2012 Volkswagen Passat: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2012 Volkswagen Passat: 11 recalls, 484 owner complaints and up to 34 mpg combined.
_R36_4MOTION_station_wagon_(2011-11-09).jpg){kind=link}
Recalls
11 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Fuel system (diesel) Vehicle recall #12V146000 · 2012 · 153 vehicles
What's wrong: During assembly, these vehicles were built with a diesel fuel filter element that May not seal correctly.
Why it matters: Over time, or after certain driving distances, these vehicles are susceptible to fuel leakage. Leaking fuel, in the presence of an ignition source, May lead to a fire.
The fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the diesel fuel filter elements, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 27, 2012.
Exterior lights Vehicle recall #14V125000 · 2014 · 150,201 vehicles
What's wrong: In the affected vehicles, the low beam headlight bulb May become loose and lose electrical contact.
Why it matters: A loss of low beam headlights May reduce the driver's visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Volkswagen notified owners, and dealers will replace the bulb holder, free of charge. The recall began in May 2014.
Airbags Vehicle recall #15V483000 · 2015 · 415,825 vehicles
What's wrong: 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…
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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…
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V078000 · 2016 · 659,493 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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 notify owners again once parts are…
Electrical Vehicle recall #16V171000 · 2016 · 91,442 vehicles
What's wrong: Volkswagen group of america, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 passat vehicles equipped with tdi engines. Due to improperly assembled wire seals in a connector for an underbody sensor, water May enter and corrode the electrical connectors of the sensor, causing an electrical short.
Why it matters: An electrical short can cause the electrical connectors of the sensor to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the connector, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in September.
Transmission & drivetrain, Engine & cooling Vehicle recall #17V309000 · 2017 · 84,262 vehicles
What's wrong: Volkswagen group of america, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 passat vehicles, equipped with diesel engines and direct-shift transmissions (dsg). The vehicle's underbody heat shield May not be long enough to protect the right half-shaft grease boot from heat, potentially resulting in a grease leak.
Why it matters: If the leaking grease contacts a heated surface, such as the exhaust system and/or the diesel particulate filter (dpf), it could increase the risk of fire.
The fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft heat shield, free of charge. The recall began on July 7, 2017.
Airbags Vehicle recall #18V148000 · 2018 · 363,713 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: 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.
The fix: 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.
Other / unknown Vehicle recall #18V329000 · 2018 · 252 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
The fix: 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.
Exterior lights Vehicle recall #19V389000 · 2019 · 662,185 vehicles
What's wrong: Volkswagen group of america, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen passat and 2018-2019 atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim May not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (fmvss) number 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Why it matters: Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2019.
Airbags Vehicle recall #19V862000 · 2019 · 226 vehicles
What's wrong: 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.
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019.
Airbags Vehicle recall #24V834000 · 2024 · 248,330 vehicles
What's wrong: Volkswagen group of america, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 beetle, beetle convertible, 2012-2014 passat, 2017 passat wagon, and 2006-2007 passat sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal air bag inflator May explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 3 mention a fire, 10 injuries and 0 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Airbags (296): the most common themes are warning light on (63).
- Electrical (95): the most common themes are warning light on (33), electrical failure (23).
- Steering (46): the most common themes are steering problems (39), warning light on (22), noise or vibration (15).
- Engine (40): the most common themes are warning light on (14), stalls / loses power (12), won't start (5).
The 2012 Volkswagen Passat has 484 owner complaints, ranking #8 of 33 Passat model years for complaints (2.0× the average Passat year). Complaints peaked in 2016 (114 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 4 years old, at a median of 58,600 miles. Neighboring years: 2011 (16 complaints, 0 recalls), 2013 (748 complaints, 9 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 L 4-cyl turbo | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 30 | 40 | 34 | Diesel |
| 2.5 L 5-cyl | Manual 5-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | 22 | 32 | 26 | Regular |
| 2.5 L 5-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 22 | 31 | 25 | Regular |
| 3.6 L 6-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 20 | 28 | 23 | Premium |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat.
Closest thing to the factory manual for most years. Pay once, keep it.
Most $25–$78, one-timePro-shop repair procedures, wiring diagrams and TSBs for your exact car.
From $19.99/mo · $39.99/yrOEM procedures, specs and recall/TSB info, the same source many shops use.
From $19.99/mo · $59.99/yrStep-by-step photos written from a real teardown. Great for first-timers.
Books ~$30–$40 · AllAccess $34.99/moHeads up: we may earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. Prices checked 2026-10 and can change. We never host or link to pirated manuals. Disclosure
FAQ
Does the 2012 Volkswagen Passat have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 11 vehicle recalls for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2012 Volkswagen Passat problems?
Owners have filed 484 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are airbags (296), electrical (95), steering (46).
What gas mileage does the 2012 Volkswagen Passat get?
EPA ratings run up to 34 mpg combined (2.0 L, Automatic (S6)), across 4 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2012 Volkswagen Passat repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.