2012 Volkswagen Jetta Suspension Problems

Front driver strut coil spring snapped while driving.

I HAD TO HAVE ALL FOUR SPRINGS REPLACED BECAUSE THEY WERE BROKEN. I'VE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH VW. WHY ARE THEY NOT ADDRESSING THIS? THE CAR HAD ABOUT 89 THOUSAND MILES ON IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTWAGEN. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM REAR, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR SPRINGS WERE REPLACED 4 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER NYE VOLKSWAGEN OF ROME LOCATED AT 5865 ROME-TABERG RD ROME, NY 13440, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH REAR SPRINGS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,000.

BROKEN LEFT FRONT & LEFT REAR COIL SPRINGS. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS WAS CREATED BY RUNNING OVER ANYTHING. SERVICE ASSOCIATE BLAMED IT ON RUST DUE TO SNOW, ICE, DEBRIS BUILD UP. HARD TO BELIEVE A COIL SPRING WILL RUST THROUGH IN 8YRS. IT APPEARS VW HAS HAD OTHER ISSUES WITH COIL SPRINGS ON VEHICLES. I CHECKED WITH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC & HE AGREED THEY WERE BROKEN. FRONT WHEELS ARE OUT OF ALIGNMENT & SQUEAL WHEN LIGHTLY PRESSING ON BRAKE. CAR CAN'T BE ALIGNED UNTIL REPAIR IS MADE. *TR

DELAYED AIR CONDITIONING; IT TAKES 5-10 MINUTES FOR AC TO BLOW HOT AIR. I CHECKED ON FORUMS & YOUTUBE AND SO MANY OTHER OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE FOR JETTA, GOLF, AND GTI. THE SUSPENSION MAKES SQUEAKING NOISE GOING OVER A BUMP ONLY WHEN THE WEATHER IS FREEZING COLD. AGAIN, MANY OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE AND EVEN HAVE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE.

ABOUT A YEAR AGO BOTH REAR SPRINGS WERE BROKE AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THEM. ABOUT A MONTH AGO BOTH FRONT SPRINGS WERE BROKE AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THEM. ALL THE REPLACEMENTS WERE DONE AT MY COST. I NOW HAVE A REAR RIGHT SPRING THAT HAS BROKE AND WILL NOW HAVE TO HAVE IT REPLACED. IN MY OVER 50 YEARS OF DRIVING DIFFERENT MODEL CARS AND TRUCK, I HAVE NEVER HAD SPRING FAILURES SUCH AS THIS. I HAVEN'T HIT ANY MAJOR POT HOLES THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE. THIS MUST BE DEFECTIVE SPRINGS. THE LAST TIME I WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP HAVING THE FRONT SPRINGS REPLACED THEY SAID THIS IS COMMON. IT SHOULD NOT BE COMMON.

BOTH FRONT COULD SPRINGS BROKE AT 45000 MILES. NO RECALL BUT CLEARLY OTHERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. COST TO REPLACE WAS JUST UNDER $500 AS THE STRUTS WERE COMPROMISED WHEN SPRINGS BROKE. THERE WAS NOT INDICATION OF WHEN THEY BROKE AND WE WERE LUCKY OUR MECHANIC CAUGHT THIS MALFUNCTION BEFORE IT CAUSED MORE DAMAGE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE THE CONTACT'S SON WAS DRIVING 50 MPH, THE DRIVER HEARD A BANGING SOUND EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE JOLTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SCOTT VOLKSWAGEN (777 TAUNTON AVE, EAST PROVIDENCE, RI 02914) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE STRUT COIL SPRING FAILED AND BOTH FRONT STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V656000 (SUSPENSION); HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

THERE IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE REAR AXLE OF THIS VEHICLE WHEREBY ROAD DEBRIS CAN STRIKE THE AXLE CAUSING IT TO BEND. I THINK THE DESIGN FLAW IS TWO-FOLD. 1. THE AXLE IS PLACED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT IS TOTALLY UNPROTECTED FROM ROAD DEBRIS. 2. THE METAL OF THE AXLE AND TRAILING ARMS IS NOT HARDENED TO A STRONG ENOUGH DEGREE TO WITHSTAND DEBRIS STRIKES AND SUBSEQUENT STRESS. DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I RAN OVER A 4-6" PIECE OF TWO BY FOUR OR POSSIBLY ANGLE IRON (NOT SURE WHICH). THE OBJECT WAS KICKED UP BY THE FRONT COWLING. THE OBJECT MADE MULTIPLE IMPACT STRIKES UNDER THE CAR FROM FRONT TO BACK AS EVIDENCED BY THE MARKINGS LEFT ON THE ALUMINUM COVERED INSULATION THAT COVERS THE UNDERCARRIAGE, ULTIMATELY STRIKING THE REAR AXLE, CAUSING IT TO BEND. THE BEND IN THE AXLE IS FRONT-TO-BACK. THIS IS NOT FROM BACKING OVER ANY OBJECT (SEE CAMPAIGN 14V656000). THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE REAR AXLE AND TRAILING ARMS ARE EXPOSED TO ROAD DEBRIS AND NOT OF SUFFICIENT STRENGTH TO WITHSTAND IMPACT AND SUBSEQUENT STRESS ON TRAILING ARMS. A THIN PIECE OF SHEET METAL IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE AND IS EXPOSING AMERICAN DRIVERS TO SERIOUS CRASH POTENTIAL AND DEATH. YOU CAN ALSO SEE CHINA'S INVESTIGATION OF THIS ISSUE HERE: HTTP://WWW.DPAC.GOV.CN/XWDT/GZDT/201509/W020150911606237827139.PDF AND HERE: HTTP://WWW.DPAC.GOV.CN/VIDEO_XINSUTENG/

THE REAR TRAILING ARMS OF JETTA AND BEETLE OF VW IS A DESIGN FLAW. (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V656000) CHINA AQSIQ (GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF QUALITY SUPERVISION, INSPECTION AND QUARANTINE OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA) CONDUCTED A YEARLONG SURVEY TEST, THE EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS HAVE BEEN OUT : THE REAR TRAILING ARMS OF JETTA AND BEETLE OF VW IS A DESIGN FLAW?THE RECALL OF USA?2011-2013 JETTA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED MARCH 1, 2010, TO NOVEMBER 30, 2012, AND 2012-2013 BEETLE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED MARCH 1, 2011, TO JULY 31, 2013. ?. THE MAIN CONCLUSIONS OF AQSIQ OF CHINA ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. THE REAR TRAILING ARMS OF THE RECALL OF JETTA AND BEETLE OF VW CAUSED A DEFICIT. JUST WHEN ENCOUNTERING OBSTACLES IN REVERSING THE PROCESS, IT WILL CAUSE THE REAR TRAILING ARMS DEFORMED. 2. THE METHOD OF THE RECALL THAT INSTALLING A SHEET METAL CAN?T ELIMINATE DEFECTS. THE INSTALLATION OF A SHEET METAL ONLY ENHANCES THE RESISTANCE TO DEFORMATION OF THE REAR TRAILING ARMS, BUT WHEN THE MORPH TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, THERE IS STILL THE RISK OF BREAKAGE AND LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER BREAKING, THE SHEET METAL DOES NOT NECESSARILY ALERT OF NOISE. IN THE CASE OF VEHICLES OF MORE THAN 40KM / H, WHEN THE REAR TRAILING ARMS FRACTURE, THE SHEET METAL WILL ALSO BREAK, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BE CONTROLLED. WE FEAR FOR OUR SAFETY, AND WE NEED NHTSA?S HELP! THANK YOU! THE TECHNICAL REPORTS OF CHINA AQSIQ ABOUT THE JETTA AND BEETLE: HTTP://WWW.DPAC.GOV.CN/XWDT/GZDT/201509/T20150911_57436.HTML CHINA AQSIQ TEST VIDEOS BELOW: HTTP://WWW.DPAC.GOV.CN/VIDEO_XINSUTENG/. *TR

THE CAR WILL OCCASIONALLY SHUTTER UPON ACCELERATION. *TR

PER SERVICE ADVISOR RATTLE OCCURS FROM REAR DECK ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH "FENDER" SOUND SYSTEM AND THEY HAVE A "CAMPAIGN" TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT NOT ON THIS MODEL YEAR. *TR