3.1

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
43,549 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Volkswagen Jetta accessories - exterior problems

accessories - exterior problem

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2012 Volkswagen Jetta Owner Comments

problem #20

May 222024

Jetta

  • 0 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact's daughter owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at undisclosed speeds in the rain, an abnormal popping sound was heard. The wipers were moving slowly and became inoperable. The contact stated that after turning on the windshield wipers, the wiper blades went into the down position. The driver was able to pull over. There were no warning lights illuminated. The owner called an unknown local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #19

Oct 302020

Jetta

  • 68,000 miles
When the weather gets cold around 35 degrees and lower, the wipers stop working. They are not stuck to windshield. Very dangerous and happens randomly on in the winter.

- Parlin, NJ, USA

problem #18

Nov 162016

Jetta

  • 36,000 miles
Ongoing issue: In cold weather, the wiper blades will not work. Generally anytime below freezing temperatures. In a few instances, if I turn the wipers on and off, on and off, they will begin to work. But that is quite infrequent. In the winter months. The biggest problem while driving is the wet salt will cloud the windshield and need to be cleaned. The wiper fluid will squirt out, and stay splashed where it landed on the windshield. The wiper blades will not engage. Only a click-click. I then need to pull over and wash the melted salt and squeegee the wiper fluid off of the windshield at the gas station. And then pray the window stays clean for the remaining portion of my drive to work. Or pull over again and clean the windshield by hand. VW dealer had quoted $400 to "look at replacing the motor" but would not guarantee that will solve the issue. I have had this vehicle for almost 4 years and the problem has been here since I owned the car. I have not invested any money into a repair, as VW dealer does not seem to know what the problem is.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #17

Feb 262019

Jetta

  • 69,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When it is cold outside and the temperature goes below 20 degrees the windshield wipers stop working. When the temperature warms up the wipers start working again. This is very dangerous when it is raining or snowing an I am unable to clear the windshield!

- Brunswick, OH, USA

problem #16

Feb 012018

Jetta

  • 70,000 miles
The horn which is attached to auto security system stopped working initially when coming in contact with heavy snow fall after moving to Indiana from Florida after the summer weather arrived it worked for a short time ass soon as the weather and rainfall changed the horn no longer worked, the water dispenser/washer for the wipers stopped working will no longer dispense anything. My vehicle was in use when the issues were noticed, it is driven daily and within a short amount of time it became noticeable that the weather was causing possible a shortage so that the horn or water dispenser refused to cooperate

- Gas City, IN, USA

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problem #15

Dec 012017

Jetta

  • 80,000 miles
Windshield wipers will not turn on when temperatures reach below 30 degrees. Happens at initial start up. A real safety issue. When temperatures are above 30 degrees this doesn't happen.

- Henrico, VA, USA

problem #14

May 012018

Jetta

  • 65,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. While the vehicle was stationary and while driving various speeds, the horn became inoperative in cold climates. In addition, the windshield wipers failed. Furthermore, the ignition key became stuck in the ignition on several occasions. An independent repaired the ignition. A dealer was not made aware of the failures. The manufacturer was made aware of the ignition failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

- Buckhannon, WV, USA

problem #13

Feb 212018

Jetta

  • miles
I have been having problems with my windshield wipers not working when it is cold.I have called the local VW dealer and was told that they haven't heard of this problem and want over a $100 to test for it.I have found that this problem has happened a lot to other owners. I have been stranded with this problem. After it warms up they will work.

- Prineville, OR, USA

problem #12

Jan 182018

Jetta

  • 52,000 miles
My windshield wipers would not move. Temperature was approximately 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Fuse was not broken. Motor fine. When it warmed up, the wipers began to work again. My vehicle was stationary initially, but even as I drove for 30 minutes, the wipers would not work.

- Penn Yan, NY, USA

problem #11

Jan 092018

Jetta

  • miles
I live in an area that had over 100 days without rain. The day it finally rained I tried to turn on windshield wipers and they no longer worked. Auto tech states the motor burned out. Upon researching online I noticed this was a common occurrence with this vehicle.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #10

Dec 302017

Jetta

  • 94,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Windshield wipers do not function in low temperatures. I own a 2012 VW Jetta. I first noticed this during the first snowfall we had. I cleared the vehicle of all snow and made sure that the wipers were not frozen to the windscreen. Getting back in the vehicle I went to turn the wipers on and they did not move. The relay inside of the car can be heard clicking, but the wipers do not move. I was forced to drive with extremely low visibility as I was not able to clear the incoming snow off of my windscreen. When I arrived safely back home I moved the car to a garage in order to see if I could figure out the issue. Upon being turned off and standing in the garage the wipers began to work again when I turned the vechile over. The same thing has now happened 3 times. Two of these instances occurring without any snowfall, just low temperatures. The relay can be heard clicking but the wipers do not move. The fuses are all in their proper position and are not blown. There are a large amount of complaints online about other people experiencing the same issues of inoperable windshield wipers. This is a severe safety concern as having good visibility is one of the most crucial factors in preventing accidents. The wipers usually seem to become operational again once the vehicle is warmed in the sun or if the ambient temperature rises about 30 or so degrees Fahrenheit.

- Berlin, NJ, USA

problem #9

Oct 142016

Jetta

  • 51,000 miles
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 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"

- Philippi, WV, USA

problem #8

Dec 242015

Jetta

  • 40,000 miles
When the weather is cold (below freezing), while driving, after sitting outside overnight, or in snowy conditions, the windshield wipers freeze and do not work until the weather warms up, or the vehicle is parked in a garage. I live in the mountains of Colorado and this has been an ongoing issue during cold and snowy weather. This is a safety hazard as the roadway is no longer visible because the windshield wipers no longer work.

- Silverthorne, CO, USA

problem #7

Jan 062016

Jetta

  • 41,000 miles
Purchased certified preowned in May. 2nd time when it is cold out that wipers will not turn on. The 1st time this happened in October, it took over 5 minutes of driving the car with defroster on high for them to start working I called dealer and was told that it had been cold that morning and the wipers were probably frozen to the window, even after I told them I had let the car warm up for 10 minutes. The 2nd time was this morning, I let the car warm up for 15 minutes since it was about 5 degrees out and even after driving the car for 1 hour, the wipers still would not turn on. I called the dealer, made an appt to bring in that day and the wipers started working around noontime. When I went to the dealer, I was told that they would look at it, however, if they couldn't find anything and there was a good chance that they wouldn't since it did not make sense that they would just start working that there would be a charge of $105 per hour if it turned out to be not covered under the warranty. I have found several complaints regarding this same issue on line, I think it is time for a recall.

- Woodstock, NY, USA

problem #6

Jan 152015

Jetta 4-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
When the temperature is cold, the windshield wipers on our 2012 VW Jetta refuse to activate causing a serious safety concern, especially when we're driving and the temperature drops. When the temperature warms back up, the wipers start working again. I've contacted VW of America and despite the # of complaints about this issue, they refuse to help me out.

- Luther, OK, USA

problem #5

Dec 052013

Jetta 5-cyl

  • 64,784 miles
While driving home after a snowstorm, my wipers suddenly stopped working. Because of it, I could not clean my windshield and had to keep pulling over and pouring windshield washer fluid down my front window so that I could see. It is very dangerous in Maine in the winter time to have this happen as we often encounter wet/snowy roads and you must depend on your windshield wipers and fluid system to work properly and keep your windshield clear. I took my car into the VW dealer (O connors in augusta Maine).. they determined there was no power coming out of the wiper switch to the pump. First they replaced the wiper/washer switch which did not fix the problem. Then they had it for another full day and determined the "body control module" was not working. They had to order the part. It cost $1041 dollars to replace the module, part # 5co-937-087-E-Z09 control unit. When I finally picked it up I was told that 5 other VW owners had their cars in for the same exact problem that week. One owner was standing there in the customer service area and he told me the same thing happened to his 2013 Jetta. The shop rep said they were seeing a lot of these since the cold weather set in. My car is in excellent condition and was only 20 months old when this happened. There has got to be a major defect for this many new cars to have this happen to them. I wish you would investigate.

- South Portland, ME, USA

problem #4

Dec 262013

Jetta

  • 35,000 miles
Wiper blades stopped working. I brought the car to the dealership and was told they were frozen. I didn't believe it but I took the car home and waited it out but it kept happening. The day before new years eve they completely went out and had to find another way home since it was sleeting out. I got the car back to the dealership and complained to the manager they checked it out and told me that the switch needed replacing they got the part in and replaced it. The next day they stopped working again. This is a year old car, completely ridiculous.

- Countryside, IL, USA

problem #3

Nov 302013

Jetta

  • 17,300 miles
Wiper blades stop working as the linkages freeze up in freezing cold wet weather when there is no excessive visible ice at the base of the wiper arm. The only solution so far has been to bring the car into a heated shop to un-freeze the wipers. Happens every time it rains, then get a hard freeze.

- Northampton, MA, USA

problem #2

Jun 262013

Jetta

  • 15,900 miles
I was driving North on interstate highway 55 in memphis, Tennessee, (around 9:15am ct on June 26, 2013) towards riverside drive (downtown memphis) when all of the sudden I heard a loud boom/crash sound on the roof of my Volkswagen Jetta (2012, which I owned for 1 week!) and glass shattered and fell all over me and the inside of my car. I was not under an overpass or behind any trucks or cars, so I was completely terrified and did not know what happened. I was crying and shaking and pulled off the highway to S parkway and called 911 to file a report. After speaking with the police, a nearby witness (who happened to work for a car dealer) my boss and my boyfriend, everyone agreed the sunroof had some sort of defect that caused it to shatter/combust/explode. The glass was all sticking straight up and there was no sign of an object in or on the car. My bf brought the car to the VW dealership and they are inspecting it and repairing it while I am in a rental car. I am scared to drive in a car with a sunroof now and do not feel safe. VW drivers beware.

- Memphis, TN, USA

problem #1

Dec 112012

Jetta

  • 12,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that the front windshield cracked without warrant. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the technician explained that the failure was the result of a rock striking the glass. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since they would need a dealer to verify the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 12,000.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

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