2012 Volkswagen Jetta Engine Problems

I recently bought vehicle seen there is a recall

NHTSA ID

11648429

Incident

Feb 28, 2025

I remember having my keys in my hand and my car was slowly reversing out the driveway. I panicked, i was stomping on my brakes for a while jerking back and it took me about 2 minutes to finally get the key back in and try to put in park again. I went to a shop the following weekend because all the jerking and jabbing to get my key back in seems to have caused my ignition switch to misfire or whatever the word he (mechanic) used, so now i cannot take my key out like a regular person, I have to flick my key a certain way out anytime i want to turn my car off.(even mechanics have a hard time taking it out. I was also given a qr code to scan and was brought the this exact recall of the situation with my car. I now have my engine light on and [XXX] gave me the fault code for my map sensor. I’m not sure if the two are related but this was following the incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11563924

Incident

Dec 2, 2023

My DPF system failed after my warranty ran out, about 128,000mi. and VW charged me $3000 to replace the DPF, then two days later the Nox Catalyst failed and they wanted another $2500 out of me. I tried the regen like the manual says, and the car went in limp mode 75 miles from my house in the middle of the highway. The car is not safe to drive, and they would not tell me if replacing the Nox catalyst will fix my problem, or just reveal another multi thousand dollar problem. The car is parked for the past 6 months and is not drivable.

NHTSA ID

11536407

Incident

Dec 23, 2022

The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly. Additionally, the contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle was shuddering. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

NHTSA ID

11526835

Incident

Jun 7, 2023

Mileage

40,000 mi

The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine light would remain illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle experienced hard starts and rough idling. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the spark plugs and decarbonize the engine however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic who changed the coil pack and fuel sensor but the failure was not resolved. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,000.

NHTSA ID

11454720

Incident

Oct 18, 2021

Mileage

98,000 mi

The car it’s having severals issues such a fuel system injectors fuel ⛽️ gas leak also breaks and battery 🔋 alternador and much more this car was sold to me by a dealership looking for legal assistant that can help also it was on a accident but I don’t know when

NHTSA ID

11448810

Incident

Jan 25, 2022

I’ve been having problems with this car every since I purchased it from carvana Epc and check engine light keeps cutting on I went to Volkswagen for them to fix and for them to claim they fixed it august 2019 for my light to still light up… they also broke my heater coil which prevents my heat from blowing hot or warm air only

NHTSA ID

11433442

Incident

Sep 5, 2019

The car stop at the stop sign n in the traffic then push start n it worked 4times in a 2years I thought the vw made fir saving fuel. Today the car stop at highway n I almost got killed by sudden stopped. I got panicked couldn't think about anything then push the start it worked again. I Google myself, there are many same problems n reports for 2012 vw jetta. Please help me what I should do. Last year The vw dealer couldn't find anything wrong but there is some problem

NHTSA ID

11431481

Incident

Sep 2, 2021

The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while driving at 15 mph, the vehicle made a clunking sound then loss motive power without warning. The crankshaft position sensor was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with code P0016 - crankshaft position sensor fault. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11427766

Incident

Aug 4, 2021

Mileage

130,000 mi

AS I WENT TO CHANGE GEARS INTO REVERSE I HEARD A VERY HARD THUMP, THEN INTO DRIVE AND THE THUMP GOT LOUDER AND THE WHOLE ENGINE SHIFTED FORWARD. NOW IT SOUNDS AS IF EVERYTHING ( MOTOR ) IS ABOUT TO FALL OUT THE VEHICLE .

NHTSA ID

11372721

Incident

Nov 1, 2020

Mileage

176,000 mi

UNABLE TO TURN KEY TO TURN OFF IGNITION. CAR IS IN THE VOLKSWAGEN SERVICE CENTER FOR THE THREE WEEKS FOR REPAIR.

NHTSA ID

11344135

Incident

Jul 21, 2020

Mileage

87,000 mi

CAR RAN HOT FIRST TIME AIR CONDITIONING GOT HOT CAR WAS GOING ANY FASTER WITH SMOKE FROM ENGINE. NO INDICATOR AT ALL CAR WAS RUNNING HOT. DEALERSHIP STATED THE BLOCK MESS UP. ADJUSTER CAME STATED THEROMAST WHICH NOT COVER WARRANTY FOR MY CAR. WHY WAS I NEVER AWARE MY CAR HAD THESE ISSUES

NHTSA ID

11341492

Incident

Jun 27, 2020

Mileage

92,234 mi

OXYGEN SENSOR CODE COMES UP, THEN ALL LIGHTS COMING ON, WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THIS CAR HAD A CARFAX SHEET STATING NO PROBLEM AND REPAIRS DONE BY MICHEAL AUTOMOTIVE IN FRESNO CA. NO RECALL EVER MENTIONED, NOW A YOUNG MANS FIRST CAR , NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS, ONLY PICKED UP BECAUSE CAR FAX STATED IT HAD NO PROBLEMS, NOW A SAFTY CONCERN.

NHTSA ID

11339449

Incident

Apr 25, 2020

Mileage

134,771 mi

GLOW PLUG LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CAR LOOSES POWER GOING DOWN THE ROAD. DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THAT IT IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY DPF ( COVERED UNDER WARRANTY) THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE AND RENDERS THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CUSTOMER CARE AND THE TELL ME NOTHING IS AVAILABLE. THE ORIGINAL DATE OF SERVICE WAS NOVEMBER 15, 2019. AS OF TODAY MAY 18, 2020 I HAVE NO PARTS AVAILABLE AND CAN NO LONGER SAFELY DRIVE MY CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

11325049

Incident

Oct 5, 2019

Mileage

121,000 mi

WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE YOU PUSH THE TRANSMISSION DOWN, LEFT AND UP ALMOST LIKE YOU ARE SHIFTING INTO 1ST (ONLY DIFFERENCE IS 1ST YOU DON'T PUSH DOWN). TODAY, AND MULTIPLE TIMES PREVIOUSLY IT SEEMS TO NOT IN REVERSE, BUT ALSO NOT IN 1ST (ALMOST LIKE IT'S BETWEEN TWO GEARS). THUS IT JUST GRINDS GEARS AND STOPS MOVING, IT DOES INITALLY MOVE BACK THEN STARTS GRINDING. I WAS IN THE IN THE MIDDLE OF PULLING THEN HAD TO THROW IT INTO NEUTRAL AND TRY AGAIN TO GET INTO REVERSE FOR A SECOND TIME.

NHTSA ID

11319868

Incident

Mar 31, 2020

Mileage

62,333 mi

THE CAR HAS UNDER 70,000 MILES. THE CAR NEEDS A NEED VACUUM PUMP AND ABS MODULE!!!!!!! ABS MODULE IS $2,200 DOLLARS AT THE DEALERSHIP. HOW DOES THAT BRAKE SO SOON ON A CAR?

NHTSA ID

11306444

Incident

Jan 29, 2020

Mileage

70,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FIRST TEAM VOLKSWAGEN (6900 PETERS CREEK RD, ROANOKE, VA 24019) AT LEAST TWELVE TIMES TO HAVE THE FUEL SYSTEM REPAIRED IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE EMISSIONS TEST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 161,316.

NHTSA ID

11297461

Incident

Sep 30, 2019

Mileage

161,316 mi

THE MOTOR KICKS(JERKS) REALLY BAD. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A COUPLE SHOPS AND THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALER ONCE AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DETECT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE CHANGED MANY PARTS THINKING IT WOULD FIX IT AND STILL HAPPENS. AT THIS POINT IM FRUSTRATED AND DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO THE CAR ONLY HAS 84,146 MILES. IT DOES IT WHEN DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET RANDOMLY AND IS VERY SCARY.

NHTSA ID

11232140

Incident

Jun 26, 2017

Mileage

60,000 mi

OUT OF NOWHERE THE EPC LIGHT AND MIL LIGHTS CAME ON THE CAR LOST POWER AND THE ENGINE WAS RUMBLING. VERY SCARY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. IGNITION COIL AND SPARK PLUG WIRES HAS TO BE REPLACED. COST ME OVER $900. A DAY LATER, I SEE THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM WAS A RECALL ON JETTAS IN THE PAST. I AM OUT OF POCKET $900 AND WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED ON THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE OF THIS. WHY HASN'T VW CORRECTED THIS PROBLEM? I WANT TO BE REIMBURSED SINCE THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS EXISTED IN JETTAS FOR YEAR!

NHTSA ID

11222950

Incident

Jun 26, 2019

Mileage

89,000 mi

I AM UNABLE TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE WHEN I STOP. THE KEYS ARE STUCK IN THE ENIGEN AND THE CAR NOT TURN OFF. REALLY HEART BREAKING BECAUSE I LIKE VOLKSWAGEN BUT I THINK THIS WILL BE MY LAST.

NHTSA ID

11196107

Incident

Apr 5, 2017

JETTA WOULDN'T START, CALLED DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID GET IT TOWED IN, WE HAVE 12 OTHER JUST LIKE IT, ZERO DEGREE'S OUTSIDE, THEY TOLD ME ABOUT THE INNER COOLER TECHNICAL BULLETIN AND THEY'D TAKE OF IT, THEY SAID THEY WOULD DEFROST IT AND LOOK INSIDE THE TURBO, THEY NEVER DID LOOK INSIDE THE TURBO THEY UNHOOKED ONE TUBE AND YEAS MOISTURE LIQUID CAME OUT THEY SAID NOT ENOUGH, THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE GONNA DO, ITS NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT 12 OTHER CARS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, THEY DIDN'T TAKE CARE OF IT AND MADE ME PAY FOR A NEW STARTER, TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE THE 12+ OTHER CARS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. $84 TOWING AND $480 FOR STARTER, THEY NEED TO RECALL THE TURBO'S CAUSING THE PROBLEMS. UNACCEPTABLE

NHTSA ID

11180833

Incident

Jan 30, 2019

Mileage

55,225 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RODE ROUGHLY AND HESITATED TO THE POINT THAT IT COULD NOT BE DRIVEN. VOLKSWAGEN OF MARIETTA (1860 COBB PKWY SE, MARIETTA, GA 30060, (770) 955-6565) PREVIOUSLY DIAGNOSED THAT THE DIESEL PARTICULATE AIR FILTER FAILED AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,300.

NHTSA ID

11141424

Incident

Sep 20, 2018

Mileage

81,300 mi

VEHICLE STALLS RANDOMLY WHILE IDLING AND HAS HAPPENED TWICE WILL DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, WHICH CAUSES LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE CAR ALSO DRIVES ROUGH BEFORE, AND THE STALLING HAPPENS SOMETIMES 3-4 TIMES A DAY AND OTHER TIMES NOT AT ALL.

NHTSA ID

11130187

Incident

Sep 11, 2018

KEY GETS STUCK IN IGNITION WHEN TURNING OFF THE ENGINE.

NHTSA ID

11124431

Incident

Sep 3, 2018

Mileage

39,534 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED FREQUENTLY WHILE DRIVING AND THERE WERE METAL FRAGMENTS STUCK IN THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND BATTERY INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MCKINNEY VOLKSWAGEN (855-402-5098, 3600 S CENTRAL EXPY, MCKINNEY, TX 75070), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

NHTSA ID

11123863

Incident

Oct 16, 2017

Mileage

90,000 mi