Everything NHTSA's vPIC database knows about this exact vehicle:
Decoding from NHTSA…
Vehicle history — accidents, title & owners
The decode above is what this vehicle is. For what it's been through — accidents, title brands, odometer, theft/total-loss and previous owners — pull a full history report.
NHTSA publishes the first 11 characters of the VIN with every complaint — that identifies the plant, model year, body and engine. So these are reports from cars built exactly like this one, not an average across the whole model.
3VWDP7AJ9CM••••••2012 Volkswagen JETTA
This build draws 3.4× more complaints than the average 2012 Volkswagen JETTA build (12 vs 4).
12on this build
447on the model
126builds in total
1involved a fire
Most reportedElectrical System 6Engine 4Service Brakes 2Steering 2
What owners of this build wrote
EnginefireDec 2015
The contact owns a 2012 volkswagen jetta. While starting the vehicle, the contact noticed a burning odor emitting from inside the vehicle. The engine compartment caught fire. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was…
SteeringOct 2019
The contact owns a 2012 volkswagen jetta. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 19V615000(electrical system, steering). The contact had not notified the dealer and manufacturer of the recall notice. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not…
Unknown Or OtherFeb 2019
After parking vehicle, key gets stuck in ignition and can't turn vehicle off. On a different occasion, I had my vehicle parked and the key wouldn't turn in the ignition when trying to turn the key to start the car
Electrical SystemMay 2018
The contact owns a 2012 volkswagen jetta. While the vehicle was stationary and while driving various speeds, the horn became inoperative in cold climates. In addition, the windshield wipers failed. Furthermore, the ignition key became stuck in the ignition on several occasions.…
Service BrakesJan 2015
The car, a 2012 vw jetta se, failed to respond to the reverse gear on 1/5/2015 and behaved as if the emergency brake was still engaged. The rear tires would not move and the reverse maneuver failed. The dealership was called and they recommended towing to their facility. This…
Read all 12 complaints on this exact buildFull text, search by keyword, and the systems that fail most on cars built like yours.Unlock with Pro →
Owner complaints…
Now the whole model — all 126 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:
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The original window sticker and factory options
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls, complaints and safety from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Full history reports from our partner. VIN 3VWDP7AJ9CM453321 · decoded Aug 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.