Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit.
Owners have filed 94 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Volkswagen Eos, and it carries 4 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 54 | 57% |
| Engine | 9 | 10% |
| Power train | 5 | 5% |
| Steering | 3 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 2 | 2% |
| Seats | 2 | 2% |
| Suspension | 2 | 2% |
| Visibility | 2 | 2% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 2% |
| Steering | 1 | 1% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
My airbag light came on my 2012 EOS and Vw dealer said it was a Clock Spring part issue causing it part number (5K0-953-569-AL) I mentioned this is a safety issue as it also disabled my horn on steering wheel and was pre
NHTSA complaint: Steering
In an accident I was struck by another vehicle that swerved into my lane at a very high rate of speed. His vehicle struck my car on the drivers side front quater panel just after the head light and continued past the dri
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
While driving, turned seat heater on, it overheated enough to burn the seat and my coat. No noticeable fire.
NHTSA complaint: Seats
Due to the cold weather I turned on the driver heated seat. I suddenly started feeling it extremely hot, I was wearing a quilted sweater. When I arrived at my work a coworker noticed that my sweater was burned from the
NHTSA complaint: Seats
My car goes into a false neutral and shifts out of gear while driving. The "PRNDS" indicator on dash had a blinking "D" alternating with a wrench. I have to come to a complete stop turn the car off and right back on an
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The vehicle has 37444 miles on it and the front driver side coil spring was laying broken off partially by the front wheel well when I went to move vehicles around (The vehicle was sitting, not driving when the coil brok
NHTSA complaint: Suspension
While my wife was exiting off of I-75 approaching the traffic light to turn left, the sun roof exploded into pieces. Large and small pieces of glass were scattered throughout the car. The approximate speed was 40 MPH.
NHTSA complaint: Structure
The motor abruptly shut off while driving. Within 20 seconds the inside of the car filled with smoke and shortly thereafter there were visible flames seen through the front grill. Fire spread and fully engulfed the car.
NHTSA complaint: Engine
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2012 Volkswagen Eos. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period ma
Risk: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volksw
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wou
Risk: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spr
| Reliability raw | 66 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 67 | good |
| Maintenance | 62 | average |
| Depreciation | 54 | average |
| Performance | 52 | average |
| Efficiency | 43 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 94 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 54 of them (57%). There are 4 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 66/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 67/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2012 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: be careful, because the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit. Its overall ownership score is 60/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.