Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year, against this model's usual year.
2012AVOIDSerious complaints 4.2× usual, mostly air bags and engine Extended coverage
90 serious complaints of 94, the most about air bags (64) and engine (13); 4.2× this model's usual share of all serious complaints about 2012 vehicles. 4 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA18003: air bag clockspring failure. NHTSA investigation RQ17009: air bag clockspring failure.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2012 volkswagen eos. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v078000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, Mar 2017
“The contact owns a 2012 volkswagen eos. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact's husband coasted the vehicle to the right side of the road. The vehicle would not restart and was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the timing chain tensioner fractured and destroyed the engine.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the engine, Sep 2017
Fixes and extended coverage
- Extended coverage VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP COMMUNICATION: Volkswagen announced a warranty extension program to cover the High Pressure Fuel Pump on 2009-2012 model year TDI Clean Diesel Engine vehicles (Dealer, Apr 2015)
- Extended coverage This document advises dealers regarding the Timing Chain/Timing Chain Tensioner Limited Warranty Extension (VWP-18, Aug 2018)
- Extended coverage This Document informs dealers on VWP-18-11 for the Steering Wheel Clock Spring Limited Warranty Extension (VWP-18-11, Oct 2018)
- Extended coverage The Vehicle Maintenance Declaration has been added back to WISE for the Timing Chain Warranty Extension. (Vehicle, Jan 2019)
- Extended coverage This supporting FAQ is for the Turbocharger Limited Warranty Extension Class Action Settlement. (Turbocharger, Sep 2025)
- Extended coverage This technical bulletin was updated per powertain team and warranty team. (V241702, Feb 2017)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
94 owner complaints · 4 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 25 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated · 2012 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. NHTSA doesn't publish sales, so only big differences count. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 2.0L 4-cyl turbo · Drive: FWD
2012 EOS trims
| Komfort | Luxury |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Volkswagen reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Volkswagen aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 200 hp | FWD | 25 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 4 | Electrical system (3) | — |
| 2015 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | FWD | 25 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 3 | Electrical system (2) | — |
| 2014 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | FWD | 25 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 40 | Air bags (31) | — |
| 2013 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 200 hp | FWD | 25 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 26 | Air bags (19) | — |
| 2012 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | FWD | 25 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 94 | Air bags (64) | — |
| 2011 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo manual available | FWD | 25 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 18 | Air bags (10) | — |
| 2010 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo manual available | FWD | 25 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 69 | Air bags (24) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Volkswagen EOS C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 2 | 4 |
| 2015 | Volkswagen EOS C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 2 | 3 |
| 2014 | Volkswagen EOS C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 40 |
| 2013 | Volkswagen EOS C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 26 |
| 2012 | Volkswagen EOS C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 94 |
| 2011 | Volkswagen EOS C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 2 | 18 |
| 2010 | Volkswagen Eos Convertible w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 2 | 69 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Eos | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 25 |
| 2015 | Eos | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 25 |
| 2014 | Eos | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 25 |
| 2013 | Eos | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 25 |
| 2012 | Eos | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 25 |
| 2011 | Eos | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
25 |
| 2010 | Eos | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
25 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.