOP SMALL CRACKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO FUEL LEAKAGE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Volkswagen.

Best & worst years

2012 vs. every other Golf year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Golf median. How we score

'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2012 Volkswagen Golf safety ratings

2012 Volkswagen Golf 4 DR FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Rollover: 4 stars (12.1% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
5 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2012 Volkswagen Golf, and the recalls they led to.

  1. High-Pressure Fuel Pump FailureEA11003 · closed Mar 27, 2015
    No recall
  2. Clockspring failureEA18003 · closed Nov 6, 2026
    No recall
  3. Diesel Fuel Injector Line LeakagePE11023 · closed Dec 2, 2011
    Led to recall 11V-490
  4. Air Bag Clockspring FailurePE15010 · closed Sep 28, 2015
    Led to recall 15V-483
  5. Air Bag Clockspring FailureRQ17009 · closed May 4, 2018
    No recall
In owners' words

What Golf owners report

Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, ALL OF THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. MOSS BROTHERS VOLKSWAGEN OF MORENO VALLEY (27750 EUCALYPTUS AVE, MORENO, VALLEY, CALIFORNIA 92555, [PHONE]) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE FUEL…
Complaint 11113169 · Jul 23, 2018 · 123,986 miles
WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT, HEARD A SLIGHT RINGING SOUND AS THE ENGINE SLOWED DOWN AND STALLED RIGHT AS WE STOPPED. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART AND THE "COILS" WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED IN THE DASH BOARD. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AS WE WAITED FOR A TOW…
Complaint 10764539 · Sep 17, 2015 · 27,525 miles
2012 VW GOLF TDI (DIESEL) VEHICLE BEGAN LOSING POWER ON ACCELERATION FROM A STOPLIGHT AND BEGAN CLICKING. CHECK ENGINE AND GLOW PLUG LIGHTS FLASHED. POWER WAS REDUCED TO 15% AND LIMPED TO SHOULDER. SHUT OFF ENGINE AND ATTEMPTED RESTART. ENGINE TURNED OVER BUT NO IGNITION. TOWED TO DEALER WHO…
Complaint 10627186 · Aug 21, 2014 · 32,378 miles

Own a 2012 Golf?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.