2012 Volkswagen Jetta: engine and transmission complaints
ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
36%
170 of 474 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
36% of relevant owner complaints on the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.
Better than 60% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 52 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 32%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),F02/08/20191 INJURED
MAP SENSOR - REPEATING FAILURE THE MANIFOLD ABSOLUTE PRESSURE (MAP) SENSOR FAILURE CAUSES EXPONENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS AND/OR HIGHER SPEEDS THAT CAN RESULT IN DEATH. AFTER REPEATED REPLACEMENT AND REPAIRS, CONTINUOUS FAILURE OCCURS. STALLING, POWER AND STEERING ISSUES OCCUR AT HIGH SPEEDS AND/O…
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE03/15/2025
I recently bought vehicle seen there is a recall
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM09/15/2024
Cp4 high pressure fuel pump will self-destruct causing little pieces of metal to go throughout the fuel system and causing thousands in repair lots of manufacturers are doing recalls to this pump but nothing for Volkswagen I have contact the dealer no help if you go online thousands of people it's complaining about the…
Three of 170 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (8)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 J…
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 S…
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
The Gates Corporation (Gates) is recalling certain aftermarket Tru-Flow Water Pumps, part number TFW 41127, sold at certain NAPA Auto Parts and/or installed by automotive…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
8 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
