2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
66
Owner Complaints
6
Recalls
47
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
The 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF has received a total of 66 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 6 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER. 47 technical service bulletins have been issued by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (11 complaints), Air Bags (9 complaints), and Power Train (9 complaints).
Recalls for the 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
NHTSA has recorded 6 recalls for the 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF, potentially affecting up to 1,607,784 vehicles.
Recall 19V862000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 226 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for...
View full details →Recall 18V329000 — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
| 252 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
Consequence: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
View full details →Recall 18V148000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 363,713 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall...
View full details →Recall 16V078000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
| 659,493 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will...
View full details →Recall 15V483000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
| 415,825 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
Consequence: 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...
View full details →Recall 11V490000 — FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
| 168,275 vehicles affected
Defect: VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL 2009-2012 JETTA AND JETTA SPORTWAGEN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2008 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 AUDI A3 VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH A 2.0L TDI COMMON RAIL DIESEL ENGINE/CLEAN DIESEL ENGINE. THE FUEL...
Consequence: DUE TO THE RESONANCE CONDITION, INJECTOR LINE NUMBER 2 COULD DEVELOP SMALL CRACKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO FUEL LEAKAGE. LEAKING FUEL IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.
Remedy: VOLKSWAGEN WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED FUEL INJECTOR LINE FOR THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER ON CERTAIN VEHICLES AND WILL INSTALL VIBRATION DAMPERS ON ALL OF THE INJECTOR LINES. VOLKSWAGEN AND AUDI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS TO HAVE THE VEHICLES REPAIRED FREE OF...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
66 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Power Train | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Diesel | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Otherdeliveryfuel Pump | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Controlaccelerator Pedal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
ABS pump and module have failed according to my mechanic. ABS lights and traction control lights are on all the time. If I were to drive this car on the road, and I would have to make an emergency stop, my brakes would lock up and I would slide. This is an extreme safety hazard.
At first, my vehicle dashboard warning light came on saying I have 9 different lights out(headlight, high beam, brake light, turn signals, etc). I thought it was odd for all these to go out at once, so I took it to the dealership for them to look at it. They couldn’t find anything and gave it back. It went off for a while but then the warning lights came back on. I again took it to the dealership, they told me I would have to leave it for an unknown amount of time for them to look at it. I wasn’t able to do that because it was my only motive transportation. After looking online to see if anyone else had the same issue I found multiple people who said they have the same issue. The fuse box under the hood has begun to melt, which affected the green 30 fuse which was almost completely melted. I replaced that fuse with a new one and that fixed the warning lights. I feel it is still a safety issue because the fuse box is going to continue to melt which could produce a fire.
My vehicle struck a car from behind moving about 35 mph. Air bags did not deploy and I had a proceeding next injury. Why did the airbags not deploy? I have read that "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" for 2011-2014 Golf. I would like confirmation that this was supposed to happen, no airbag deployment. My car was totaled.
INTERMITTENTLY, DASHBOARD MFD WOULD INDICATE THAT ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS FAILED. SHUT OFF ENGINE AND PULLED OUT KEY. INSERTED KEY AND RESTARTED AND ALL WOULD BE FINE. GOT TO THE POINT THAT LIGHTS WERE IN FACT NOT WORKING. PULLED OUT FUSES AND WHEN I PULLED THE 30A FUSE (F16?) I NOTICED THE FUSE AND FUSE BOX WAS MELTED. I CLEANED THE CONTACTS ON THE FUSE WITH SANDPAPER AND A WIRE BRUSH. I ATTEMPTED TO USE THE BRUSH ON THE FUSE BOX BUT TO NO AVAIL. I INSERTED THE FUSE BACK IN AND THE LIGHTS WORKED. NEXT MORNING, I TURNED THE KEY ON AND MFD INDICATED ALL THE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. I OPENED THE HOOD AND FUSE BOX AND WIGGLED THE FUSE. WORKED ALL THE WAY TO AND FROM WORK. FOUND TWO VW FORUMS DISCUSSED THIS SAME ISSUE. MOST WERE TIGUANS. PICTURES ARE THE FUSE BOX AND THE FRONT AND REAR LIGHTS BEFORE I CLEANED THE FUSE. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY WHEN I WAS WORKING ON IT.*DT *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PASSENGER IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DUBLIN VOLKSWAGEN (LOCATED AT 6085 SCARLETT CT, DUBLIN, CA 94568, (925) 829-0800) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,522.*BF *JB
Safety Rating for the 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. has issued 47 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
VIN4APIN20220131 — STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS
Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states blower stays on Any TDI within the vehicle/MY range
VIN4APIN20211026 — POWER TRAIN
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P0149 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states noise during clutch pedal operation...
V011813203489819 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
Diagnosis for EGR flow insufficient. Update to parts table.
TT 96 12 07_6 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
KESSY equipped Key Adaptation, updated to add model year applicability.
V011813203489817 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
DTC P0401 diagnostic assistance, additional smoke test and cold air control valve test
VIN4APIN20200617 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Customer states MIL-on with P0496 Customer states MIL-on with P2440 Customer states MIL-on with U0284 Customer states MIL-on with P02CC, P02CE, P02D0, P02D2, P02D4, and P02D6 P02D7 Customer states oil leak from the engine Customer states MIL-on with P0442 Customer states MIL-on, HPFP mounting bolts loose/broken No crank, no start...
V1917012022548_7 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Update to Volkswagen Identifying and mixing of coolant. Introducing new coolant type.
TT011907 — ENGINE
Update to regeneration instruction.
Dealer 21H2 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
Due to a parts catalog error, incorrect emissions related component(s) may have been installed on some vehicles during a past service repair visit. Dealers will inspect and, if needed, replace the component(s) as a proactive measure to ensure continued emissions compliance.
TRMALDMV_VW — AIR BAGS
In conjunction with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Volkswagen sent Takata airbag recall reminder notices to approximately 3,200 Volkswagen owners in Alabama on June 17, 2019.
Showing 10 of 47 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
- 2007 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — 2 complaints
- 2008 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — 1 complaint
- 2009 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — 5 complaints
- 2010 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — 97 complaints
- 2011 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — 151 complaints
- 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF (current)
- 2013 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — 67 complaints
- 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — 14 complaints
- 2015 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — 181 complaints
- 2016 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — 114 complaints
- 2017 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — 143 complaints
Other VOLKSWAGEN Models
- VOLKSWAGEN JETTA — 13,715 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — 10,288 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE — 3,613 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN — 3,104 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS — 2,635 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN GTI — 1,916 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 — 1,568 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN CC — 1,356 total complaints