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Volkswagen CCModel year report

2012 Volkswagen CC Problems

Compared with other Volkswagen CC years

More complaints than typical for this model

69/100 1.6× a typical year · 50 = typical

Open NHTSA investigationAir Bag Clockspring Failure

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2015

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
230filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
67,900miles, 144 complaints with mileage
Recalls
6campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
25 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl FWD · 22 city / 31 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2012 Volkswagen CC (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2012 CC most often describe stalling or sudden loss of power while driving, timing chain and engine problems, and airbag-related concerns including a driver inflator recall and clock spring faults that disable the horn. Many reports come in between roughly 50,000 and 100,000 miles, and several owners mention waiting on recall parts or being told repairs were not covered.

  1. Fuel system

    Stalling or losing power while driving (fuel pump)

    • 85 complaints (37%)
    • median 70,600 mi at 6.1 yrs old (63 state mileage)
    • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $4,000 (median of 9 quotes)
    • filed 2012–2024

    Owners describe the vehicle shutting off without warning at city and highway speeds, sometimes after refueling, with the engine and battery lights coming on. Several say a dealer or independent shop traced the problem to the fuel pump or fuel pump control module, and some mention the part being unavailable under the fuel pump recall. A few report the same stall returning after the pump was replaced. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 110,000 miles, sometimes shortly after refueling.

    Recall 17V509000

    What to check: Ask whether the fuel pump control module recall (17V509000) was completed and whether the pump or module has been replaced. Note any hesitation or stall after filling the tank during a test drive.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Purchased my car and went to fill up with gas. After fueling the car would not start. After 10 minutes the car started so I drove back to the dealer. Only a 5 minute drive. The car then died while moving at 40 MPH in the middle of the road. The engine and battery light came on. The dealer cleared the codes and the car drove out. Then was getting gas again a week later and the same incident occurred. Was in the middle of the city street turning and the vehicle died again.”

    NHTSA complaint #11073343, filed 2018-02, 107,000 miles

    “My car has left me stranded twice. It all started when my fuel pump started to leak gas all over my car. Once I got the fuel pump replaced. My vehicle ran fine on my way to the store but when I came back to my car it turned over and let me pull out of my parking spot but then died when I went to put it in drive in the parking lot. I attempted to jump my car but it did not work. I replaced the battery on 10/9/17 and it appeared to solve the issue. On 10/29/17 I drove my car up north to payson. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11045248, filed 2017-11, 3 miles
  2. Engine

    Timing chain and tensioner failure

    • 59 complaints (26%)
    • median 79,981 mi at 6.5 yrs old (53 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $5,000 (median of 9 quotes)
    • filed 2014–2023

    Owners report rattling or knocking noises, a check engine light, and engines that crank but will not start after the timing chain jumps. Shops are described as recommending timing chain, tensioner, or complete engine replacement, and some owners say the repair was quoted at several thousand dollars with little or no assistance from the manufacturer. Broadly spread from about 40,000 to 120,000 miles, with many reports in the 65,000-90,000 range.

    What to check: Listen for a rattle at cold start and ask for service records showing oil changes and any timing chain, tensioner, or timing cover work.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving home from work last night the engine started making strange knocking noises and then stalled with a blinking cel that turned to solid I restarted the car twice in neutral (manual transmission) it was r miles from my job to my home the car now does not start and makes a very loud knocking noise the timing chain jumped and now my engine is completely damaged I could have been rear ended when the car stalled 3 miles”

    NHTSA complaint #11309458, filed 2020-02, 72,000 miles

    “The timing chain on my 2012 Volkswagen CC failed under no fault of my own. The vehicle has 65k miles on it and the repair shop is citing that an entire engine is needed to repair the vehicle with a cost of $7,000. I have reached out to Volkswagen of america as well as the dealership, I purchased the vehicle from, neither have offered any relief. This has posed a tremendous impediment on my life and threatens to ruin my credit as I am stuck paying for a vehicle that I cannot drive.”

    NHTSA complaint #11018923, filed 2017-08, 65,000 miles
  3. Engine

    Misfire, rough running and loss of power

    • 33 complaints (14%)
    • median 72,000 mi at 6.1 yrs old (30 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $7,000 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2014–2023

    Owners describe shaking, a flashing check engine light with the EPC light, reduced power or limp mode, and in some cases a no-start condition. Complaints mention ignition coils, spark plugs, fuel injectors, and intake parts being replaced, and some owners report the symptoms returning after repairs. Reported from about 30,000 to 110,000 miles, often during acceleration on the highway.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether coils, plugs, and injectors have been serviced and whether any misfire codes were cleared; a smooth, shake-free test drive under acceleration is worth checking.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Engine appeared to have acceleration and timing issues. Took to local shop for routine oil change and to look into issue. Was informed that all my misfire issues were not from ignition coils as previously fixed by vw dealer but that it was the timing chain. Engine only has 108k miles (all highway commuter) and still owe money on loan. Shop informed me that engine would need to be completely torn apart to see all the damage that's been done but would be cheaper to just replace with used engine. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11034310, filed 2017-10, 108,000 miles

    “My vehicle first had an ABS light illuminate which caused an ABS failure. I've read this is a common problem. Then most recently I had an epc code illuminate in addition to a check engine light. This caused the car to lose RPM and start misfiring. I had to replace all 4 coils on the vehicle. While at the shop my air conditioned stopped working correctly only functioning when on the 4 position. I hate this care more than anything and can only pray that vw may find it in their heart to buy it back!!!!”

    NHTSA complaint #10778507, filed 2015-09, 62,000 miles
  4. Air bags

    Airbag inflator recall and clock spring faults

    Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe driver-side airbag inflator recall notices and long waits for parts, and separately report the airbag light coming on after the driver seat was adjusted with the horn and steering wheel controls failing. According to complaints, dealers identified the clock spring (control unit) as the cause and in some cases said the airbags would not deploy. Reported from roughly 60,000 to 95,000 miles, with no clear seasonal pattern.

    Recall 18V148000Recall 16V078000Recall 15V4830002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check that the driver airbag inflator recall was performed and confirm the airbag light goes out and the horn works with the wheel turned; ask whether the clock spring has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When vehicle is in motion there has been multiple times I came close to getting in an accident due to being unable to use my horn. My horn and controls not work due to the clock spring harness. The vw clock spring warranty will not cover the fix due to my airbag light not being on yet. My horn not working alone is a safety issue and they refuse to see it that way.”

    NHTSA complaint #11163294, filed 2018-12, 88,000 miles

    “Takata recall. I have been trying to get this airbag replaced in my daughters car. We live in florida and her car is listed on the recall list which is still open. I pray everyday that she is safe in this car, we can not afford to replace an entire car or get a rental for months at a time.”

    NHTSA complaint #10907687, filed 2016-09, 80,000 miles
  5. Electrical system

    Trunk wiring harness breaks at the hinge

    • 25 complaints (11%)
    • median 63,500 mi at 4.7 yrs old (20 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2014–2023

    Owners describe tail lights and brake lights that stop working, along with the trunk latch or door switch failing. Complaints say the wiring harness in the trunk lid flexes at a pinch point and the wires break or the insulation wears through, and that replacing the harness was the fix. Reported from about 50,000 to 75,000 miles.

    What to check: With the lights on, check every rear lamp while opening and closing the trunk, and look at the harness where it flexes at the hinge for cracked insulation.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Takata recall... When I bring my car in there is no fix to this problem but they say they can put ne in another car but my value is not enough to zero out the bakance on my loan... Why must I pay for a car that is supposed to be scrapped and a manufactured defect? My loan needs to be zeroed out and I should be allowed to start over. I have spent extra money on that car new tures & battery not even a year old. The takata corporation needs to be liable for the remaining debt not me.... …”

    NHTSA complaint #10914444, filed 2016-10, 62,000 miles

    “Wiring harness for trunk has pinch point causing the wire insulation and wires to break. This harness has rear lights in the same harness. Had to replace trunk harness, car is 5 years old and has 65000 miles. Latch and door switch stopped working, diagnosis was short in harness. I took old harness from dealer and pulled back cover and found all wires were bare.”

    NHTSA complaint #10824947, filed 2016-02, 65,000 miles

Buying note. Look for records showing the fuel pump and airbag recalls were completed, and have the timing chain, rear lighting, and misfire history checked before purchase. A pre-purchase inspection that pulls stored fault codes is worthwhile given how often owners describe electrical and engine warnings.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 230 consumer complaints for the 2012 Volkswagen CC. 144 of the complaints include a mileage, and 27% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 67,900 miles. Of all complaints, 11 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 8 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns and 991 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 7 Volkswagen CC model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 69 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Vehicle speed control (8), Exterior lighting (6), Body and structure (4), Engine cooling (2), Suspension (2), Equipment (1), Forward collision avoidance (1), Seat belts (1), Seats (1), Tires (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “Error air bag error was the error that appears on my display when I turn on car. Horn & all buttons on steering wheel stopped working. This is on the vw CC year is 2012. I am told by service department it is due to a failure of the clockspring hence I must replace the clockspring with control unit and part only is almost 450 dollars, and labor is additional.”

NHTSA complaint #10730109, filed 2015-06, 10,300 miles

Engine: “Car stuttered right before I parked in a parking spot turned off car, went in a store came back out and car would not start, just cranks but wont turn over. Timing chain tensioner failure. Loss of 4 cylinder compression. Need complete engine replacement. A known problem with 2.0 turbo engine, dating back to 2008 I have 86000 miles.”

NHTSA complaint #11254467, filed 2019-09, 86,000 miles

Fuel system: “Volkswagen in mt pleasant south carolina had me bring my car in to get a fuel pump replaced. This was back in october of 2017. Volkswagen put a faulty fuel pump in my car and the car no longer runs. I spoke with the general mgr recently and the head tech - they said we cannot do anything for you. I also called Volkswagen customer service and they said its not their problem. They put a faulty fuel pump in my car”

NHTSA complaint #11076276, filed 2018-03, 78,000 miles

Electrical system: “My steering wheel electrical and air bag stopped working after I made a turn while driving. I found out it was the clock spring after taking it in. The car had only been driven for about 38,000 miles and something like that should not happen that early. Volkswagen has not done anything about it yet either.”

NHTSA complaint #10731545, filed 2015-07, 38,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

27% of the 144 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 45,000 and 92,000 miles.

7%0–106%10–2515%25–5030%50–7523%75–10019%100–1501%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (144 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 67,900 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’11’13’15’1760’19’21’23’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2012 Volkswagen CC. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
CC · sedan AWDnot rated———4
CC · sedan FWDnot rated———4

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2012 Volkswagen CC version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
CC FWD2.0L 4-cyl6-speed automatic223125$3,300
CC FWD2.0L 4-cyl6-speed manual213124$3,400
CC 4motion AWD3.6L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172520$4,100

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2012 Volkswagen CC → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 991 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 991 bulletins →

Other model years of the Volkswagen CC

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20162640,5006—258 · FewerFalling
20153035,0004—250 · FewerFalling
20148034,0005—2555 · TypicalFalling
201314845,0005—2555 · TypicalFalling
201223067,9006—2569 · MoreFalling
20118671,0754—2522 · FewerFalling
201024278,0004—2573 · MoreFalling
200913683,0004—2345 · TypicalStable

All Volkswagen CC model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Volkswagen CC?

Owners of the 2012 CC most often describe stalling or sudden loss of power while driving, timing chain and engine problems, and airbag-related concerns including a driver inflator recall and clock spring faults that disable the horn. The issues reported most often: Stalling or losing power while driving (fuel pump); Timing chain and tensioner failure; Misfire, rough running and loss of power.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2012 Volkswagen CC have?

NHTSA recorded 230 consumer complaints for the 2012 Volkswagen CC as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2012 Volkswagen CC is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 86 complaints (37% of the total), followed by engine with 64.

Has the 2012 Volkswagen CC been recalled?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2012 Volkswagen CC get?

The EPA rates the 2012 Volkswagen CC (CC, 2.0L 4-cyl) at 25 mpg combined, 22 city and 31 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,300 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2012 Volkswagen CC reported?

Among the 144 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 67,900 miles and the middle half falls between 45,000 and 92,000 miles; 27% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.