2012 Volkswagen Jetta Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 526 owner complaints for the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. It has 1 open investigation that names this model year.

Recalled components: electrical system, air bags, suspension, and diesel fuel system. Most-described problem: stalling or shutting off (54 complaints, 10%). Most-reported area: electrical system (144 complaints, 27%; median mileage when it happened: 60,900).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

Year to avoid

Includes the Jetta SportWagen.

6 safety recalls for the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA also lists 3 equipment recalls for parts sold for this vehicle, not the vehicle itself: Brakes: foundation components, master cylinder (Tenneco Automotive, 20E-064); Engine and cooling: engine (The Gates Corporation, 14E-007); Engine and cooling: exhaust system (VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC, 11E-036).

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 5 investigations that name the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta; 1 is still open. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. A recall query is a review of whether a recall covered the right vehicles or whether its fix works. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 526 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Jetta. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Stalling or shutting off54 · 10%
  Median 48,600 miles at failure, from 48 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode33 · 6%
  Median 61,200 miles at failure, from 32 reports with mileage
• Fuel pump failures27 · 5%
  Median 47,900 miles at failure, from 25 reports with mileage
• Won't start25 · 5%
  Median 51,000 miles at failure, from 23 reports with mileage
• Check engine light24 · 5%
  Median 46,300 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage
• Airbag warning light or airbag fault20 · 4%
  Median 62,000 miles at failure, from 19 reports with mileage
• Wiper failures17 · 3%
  Median 52,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
• Hesitation or slow acceleration16 · 3%
  Median 40,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Electrical system144 · 27%
  Most named: horn (8) · Median 60,900 miles at failure, from 116 reports with mileage
• Engine88 · 17%
  Median 47,600 miles at failure, from 72 reports with mileage
• Fuel and propulsion system52 · 10%
  Median 49,200 miles at failure, from 42 reports with mileage
• Powertrain50 · 10%
  Median 43,000 miles at failure, from 41 reports with mileage
• Steering43 · 8%
  Median 53,000 miles at failure, from 31 reports with mileage
• Brakes41 · 8%
  Median 59,000 miles at failure, from 30 reports with mileage
• Air bags35 · 7%
  Median 63,000 miles at failure, from 29 reports with mileage
• Unknown or other111 · 21%
  Median 64,000 miles at failure, from 85 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Volkswagen Jetta recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2012 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2010 Jetta drew the most (299) and the 2012 drew 123.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2012 Jetta MPG

Questions