2012 Volkswagen Jetta Exterior lighting Problems

Horn only occasionally works when honking and/or locking car, which increases the risk of a crash since I can’t always use my horn to alert other drivers of presence. One front headlight only occasionally works (lightbulb is not the issue), which increases the risk of a crash since other drivers may not be able to see me as well & I am not able to see the road as well in the dark. Cruise control does not work at all, which increases risk of speeding and therefore increases risk of crash. Dealer has inspected horn/headlight issue but could not determine cause. No warning signs. Issues first appeared a couple years ago.

NHTSA ID

11547246

Incident

Jan 1, 2020

HEAD LIGHTS ARE ON WHEN TEMPERATURE IS COLD. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME AND KILLING THE BATTERY. I BELIEVE THE ISSUE WITH LIGHT SWITCH BECAUSE WHEN I UNPLUG IT AT NIGHT FROM THE CAR AND RE-PLUG THE LIGHT SWITCH IN THE MORNING, IT ALL WORKS WITHOUT ANY ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11287898

Incident

Dec 5, 2019

HEADLIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY FAILING WHILE DRIVING. !ST TIME IN FEB 2019 BOTH LIGHTS FAILED AT THE SAME TIME WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. REPLACED BOTH BULBS. SEPT 09, 2019 LEFT BULB FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. AGAIN REPLACED BOTH BULBS. LEFT BULB FAILED AGAIN SEPT 12, 2019 WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. RESEARCH SHOWS MANY OTHER VW JETTA OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11255338

Incident

Sep 12, 2019

Mileage

87,000 mi

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS GO OUT EVERY TWO MONTHS. EACH BULB FAILS INDEPENDENTLY WITHIN A WEEK OF EACH OTHER. THE DEALERSHIP HAS CHECKED WIRING, VOLTAGE, AND FIXTURES BUT FOUND NO PROBLEMS. THIS CREATES A SAFETY ISSUES WITHOUT HAVING ANY HEADLIGHTS.

NHTSA ID

11066762

Incident

Jan 31, 2018

Mileage

70,000 mi

MY SUNROOF EXPLODED AND MY FRONT RIGHT DAY LIGHT BULB HAD MELTED AND NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE CONNECTOR.

NHTSA ID

11042026

Incident

Oct 31, 2017

Mileage

87,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN WOULD NOT SOUND AND THE HEADLAMPS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURES OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED, BUT THE HEADLAMPS WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

NHTSA ID

10970517

Incident

Feb 28, 2017

Mileage

95,000 mi

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT BULBS FAIL FREQUENTLY. I PURCHASED THE CAR APPROX. 1 YEAR AGO AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE EACH LOWBEAM BULB TWICE ALREADY. THEY HAVE FAILED ONE AT A TIME, SO I HAVE NOT LOST BOTH WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

10960431

Incident

Mar 1, 2017

Mileage

47,000 mi

PURCHASED 2012 VW JETTA NEW AT LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP. CURRENTLY HAS APPROX 51,000 MILES ON IT. AT AROUND 29,000 MILES IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NOT SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS SHOPPING-TOOK TO DEALERSHIPI AND WAS TOLD IT WAS FIXED- HAD JUST STUCK. LESS THAN A MONTH LATER SAME THING HAPPENED. DEALERSHIP HAD THE CAR FOR WEEKS-(THIS TIME THEY DID PROVIDE LOANER CAR). MOST RECENT- PRIOR TO IGNITION PROBLEM CURRENTLY OCCURRING I HAD TO HAVE WIPER MOTOR REPLACED AT MY COST $600.00 PLUS DOLLARS. I SAT IN WAITING AREA OF DEALERSHIP THAT CLEARLY STATED WE PROVIDE LOANER CAR OR SHUTTLE SERVICE AT TIME OF YOUR APPT. NEITHER AVAILABLE ON THAT DAY. I ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE WITH SERVICE MANAGER WHO WAS OFF THAT DAY. RECEIVED APOLOGETIC E-MAIL. HAVE HAD TO REPLACE HEADLIGHT BULB AND NEEDS REPLACED AGAIN. COULD THIS BE AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE? IS THIS CAR EVEN SAFE TO DRIVE MY GRANDCHILDREN IN? I AM NOT FEELIN COMFORTABLE WITH IT. PRESENTLY AS I AM WRITING THIS MY CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR 18 HOURS. IGNITION STUCK FRIDAY EVE- SERVICE DEPT NOT OPEN ON SAT. WHEN I CALLED FRIDAY EVE BASICALLY I WAS TOLD "GET IT OVER HERE SOMEHOW AND WE WILL TAKE A LOOK". PRESENTLY WEIGHING MY OPTIONS-NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE PURCHASE OF MY FIRST NEW VW. PREVIOUSLY HAD OWNED TWO USED VW GOLF. NOTE: FIRST TIME I WAS FORTUNATELY CLOSE TO VW GARAGE WHICH IS A 40 MINUTE DRIVE FROM MY HOUSE-FORTUNATE AGAIN THIS TIME THAT IT'S SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY RUNNING UNTIL I CAN FIGURE OUT A PLAN. LOVED MY VW-PAST TENSE. AFTER GOING ONLINE I SEE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS VERY EXPERIENCE WITH IGNITION. SEEMS IT IS GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE. VERY DISAPPOINTED! MY DEALERSHIP IS VW CLARKSBURG, WV. FORMER STAR MOTOR-1-304-623-7827. SHANE LEBLOND - "SERVICE MANAGER"

NHTSA ID

10916231

Incident

Oct 14, 2016

Mileage

51,000 mi

DRIVER SIDE BULB KEEPS BURNING OUT. WAS REPLACED BY DEALER WITH OEM PARTS, BUT IT KEEPS BURNING OUT EVERY MONTH. THE DAYLIGHT RUNNING LIGHT ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOES NOT WORK. THEY KEEP REPLACING IT AND IT KEEPS BURNING OUT. I SEE MANY OTHER JETTA'S LIKE MINE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE ROAD.

NHTSA ID

10850173

Incident

Oct 10, 2014

MY HEADLIGHTS KEEP BURNING OUT. I REPLACED THEM 4 TIMES IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS! THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BULB HARNESSES. THERE WAS A POINT WHERE BOTH HEADLIGHTS BURNED OUT AT THE SAME TIME AND I HAD NO LIGHTS! I DID RESEARCH ON THIS MATTER TO FIND MANY JETTA OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE THESE BULBS ARE NOT CHEAP TO KEEP REPLACING THEM EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND THE SAFETY ISSUE HAS TO BE CONSIDERED HERE. I WAS PARKED THANK GOD O NOTICED NO LIGHTS BEFORE O DROVE. IF WHERE I LIVED WAS LIT UP I NEVER WOULD HAVE NOTICED BOTH MY BULBS WERE BURNT OUT!

NHTSA ID

10850172

Incident

Mar 16, 2016

Mileage

65,000 mi

DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT, BOTH LOWBEAM HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS STILL WORKED AS DID THE HIGH BEAMS. I REPLACED ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS WITH A NEW BULD, AND IT STILL DID NOT WORK

NHTSA ID

10810617

Incident

Dec 15, 2015

Mileage

77,456 mi

BOTH OF THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AS I WAS DRIVING HOME ON A UNLIT HIGHWAY AT NIGHT. THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WORKED WHEN I TURNED OFF THE HEADLIGHTS, AND THE HIGH-BEAM HEADLIGHTS WORKED WHEN I TRIED USING THEM. THE NEXT MORNING I REPLACED BOTH LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS AND THEY STILL DO NOT WORK.

NHTSA ID

10789318

Incident

Nov 7, 2015

Mileage

56,000 mi

REVERSE LIGHTS ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE ARE NOT WORKING WITH 580 MILES ON THE CAR AND AFTER 1 MONTH OF OWNERSHIP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10462868

Incident

Jun 23, 2012

Mileage

580 mi