2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen 2012

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2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen repairs by problem area

Engine (27%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (5%)

Brakes and Traction Control (9%)

Suspension and Steering (9%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (18%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (15%)

Other (17%)

Chart based on 100 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen.

2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen repair cost distribution

$2500+ (1%)

$1000 - $2499 (4%)

$500 - $999 (9%)

$100 - $499 (27%)

< $100 (59%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 75 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen

Engine not specified

Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Illinois, United States
Nov 2012 - Dec 2012
Dec 2012

13000 mi
Severe misfire and rough engine running with no power 

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2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen 4dr Wagon

turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 6-speed manual FWD

Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Ohio, United States
Jul 2012 - Jun 2022
Oct 2013

14800 mi
Tire air pressure light stays on but the pressures are all identical. 
Jul 2014

37200 mi
Roof leak from antenna. Repaired leak and replaced headliner. 
Mar 2016

54000 mi

US $578
Both front strut springs broken 
Dec 2017

74000 mi

US $225
Loud popping noise when door opened. Position roller worn (seized with flat spot) Door hinge replaced. 
Jul 2019

94000 mi

US $20
Fuel door won't open. After careful consultation, mechanic disconnected the wire to the fuel door lock. This fixed the problem and we don't care about someone stealing fuel, we live in a rural area. 
Dec 2019

97000 mi

US $200
RF Coil Spring broken, replace a/c not working. replaced pressure sensor. recharged 
Feb 2021

112000 mi

US $100
cable rusted solid. replace cable rear rotors rusty, pitted, noisy. replaced 
Jun 2021

114000 mi

US $100
Rear coil spring broken. Replaced all springs with aftermarket lifting springs to raise height of car 1.5-2" for trailer hitch road clearance. Also added larger anti-sway bars because of higher center of gravity. 4-wheel alignment Parking brake not working again. Unable to repair without replacing calipers, rust damage. 
Jan 2022

120000 mi

US $250
Airbag warning light on dash. Traced to a broken wire in the wiring harness that goes to the door. Failed due to constant flexing and was repaired 
Mar 2022

122000 mi

US $250
OEM rear calipers rust prevented parking brake cable from working. Replaced calipers for successful fix 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Maryland, United States
Apr 2012 - Feb 2017
Dec 2012

11000 mi
Rough idle after cold start. Dealer replaced fuel pressure retention valve under warranty. 
Mar 2013

14000 mi
Technicican discovered torn CV boot while replacing punctured tire. Boot was replaced under warranty. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in New Jersey, United States
May 2015 - Jan 2017
Jun 2016

74000 mi

US $325
Replaced AC pressure regulator valve plus routine maintenance. 
Sep 2016

77000 mi
Previous pressure valve replacemen failed. Proper replacement would have been the compressor. Car being returned to VW soon, so no repair will be done. 
Jan 2017 The pressure regulator valve resolved the AC issue for a short time. Immediately after repair, the AC was outstanding but after about 3 months, it was back to the original state. Apparently compressor was self-destructing internally. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in New York, United States
Jul 2011 - Apr 2013
Aug 2012

21000 mi
"key not in range" displayed with key in ignition. Car started briefly, then died. Would not restart. Was 30 mi from home with no spare key. Car (under warranty) towed to nearest dealer by VW. VW assisted renting a car. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Oregon, United States
May 2015 - Sep 2015
May 2015

22000 mi
sunroof squeeked 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in New Jersey, United States
Mar 2012 - Mar 2013
Aug 2012

3700 mi
Window was being scored by window frame. Door handle was not working well on passenger side front door. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Connecticut, United States
Dec 2011 - Apr 2017
Dec 2012

17000 mi
Headlight began fogging up. Integrity (seal) breached. Dealer replaced it, no problem 
Aug 2014

48600 mi

US $265
An ABS sensor failed. This was not covered because the car had more than 36K on it 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Texas, United States
Jul 2011 - Jun 2012
Sep 2011

5000 mi
Rear Passenger door does not shut nearly as easily as the other doors. It clearly has a manufacturer/build issue; be it a slight misalignment issue or something similar, I don't know. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in California, United States
Oct 2018 - Jul 2019
Jan 2019

54000 mi
Kept getting flashing glowplug lights while driving followed by limp mode. The code was diagnosed as a fuel pressure issue. Dealer could not figure out the exact issue and after spending much time at dealership they replaced all three fuel pumps and fuel filter. All covered under warranty. Car is a piece of junk! 
Feb 2019

56000 mi

US $10
This car is made so poorly the side view mirrors come loose. Not the whole assembly but the glued on mirror portion. I bought some very strong adhesive and glued the mirror back on. Stay away from Volkswagens! 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Ohio, United States
Oct 2011 - Sep 2016
Mar 2012

4000 mi
A/C blowing warm air. Dealer recharged system and checked for leaks. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Georgia, United States
Nov 2011 - Jun 2012
Dec 2011

1000 mi
Week old car: battery died while sitting outside on from Xmas Eve until it would not start morning of Dec 26. VW service sent tow truck to jump start. Been fine since in my garage. I'm thinking bad battery. 
Apr 2012

11500 mi
At 10k service, they determined that instrument cluster was bad. Ordered part and they replaced it in a couple of hours. Symptom was no warning chimes for headlights, and other sounds. Related to my dead battery?? Actual replacement of the cluster - related to warranty maintenance trip 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Kentucky, United States
Jul 2011 - Apr 2017
Dec 2015

65000 mi

US $250
Parking brake cable rusted, causing brake to not release. 
Nov 2016

83800 mi

US $150
High pressure fuel pump failed. Towed to local shop, then dealer. HPF still under warranty. Diesel particulate filter not under warranty. Driving with dashboard warning lights on until buy back available. 

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2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen 4dr Wagon

turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 6-speed automated manual FWD

Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Texas, United States
Jan 2013 - Feb 2013
Feb 2013

18000 mi
repair has not been completed. The vehicle will hesitate at light or when a you make right or left turn. The pedal needs to be floored 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Indiana, United States
Jan 2013 - Nov 2017
Nov 2013

18700 mi
During visit to dealer for routine maintenance, dealer informed me of a torn cv boot. cv boot was replaced during same visit under warranty. 
May 2014

29000 mi
Doors would not lock, Check Engine light came on, and glow plug light blinking. 
Feb 2015

40600 mi

US $100
CD player would not play CDs. Stereo head unit was replaced. 
Sep 2015

51000 mi

US $50
Engine would surge and hesitate at slow speeds, I asked to have motor mounts, throttle linkage, inspected and ecm eval, they told me ecm flash was available. $50 for diagnosis, quoted 75 for flash, I declined. They then did the flash 4 free. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Illinois, United States
May 2013 - Mar 2017
Dec 2013

33000 mi
Fuel pump auto shut-off activated immediately upon pumping fuel into car. Only possible to trickle fuel into tank w/o pump shutting down. Replaced fuel filler "flap" assembly (under warranty) 
Sep 2015

60000 mi

US $50
Start button not operating except when pushed in a very specific location 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Illinois, United States
Jul 2013 - Jun 2022
May 2015

44000 mi

US $140
Check engine light on for code P047F, exhaust flap. Dealer technician confirms exhaust flap is binding. VW refuses coverage under warranty extension VWP-13-05. No repair done. Dealer charges me $140 for the diagnostics. 
Jun 2015

45000 mi

US $135
Check engine light on for code P047F, exhaust flap. VW refuses coverage under warranty extension VWP-13-05, but offers to cover 85% of repair cost. 
Sep 2016

64000 mi

US $150
Exhaust temperature sensor #1 failed. Dealer quote $800. Part + tool ~$150. Replaced it myself. 
Jun 2017

73000 mi

US $10
Black paint panel on passenger side behind front door had developed bubbling paint and rust spots (~2" diameter) after about 2 years. Dealer quote for panel replacement was ~$600. I finally decided to sand and repaint the panel. 
Mar 2018

84000 mi
Code P0401 insufficient exhaust gas recirculation flow. EGR filter clogged with soot from cracked diesel particulate filter. Both DPF and EGR filter replaced under VW extended diesel emissions warranty included with emissions modification. Cracked DPF most likely caused by modified engine programming included in diesel emissions fix (previous repair). 
Mar 2019

97800 mi
DPF cracked and EGR filter clogged again; replaced under extended warranty 
May 2022

118000 mi

US $1200
Caliper leaking; replaced 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Michigan, United States
Dec 2014 - Apr 2015
Dec 2014

29000 mi
driver side window clip broke, window fell into frame on one side; could not be raised above a few inches 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in New York, United States
Sep 2013 - Jan 2016
Apr 2014

47200 mi

US $720
apparently hit something which put a hole in the compressor (or condenser) 
Dec 2014

65000 mi

US $20
left rear passenger door continues to be much harder to open and close than the other three doors regardless of temperature 
Dec 2015

84000 mi

US $400
Front sway bar ends had to be replaced 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Illinois, United States
May 2015 - Dec 2015
Sep 2015

36000 mi

US $216
Push button start not working 
Dec 2015

37000 mi

US $500
water leaking from sunroof drain pipe disengaged. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Maryland, United States
Aug 2012 - Jun 2016
Mar 2014

21000 mi
Window off track. Making noise when rolled up. Present since purchase. Repaired for no charge 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in New York, United States
Dec 2011 - Dec 2012
Apr 2012

4300 mi
door handle loose - repaired 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Massachusetts, United States
Jul 2011 - Sep 2016
Dec 2015

45000 mi

US $300
glow plug module replaced 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in California, United States
May 2012 - Apr 2017
Jun 2012

3000 mi
Received car with damaged A pillar cover. Still waiting for them to install replacement. Vent under windshield missing center cap. damaged item was replaced 
Oct 2012

9000 mi
Fuel door did not lock when vehicle was locked. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in California, United States
Mar 2015 - Apr 2017
Jan 2015

50000 mi

US $300
The push-in button got hard to press to start the ignition. I had to FIRMLY touch the side of the big button for it to start. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Colorado, United States
Jan 2017 - Jul 2017
May 2017

62000 mi

US $3500
The sunroof jammed open. The roof is out of the tracks and the frame, screen and motor (along with anything else they break while fixing) will need to be replaced. The car is being bought back by VW for the TDI recall instead of having the work completed. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Colorado, United States
Jul 2011 - Mar 2017
Dec 2011

7000 mi
Replace bad bluetooth module for hands free cell phone. Passenger door arm rest covering detached. 
Feb 2014

17000 mi
Software update to fix problem with thermostat not heating quickly. 
Nov 2014

19600 mi
bubble in the chrome trim under gear shift lever 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in California, United States
Aug 2014 - Jan 2017
Jun 2015

83000 mi
High pressure fuel pump imploded, sending metal shavings throughout fuel system. Everything needed to be replaced. Parts and labor cost 8k but VW (which knows about this problem) has extended the normal warranty on this issue to 120k miles 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in North Carolina, United States
Aug 2011 - Jul 2017
Nov 2011

6000 mi
Passenger rear window seal misinstalled at manufacturer. Trim was replaced. 
Mar 2014

97000 mi

US $100
Check engine light on, faulty O2 sensor 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Florida, United States
Jun 2012 - Jul 2013
Mar 2013

10000 mi
Mileage had dropped 6 mpg from 48 to 42 on highway and 45 to 39 in town. Engine "tweaked" at no charge. Tire pressure increased with slightly harder ride. All is well 

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2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen 4dr Wagon

170-horsepower 2.5L I5 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Ontario, Canada
Jul 2016 - Aug 2022
Mar 2018

68200 mi

C $30
Abnormal loud exhaust. Replace rusted exhaust pipe clamp. 
Aug 2022

93620 mi

C $500
Replace broken rear springs and front stabilizer link. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Minnesota, United States
Apr 2016 - Sep 2018
Sep 2017

44000 mi

US $900
rear coils cracked at base of the coil. All coils were replaced with aftermarket lowering coils and car had a complete four wheel and steering alignment performed. 
Jun 2018

52000 mi

US $600
Parking brake cable loose, and right rear caliper staying partially engaged. Parking brake cable replaced and both rear calipers replaced. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Wisconsin, United States
Aug 2012 - Oct 2016
Feb 2015

50000 mi
Gas filler cap would not pop open. Brought back 2 times and dealer ground away a small piece. Third time they replaced the small 'plunger' that activated and then releases the filler cap. This did the trick. Engine MIL on. Only issue they could find was need for software update. I paid $115 for the update. Week later the cruise control would not come on. Problem was with the software update that i paid $115. for. VW fixed it and is refund my $ 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in California, United States
Dec 2011 - Apr 2014
Apr 2012

2500 mi
unit that thought engine was hot was broken. replaced both engine fans and numerous other electrical related items. the fan would not turn off after driving to the desert and battery died. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Massachusetts, United States
Dec 2011 - Jul 2018
Jan 2012

2000 mi
Engine took excessively long time to reach normal operating temp -- thermostat failing to close completely? Dealer "vacuumed" cooling system (flushed?). Problem was solved. 
Sep 2017

75000 mi

US $1700
Replaced rotors, pads and rear calipers after parking brake seized 
Dec 2017

77000 mi

US $500
Tailgate latch replaced;  turn signal LED bulb in drivers side mirror replaced. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in California, United States
Jun 2012 - Jun 2018
Jul 2012 Car was delivered with a broken right front strut mount. 
Jun 2013

10000 mi
Car was better for about a month then a tinnier rattle started but only with a front passenger. Next time the dealer claimed to have fixed something around the right front strut. A month later the tinny rattle returned. 
Mar 2014

20000 mi
Rattle in right front strut remains. Dealer fixed it twice, now says they cannot duplicate. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Alabama, United States
Jan 2012 - Dec 2014
May 2013

21300 mi
The sunroof has a rattle that occurs with bumps or body flex. It has gotten worse with time. Initially is was only during cold weather, but is persistent in warm weather as well. 
Dec 2014

36000 mi
They were never able to figure out what the sunroof rattle was and it was still there when I returned the car at the end of the lease.  
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in New Jersey, United States
Aug 2013 - Jun 2017
Apr 2015

23300 mi
The lock of the rear hatch was broken, such that the rear hatch could not be opened 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Virginia, United States
Nov 2012 - Dec 2012
Dec 2012 Vehicle had 300 miles on it. Vehicle died completely in driveway. Wouldn't even jump start. Had to have it towed to dealer. They recharged and checked the battery. They returned vehicle. Part of the air intake became loose. Plastic piece had warped due to heat. Dealer has to order new part for replacement. Drivers side window weather seal was malformed from the factory. Part replaced. Once part was replaced I noticed that the replacement part had tears in the upper seal. Had to RETURN back to dealership to have the same part replaced. 

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2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen 4dr Wagon

170-horsepower 2.5L I5 5-speed manual FWD

Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Quebec, Canada
Jan 2012 - Feb 2013
Apr 2012

3720 mi
Vibration coming from inside the transmission had to be fixed. Flywheel and clutch were changed. 
Feb 2013

15500 mi
Recurring vibration problem was finally solved by changing the transmission. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in California, United States
Aug 2011 - Jun 2022
Oct 2014

26000 mi
Could not reset service reminder, dealer replaced cluster under warranty.  Also oil sensor light came on, supposedly fixed with SW update. Remain to be seen. Could not reset service reminder, dealer replaced cluster under warranty. Also oil sensor light came on, supposedly fixed with SW update. Remain to be seen. 
Jan 2017

40000 mi

US $1300
Clutch broke apart. Poor design and assembly. Don't buy VW. 
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen in Oregon, United States
Feb 2015 - Jun 2015
Apr 2015

42800 mi

US $190
Rear liftgate latch failed 
Jun 2015

47000 mi
Gas fill door fails to open - adjusted but issue still persists 

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2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2012 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.