I agree with you RDC98tdi, there is a higher % of users that have had the icing issue on this forum. For the reasons you stated above. I would like to add the observation that 75% of drivers are clueless to the icing issue and would simply have the car towed to the dealer for repair and think no more of it after the dealer releases it from service.
I myself had no idea the icing issue existed until this January when the 2011 6MT Jetta I bought last spring at CarMax exhibited icing problems with a rough start and stall out. After some research on this forum I took the discharge off the intercooler and found a river of sludge slowly making its' way up the intake plenum to the turbo. However the 2012 DSG Jetta we have with identical driving conditions has no icing issues. Both are the same engine, same fuel, same oil, same additives (power service every fill up), same maintenance schedule, ect. Both came equipped with the same intercooler hardware setup. I am at a loss to explain it? Any constructive input welcome.
The difference between your two cars could be quite subtle. Do they both get parked in a garage? Drive the same distance? Leave the house at the same time?
The conditions that cause it seem to be dependent on starting, operating, stopping temperatures, and duration of drive. A combination of over freezing temps after driving in below freezing temps seems most common. Starting in a warm garage and going into freezing temps also seems to cause it. It's pretty fussy, actually, for what causes it, so differences in operating the cars, even from day to day, can produce different results. Blocking grilles, driving speeds, etc, may also contribute.
This is not at all like the HPFP issues. There is not a part that fails, so to speak. It is not from wear or breakage, or even incorrect operation. It is a basic design issue, which if I'm not mistaken, is identical across all models.
This should mean that ALL vehicles configured with the original intercooler are susceptible to the issue. It does not mean they will all experience it, or like you pointed out, everyone would even know what is going on if they don't read about it here.
The same could be said about the updated intercooler, though mine has also worked perfectly since it was installed.