2012 Volkswagen Jetta Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 138 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, 28% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “turn off” (25% of reports).
- 138electrical system complaints
- 60,000median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 21%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Turn off: mentioned in 35 of 138 complaints (25%)
- Stuck ignition: mentioned in 33 of 138 complaints (24%)
- Key gets: mentioned in 22 of 138 complaints (16%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 113 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 138 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 4 a fire.
Volkswagen Jetta electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Jetta | 3 | 50% | — |
| 2025 Jetta | 3 | 10% | — |
| 2024 Jetta | 7 | 16% | 17,600 |
| 2023 Jetta | 9 | 21% | — |
| 2022 Jetta | 10 | 23% | 39,750 |
| 2021 Jetta | 13 | 19% | — |
| 2020 Jetta | 17 | 31% | 8,000 |
| 2019 Jetta | 154 | 28% | 31,000 |
| 2018 Jetta | 3 | 10% | 55,491 |
| 2017 Jetta | 33 | 21% | 36,054 |
| 2016 Jetta | 36 | 22% | 41,600 |
| 2015 Jetta | 49 | 25% | 36,128 |
| 2014 Jetta | 94 | 24% | 56,400 |
| 2013 Jetta | 148 | 29% | 55,000 |
| 2012 Jetta | 138 | 28% | 60,000 |
| 2011 Jetta | 186 | 31% | 60,000 |
| 2010 Jetta | 233 | 27% | 67,000 |
| 2009 Jetta | 107 | 12% | 78,500 |
| 2008 Jetta | 42 | 22% | 90,000 |
| 2007 Jetta | 45 | 22% | 75,730 |
| 2006 Jetta | 112 | 19% | 90,000 |
| 2005 Jetta | 48 | 19% | 86,665 |
| 2004 Jetta | 36 | 16% | 90,000 |
| 2003 Jetta | 97 | 21% | 78,203 |
| 2002 Jetta | 148 | 21% | 34,000 |
| 2001 Jetta | 117 | 18% | 44,000 |
| 2000 Jetta | 60 | 14% | 49,513 |
| 1999 Jetta | 44 | 13% | 60,000 |
| 1998 Jetta | 41 | 21% | 69,050 |
| 1997 Jetta | 17 | 31% | 55,000 |
| 1996 Jetta | 4 | 13% | 197,485 |
| 1995 Jetta | 45 | 20% | 97,537 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module; steering:column locking:anti-theft device
Problem: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
A microswitch malfunction. My car will not lock and while I am driving it there is clicking on the doors for locking and unlocking. My night lights will not shut off when I park the vehicle. There is a pinging noise when the vehicle is shut off and in park and the door is open with no lights on.
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that for the past eight months, the contact was unable to remove the key from the ignition. Several warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that to start the vehicle, the contact had to plug in the two fuse boxes and connect…
This is my 4th volkswagen jetta 2.5L I've own that has had the same issue with the charging system the car would just shut off while driving due to dead battery almost causing an accident this needs to be addressed 2011 to 2018
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Volkswagen Jettas have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 138 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta (28% of the 500 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 60,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta?
The most frequent phrase is “turn off”, in 35 of 138 complaints, followed by “stuck ignition” (33).
Other 2012 Volkswagen Jetta problems
- Engine problems (84)
See all 2012 Volkswagen Jetta problems or electrical system problems across all Jetta years.