Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Volkswagen CC owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I'm part of a class action lawsuit where I was denied after sending all of the pertinent information the attorney's requested. I have all documentation of the correspondence which was requested with contact information to the Volkswagen company and other recipients. The class action is "Engine Water Pump Settlement". The water pump was faulty in this vehicle and many others of this model. It was deemed a safety concern by the federal government of the United States. This has been in progress since 2019.
Vehicle stalls when accelerating or traveling at high rates of speed and it will lose power. It bumps and jolts to life. My RPM shoots up and and down. It lags to accelerate when the gas pedal is pressed to accelerate it suddenly jolts. Battery, Epc light, as well as engine light come on immediately.
Vehicle stalls when accelerating or traveling at high rates of speed loses power. Lags to accelerate when gas pedal is pressed then suddenly jolts. Battery, Epc light, as well as engine light come on immediately. Vehicle will restart lights wil eventually go off until the next failure.
My daughter has bought a CC Volkswagen from dealership in 2014... The car has any problems? Such as the air bags... Engine ,,,car started in its own running in garage ,,until battery died all wires melted , I have call vw all they did was send a 1000 credit only too be used if she buys a brand new car or lease? She was in a accident . Three times,,, now? The car a totaled? Air bags didn't protect her first few times at all now smacked her in her face ? They replaced manifold? Not airbags? She could of been killed ... Taking v,w too long too address this problems w airbags nose put her at risk? More then once ... Not right ? They do not sell 2012 CC at v w dealership anylonger yet came a warranty which has not helped her? Cars was unsafe as I told Volkswagen USA,,, I was ignored ? Well car a wreck,, I believe as always have and have notes emails telling them this? Totaled now? Too? …
In a front end collision while slowing down on interstate 84, on October 15, 2015, the air bag did not release. This resulted in a fractured sternum and a hospital stay. The police report with the connecticut state police is case number 1500606623 per article in USA today -- 8.15.15, this car is included in a recall due to airbags not deploying.
On 4/16/18 I was on my way to lunch, I pulled up to an intersection where the lights were flashing. When it was my turn to go, I pushed on the gas pedal and my car died that's when I noticed my car was stalled. Luckily, two gentlemen stopped and pushed out of the way while I was getting ahold of my husband. When my husband arrived we were able to get the car safely off of the road and to his office (which is about a 1/2 mile from where I was). However, when he went to leave later that afternoon my car wouldn't not start but still had power to everything (radio, windows, door locks, seats, etc.). We had to have the car towed to a mechanic where it was determined that the car suffered "catastrophic engine failure" at no fault of my own. It was determined that the engine did not fail due to neglect. Something inside the engine broke - we believe it was the timing chain tensioner. …
Driving a 2012 vw CC with 57,000 miles. Driving on highway at 70 MPH and attempted to pass a slow moving truck. Accelerated quickly and mid pass the engine lost power and immediately went into "limp mode" with ecr light activated on the dash. Pulled over safely and turned off the engine. After collecting myself, I started engine to drive off highway. Car would not start. I sat a few moments in panic and tried again. The car started and I drove with ecr light on to next exit. The car was sluggish with little acceleration. Pulled to gas station and turned off again. Restarted and the engine rpms ran higher in idle so I turned off the car again. Let it sit and restarted and drove to auto zone where they did a code tester and was told p0229 underboost turbocharger was issue. Auto zone employee said he had seen it many times and its a known issue with 2.0 turbo engines in vw and Audi. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen CC. While driving 25 MPH, the vehicle started to decelerate and lost power. Also, the epc warning indicator illuminated. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to the side of the road. After thirty minutes, the vehicle restarted and was driven to the contact's residence. While the vehicle was idling, the failure recurred and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was later taken to piazza Volkswagen of ardmore (150 w lancaster ave, ardmore, pa 19003, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the low pressure fuel pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was recently repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 17V509000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not offer assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
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. I have no good options since $6K is still owed on vehicle, no warranty and no means of replacing motor. Vw is aware of issue. Several other complaints have been filed for this same issue and it appears to be common enough to have made several online forums and aftermarket companies to sell upgraded preventative replacement part.
I experienced a leak from the water pump while the car was stationary. I took it to my mechanic who stated that he always sees this type of problem with the volkswagens because Volkswagen uses plastic parts and these parts are often around the highly heated areas in the engine therefore they fail. I bought this car for my daughter who will be driving back and forth to college and I am extremely concerned about her safety if vw is using inadequate parts in their cars. Also, repair costs are unimaginable, $1000, only to be replaced with the same plastic part. I also had to replace one of the tail light casings because it too was made of plastic and the tail light lamp burned into the plastic and ceased to light. We have also had this car in for two different parts recalls, airbag x 2, and fuel pump control module.
Engine complaints in other CC years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2012 Volkswagen CC?
NHTSA has 65 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2012 Volkswagen CC, 28% of the model year's 230 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › catalytic convertor (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Volkswagen CC engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2012 Volkswagen CC, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 Volkswagen CC engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.