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2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportwagenProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 27 owner complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 16V-078 the manufacturer reports only 59% of affected cars repaired.

59
CarFlaw IndexSolid year30% below the Jetta Sportwagen median · #4 of 6 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 59%Owner complaints271 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage76kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 15, 2024. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen has problems

27 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
Electrical system60
Fuel/propulsion system50
Engine41
Power train40
Service brakes40
Suspension40
Steering20
Seat belts10
Air bags10
3 other systems30

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

1 recall

2012 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen 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.

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 →

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 Jetta Sportwagen 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 Jetta Sportwagen median. How we score

'08'09'10'11'12'13'14
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

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

  1. Clockspring failureEA18003 · closed Nov 6, 2026
    No recall
  2. Air Bag Clockspring FailureRQ17009 · closed May 4, 2018
    No recall
In owners' words

What Jetta Sportwagen owners report

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

PER DEALER VEHICLE HAS NON-FUNCTIONING HORN AND HIGH-BEAM HEADLIGHTS APPARENTLY DUE TO CLOCK SPRING FAILURE. IN ADDITION, WATER INSTRUCTION (OF AS YET UNKNOWN ORIGIN) HAS RUSTED BRAKE, STEERING, AND DASH COMPONENTS. TDI RECALL/REPAIR/SALE AND WAS LAST PERHAPS LAST SOLD BY AND SERVICED AT VW DEALER…
Complaint 11383930 · Dec 17, 2020
I NOTICED MY CAR HAS BEEN CUTTING OUT AND NOT HAVING POWER WHEN DRIVING DOWN A FREEWAY. ILL PUT THE PEDAL DOWN IT DIDNT MOVE. I NOTICED MY STEREO STARTED KIND OF FLASHING AS WELL. I FIGURED MAYBE IT WAS ELECTRICAL SO I STARTED LOOKING AROUND AND I OPENED UP MY TRUNK AND IT WAS 4 INCHES OF WATER…
Complaint 11300052 · Jan 17, 2020 · 81,000 miles
CAR IS SERVICED AT VW DEALER EVERY 10,000 MILES. AT 70,000 MILES THEY TELL ME MY REAR SIDE DOOR HINGES ARE RUSTED AND NEED REPLACEMENT AT MY COSTS. WHY WOULD DOOR HINGES RUST AWAY? WHEN IT DOES RAIN WHEN I OPEN THE REAR DOORS, WATER DOES POUR OUR THE BOTTOM OF DOOR.. POOR GERMAN ENGINEERING DESIGN?…
Complaint 11002551 · Jun 30, 2017 · 70,000 miles

Own a 2012 Jetta Sportwagen?

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