2012 Volkswagen Jetta Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 34 airbag complaints for the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, 7% of its 499 total complaints. These complaints involve 9 crashes and 11 injuries, with a median failure mileage of 63,000 miles, and a related steering-clock-spring recall (campaign 15V483000).
- Airbags complaints
- 34
- 7% of 499
- Crashes reported
- 9
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 11
- Median mileage
- 63,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Airbags fail to deploy during moderate-to-high speed frontal or rear-end collisions, sometimes with resulting injuries.
- Airbag warning light illuminates unexpectedly, in some cases tied to a failed steering column clock spring that also disables the horn and steering wheel switches.
- Owners report the driver's airbag cover panel flapping open at the moment of deployment.
- Some owners say they only later learned of the 2015 airbag-related recall after their airbags failed to deploy in a crash.
- One early complaint describes a new vehicle delivered without a passenger airbag installed.
When 2012 Volkswagen Jetta airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Sep 25, 2011, latest Oct 6, 2024.
Airbags recalls for the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta
- NHTSA 15V483000Aug 4, 2015Airbags415,825 vehicles
Air bags:frontal
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
Risk: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.
Airbags complaints by Jetta model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many airbag complaints does NHTSA have for the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta?
- NHTSA lists 34 airbag complaints for the 2012 Jetta, which is 7% of the 499 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for airbag problems on the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta?
- Yes. Recall campaign 15V483000, reported August 4, 2015, covers a steering wheel clock spring issue; the remedy is a dealer-installed protective cover over the clock spring.
- Did the airbag issues cause crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA data tied to these 2012 Jetta airbag complaints show 9 crashes and 11 injuries, with no fires reported.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure among these complaints is 63,000 miles.
- Do owners report airbags failing to deploy in crashes?
- Yes, multiple sample complaints describe airbags not deploying during front-end or rear-end collisions, some resulting in injury.