Problems · by component

2012 Volkswagen Jetta fuel system, diesel problems

25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta cite fuel system, diesel, 5% of all 527 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
25
5% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the fuel system, diesel

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I was driving on the road going up a hill and my fuel was just alittle low about 120 miles my car sputtered and died and didn't start back up stuck on the road with barley any gaurd rail so I'm partially in the lane and I got it looked at and my high pressure fuel pump failed and sent metal scrapes all throughout my fuel system so it's estimated around 10k to replace I got told it's because the pump barley lost fuel and it uses that to lubricate itself so somthing as simple as one of the pumps going out and this problem can occur or a slight short im just reporting because many others have had this issue with the pump and mine shouldn't have even had nothing going on at 120 miles 1/4 of a tank and I did look in my tank and confirmed I had fuel that I filled up at my local gas station in the middle of the city so it's not bad diesel I own a 2012 volkswagen jetta 2.0l tdi cjaa”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 21, 2024Unknown or other, Fuel system, diesel, Electrical systemODI 11595644
“The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated he smelled a strong odor of carbon dioxide inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test however, no failure was found. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the vehicle did not have a diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 17, 2023Fuel system, dieselODI 11502209
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS HESITANT AS IF THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WHEN NEEDING TO CHANGE GEARS. IN ADDITION, THE GEARS WERE SLOW TO CHANGE OVER. THE DEALER (HANSEL VOLKSWAGEN, 2951 CORBY AVE, SANTA ROSA, CA 95407, (707) 501-5977) PROVIDED A MANUFACTURER SOLUTION OF MODIFYING THE DIESEL SYSTEM, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER MORE THAN TWICE, BUT COULD NOT DIAGNOSE OR REPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED THAT THEIR SOLUTION IMPACTED THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THEY PROVIDED NO REMEDY. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT CONTACT STATES THAT VEHICLE WAS APART OF THE VOLKSWAGEN DIESEL MODIFICATION PROGRAM REQUIRED DUE TO EMISSION FRAUD. AFTER THE REQUIRED MODIFICATION THE TRANSMISSION MISPERFORMED SIX TIMES WHEN ACCELERATING INTO FREEWAY TRAFFIC OR WHEN DOWN-SHIFTING UP HILL. *TT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 17, 2018Fuel system, diesel, Power trainODI 11088720
“GLOW PLUG WARNING LIGHT FLASHED AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ACCOMPANIED BY A LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILURE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 26, 2014Fuel system, dieselODI 10668385
“MY CAR IS A 2012 VW JETTA TDI, CLEAN DIESEL. I WAS DRIVING FROM SAN DIEGO CA TO LAS VEGAS NV. IT WAS OVER 100 DEGREES. I WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 15 NORTH ABOUT 70 MILES PER HOUR. 80 MILES FROM LAS VEGAS, GLOW LIGHT INDICATOR CAME ON, CAR LOST POWER. I PULLED OVER AND CAR STALLED, WOULD NOT RESTART. CALLED VW, TOLD THEM ABOUT THE GLOW LIGHT INDICATOR. THEY AGREED TO TOW THE CAR TO LV. WE SAT ON THE ROAD SIDE FOR MORE THAN 4 HOURS IN 100+ DEGREE HEAT. VW REPAIRED THE CAR IN 6 DAYS, NO COST TO ME EXCEPT RENTAL CAR. CAUSE WAS DESCRIBED AS 'METAL SHAVINGS IN FUEL SYSTEM' LATER REFERRED TO AS HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. VW REPLACED THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM (INJECTORS, LINES, FILTER, FUEL PUMP ETC). HOWEVER AT THIS TIME I DO NOT KNOW IF THE SAME TYPE OF HPFP WAS USED OR A NEWLY REDESIGNED ONE. I AM TRYING TO CLARIFY THAT. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN FLAW OF SOME TYPE. IT CAN NOT BE CAUSED BY BAD FUEL. THE FUEL FILTER WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ANY METAL SHAVINGS. ANY METAL IN THE FUEL DOWNSTREAM OF THE FUEL FILTER HAD TO COME FROM THE CAR ITSELF. NOT ONLY THAT, HAVING FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR MY CAR, MY FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED AT 20K MILES.…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 8, 2014Fuel system, diesel, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 10631588
“THE 2012 JETTA TDI SPORTWAGEN WAS WORKING PERFECTLY AS WE DROVE TO A LOCAL CONCERT IN THE PARK. AFTER STOPPING FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.5 HOURS FOR THE CONCERT MY WIFE, EIGHT-MONTH OLD CHILD AND I STARTED THE VEHICLE TO HEAD BACK HOME, AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE STARTED AND WAS WORKING PROPERLY. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY ONE-MILE I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR TO GO OVER A SMALL BRIDGE AND THE VEHICLE HAD ALMOST NO POWER THEN THE GLOW PUG LIGHTS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I THEN PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE TO BE SURE WE WERE SAFE AND DID NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. AFTER A MINUTE I TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND ALL SEEMED OK AGAIN FOR ABOUT A 1/2 MILE AND THEN THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED, VERY LOW POWER GLOW PUG LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WE WERE ONLY TWO MILES FROM HOME SO AS THE ENGINE TEMP WAS GOOD I CONTINUED HOME ON SURFACE STREETS WITH LITTLE POWER AND MADE IT HOME. CALLED OUR LOCAL DEALER AND DROVE TO THEM THE NEXT DAY, THEY SEEMED TO KNOW THE ISSUE WHEN I CALLED AND AS EXPECTED, THE SAME ISSUE AS SO MANY OTHERS! THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, (HPFP) HAD FAILED AND METAL SHAVINGS WERE STREWN THROUGHOUT THE FUEL…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 13, 2014Fuel system, dieselODI 10622007

Showing 6 of 25 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Fuel system, diesel

Free remedy

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 INJECTION PULSES COULD COINCIDE WITH THE NATURAL FREQUENCY OF THE INJECTOR LINE #2, IN SPECIFIC LOAD AND RPM CONDITIONS. THIS RESONANCE CREATES ADDITIONAL STRESS IN THE FUEL LINE.

Fuel system, dieselReported Oct 3, 2011NHTSA 11V490000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 3, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.