repaired · 2021 Q1
Unknown or other
Risk. If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
2012 Volkswagen JettaProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 500 owner complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-679 the manufacturer reports only 18% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 2, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta has problems
500 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
138Electrical system11 crash/fire/injury
84Engine4 crash/fire/injury
47Fuel/propulsion system1 crash/fire/injury
46Power train1 crash/fire/injury
42Steering5 crash/fire/injury
34Air bags
34Service brakes
24Fuel system, diesel
20Visibility/wiper
11416 other systems5 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 138 | 11 |
| Engine | 84 | 4 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 47 | 1 |
| Power train | 46 | 1 |
| Steering | 42 | 5 |
| Air bags | 34 | 9 |
| Service brakes | 34 | 7 |
| Fuel system, diesel | 24 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 20 | 0 |
| 16 other systems | 114 | 5 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
5 recalls
2012 Volkswagen Jetta 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.
repaired · 2021 Q1
Anti-theft: control module
Risk. Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal…
repaired · 2017 Q2
Air bags: frontal
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…
repaired · 2016 Q3
Suspension: rear
Risk. The reduced durability of the trailing arm may result in its sudden fracture, possibly causing loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Show 1 more recall
no report yet
Fuel system, diesel
Risk. DUE TO THE RESONANCE CONDITION, INJECTOR LINE NUMBER 2 COULD DEVELOP SMALL CRACKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO FUEL LEAKAGE.
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.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
60kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 112 electrical system complaints. 85% were reported before 100,000 miles.
19under 30k miles95under 100k miles17100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Unknown or other
8 owners mentioned a cost$600median
Middle half: $538 – $685
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2012 vs. every other Jetta 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 median. How we score
0000113141819282231301711722031541923494396687024562312485802011888898526075005183881941621603255354714342463261
'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2012 Volkswagen Jetta safety ratings
2012 Volkswagen Jetta SW 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 Jetta, and the recalls they led to.
- High-Pressure Fuel Pump FailureNo recall
- Clockspring failureNo recall
- Diesel Fuel Injector Line LeakageLed to recall 11V-490
- Air Bag Clockspring FailureLed to recall 15V-483
- Air Bag Clockspring FailureNo recall
In owners' words
What Jetta owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
A microswitch malfunction. My car will not lock and while I am driving it there is clicking on the doors for locking and unlocking. My night lights will not shut off when I park the vehicle. There is a pinging noise when the vehicle is shut off and in park and the door is open with no lights on.
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that for the past eight months, the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition. Several warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that to start the vehicle, the contact had to plug in the two fuse boxes and connect…
This is my 4th volkswagen jetta 2.5L I've own that has had the same issue with the charging system the car would just shut off while driving due to dead battery almost causing an accident this needs to be addressed 2011 to 2018
Own a 2012 Jetta?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.