2012 Volkswagen JETTA: complaints, problems and recalls

AT APPROXIMATELY 425 MILES, THE VEHICLE AIRBAG SYSTEM IS NOW MALFUNCTIONING (AIRBAG SYSTEM LIGHTS AND ERROR) OUT OF NOWHERE REQUIRING IN DEPTH DIAGNOSIS BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 427 miles reported. Look up ODI 10427076 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP PROPERLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1500.

Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10436833 at NHTSA ↗

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2012 JETTA TDI AND IT WENT INTO LIMP MODE ON THE HIGHWAY, LOSING NEARLY ALL POWER. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE PROBLEM HAD GONE AWAY. IT OCCURRED AGAIN THE NEXT DAY AND WE TOOK IT IN AGAIN. THEY ENDED UP REPLACING THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. MY FUEL PUMP DID NOT FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY AS OTHERS HAVE, BUT IT STILL FAILED. THIS IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE WITH COMMON RAIL VW DIESELS AND IS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. I WAS LUCKY THAT MY PARTICULAR PUMP DID NOT FAIL…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10436842 at NHTSA ↗

UPON ENTERING AN ON-RAMP AND ALSO ACCELERATING AROUND A TURN, EXPERIENCED NO RESPONSE TO DEPRESSION OF GAS PEDAL. BASICALLY CAR HAD SERIOUS LAG BEFORE TAKING OFF. WORRIED ABOUT SAFETY ISSUE WHEN TRYING TO GET OUT OF SOMEONE'S WAY. VERY UNPREDICTABLE IN OCCURRENCE AND DO NOT WANT TO HAVE A WRECK. ALSO EXPERIENCED "STUTTERING" AROUND 30 MPH AS IF VEHICLE DID NOT KNOW WHICH GEAR TO GET INTO. THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY AND CREATES A PHYSICAL SHUTTER OF VEHICLE FELT BY DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10440575 at NHTSA ↗

2012 JETTA TDI MANUAL, THE FIRST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED AFTER TRAVELING ON A DOWNHILL GRADE WHEN I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT THE STOPLIGHT THE CAR STARTED TO SHUTTER AND ACTED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL. THIS EXACT INCIDENT HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH FOR NO RHYME OR REASON. THE CAR HAS NOW STARTED TO DO THE SAME THING MORE FREQUENTLY AND WILL NOW STALL OUT. IT USED TO BE ON COLD STARTS AND WOULD HAPPEN WITHIN THE FIRST 10 MILES OF DRIVING. IT NOW DOES IT ANYTIME YOU ARE DRIVING. I TRIED TO START THE CAR AFTER WORK THREE DAYS AGO AND WHEN…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10442730 at NHTSA ↗

48 HRS AFTER DRIVING OFF DEALER LOT, "DIESEL ' ODOR THRU FAN AND IDLE AT STOP SIGNS/LIGHTS, DEALER NOTIFIED TOLD IT WOULD GO AWAY AFTER BROKE IN, CONTINUED W/O IMPROVEMENT, TOOK TO DEALER, STATED CHECKED EVERYTHING NO PROBLEM, BRING BACK MAY BE ANIMAL OR SOMETHING BLOCKING EXAHUST (WITHIN DAYS). RETURNED TOLD SEAL WAS BROKE JUST UNDER INTAKE MANIFOLD, PICS SENT TO VOLKSWAGEN,, CALLED TO CHECK STATUS ONLY TO BE TOLD "TURBO CRACKED." 2 WEEKS LATER CAR PICKED UP, STATED ALL RECALLS PERFORMED PRIOR TO DRIVING OFF LOT NOV 26,2011, STILL HAVENT BEEN…

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10443831 at NHTSA ↗

DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME FROM WORK FRIDAY 1/13, WEATHER WAS BELOW FREEZING CAUSING ICE BUILD UP. PARKED THE VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE ~45 DEGREES. ICE BEGAN MELT, AND WHEN TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON IT TURNED 1/4 TURN AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE ENGINE INHALED WATER CAUSING A HYDRO-LOCK, I CONTINUED TO TRY TO START THE VEHICLE A TOTAL 5 TIMES (IT TURNED OVER ONCE AND RAN EXTREMELY ROUGH AND DIED ONCE). THE LAST TIME TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE I SMELLED SMOKE, I POPPED THE HOOD TO FIND THE STARTER AND WIRI…

Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10445020 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER. THE VEHICLE ALSO FAILED TO ACCELERATE ON ANOTHER OCCASION.THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1500.

Owner-reported narrative. 77 miles reported. Look up ODI 10449435 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2011-10-03 (October 3, 2011)

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL 2009-2012 JETTA AND JETTA SPORTWAGEN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2008 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 AUDI A3 VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH A 2.0L TDI COMMON RAIL DIESEL ENGINE/CLEAN DIESEL ENGINE. THE FUEL INJECTION PULSES COULD COINCIDE WITH THE NATURAL FREQUENCY OF THE INJECTOR LINE #2, IN SPECIFIC LOAD AND RPM CONDITIONS. THIS RESONANCE CREATES ADDITIONAL STRESS IN THE FUEL LINE.

Consequence: DUE TO THE RESONANCE CONDITION, INJECTOR LINE NUMBER 2 COULD DEVELOP SMALL CRACKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO FUEL LEAKAGE. LEAKING FUEL IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.

Remedy: VOLKSWAGEN WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED FUEL INJECTOR LINE FOR THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER ON CERTAIN VEHICLES AND WILL INSTALL VIBRATION DAMPERS ON ALL OF THE INJECTOR LINES. VOLKSWAGEN AND AUDI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS TO HAVE THE VEHICLES REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING NOVEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

Reported: 2014-10-20 (October 20, 2014)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, to November 30, 2012, and 2012-2013 Beetle vehicles manufactured March 1, 2011, to July 31, 2013. The durability of the rear trailing arms may be reduced in vehicles whose rear trailing arms have been previously deformed, such as a result of a rear or side-rear impact crash.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a sheet metal inlay on the rear axle trailing arms designed to prevent a sudden loss of control in the event of trailing arm sudden fracture, free of charge. The recall began April 7, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.

Reported: 2015-08-04 (August 4, 2015)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.

Consequence: 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 injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.

Reported: 2019-08-22 (August 22, 2019)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."

Consequence: 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 injury or a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.

Reported: 2019-09-25 (September 25, 2019)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and 2012-2013 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2008-2010 Beetle, and Beetle Convertible vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.

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

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D7. Note: This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 18V-329.