Volkswagen Golf

Where it stands out against its peers

• Fuel/propulsion system: more complaints than 97% of 2017 cars — 29% of its 187 complaints, where an ordinary 2017 car has 7%.
• Structure: more complaints than 90% of 2017 cars — 11% of its 187 complaints, where an ordinary 2017 car has 5%.
• Gasoline: more complaints than 90% of 2017 cars — 3% of its 187 complaints, where an ordinary 2017 car has 1%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 44 owners reported this
• ENGINE — 14 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE — 11 owners reported this
• SUSPENSION — 7 owners reported this
• VISIBILITY — 7 owners reported this
• AIR BAGS — 5 owners reported this
• FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE — 5 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN — 5 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 4 owners reported this
• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 4 owners reported this
• ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 3 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES — 3 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

84% of 2021 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 4. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• Do not drive

  18V369000

  A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

  Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.

• Do not drive

  19V879000

  The excessive stress can cause steering, traction or other stability issues or breakage relating to the front wheels, and increase the risk of a crash.

  Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the wheel bearing assemblies, wheels, and wheel bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40P1. Note: The affected owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repairs have been made.

• 11V490000

  DUE TO THE RESONANCE CONDITION, INJECTOR LINE NUMBER 2 COULD DEVELOP SMALL CRACKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO FUEL LEAKAGE. LEAKING FUEL IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.

  VOLKSWAGEN WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED FUEL INJECTOR LINE FOR THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER ON CERTAIN VEHICLES AND WILL INSTALL VIBRATION DAMPERS ON ALL OF THE INJECTOR LINES. VOLKSWAGEN AND AUDI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS TO HAVE THE VEHICLES REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING NOVEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

• 14V412000

  A loose stabilizer link may interfere with the vehicle's steering, requiring additional effort to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front stabilizer links, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40K9/1W.

• 15V028000

  A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.

  Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails with new parts, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24BL. Note: This recall expands and supersedes recall 14V-809 (Volkswagen recall number 24Bi) and only affects vehicles not previously repaired under that campaign.

• 15V229000

  If the fuel pump fails, the vehicle will not start, or if the engine is running, it will stop and the vehicle will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any affected fuel pumps, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi at 1-800-253-2834.

• 15V483000

  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.

  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 spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.

• 15V627000

  In the event of a crash, if the front passenger seat occupant is incorrectly classified or non-detected, the passenger frontal air bag may deploy improperly or not at all, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

  Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PODS control module, free of charge. The recall began on November 20, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswgen's number for this recall is 69L6.

19 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)

  Recall query, opened December 2023, closed July 2024.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

• Vehicle Stalling - Manual Transmission

  Defect petition, opened September 2019, closed June 2020.

• Air Bag Clockspring Failure

  Engineering analysis, opened April 2018, still open.

• Air Bag Clockspring Failure

  Recall query, opened November 2017, closed May 2018.

• Air Bag Clockspring Failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened March 2015, closed September 2015.

  Became recall 15V483000.

• Diesel Fuel Injector Line Leakage

  Preliminary evaluation, opened August 2011, closed December 2011.

  Became recall 11V490000.

• High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure

  Engineering analysis, opened February 2011, closed March 2015.

• High Pressure Fuel Pump Failure (HPFP)

  Preliminary evaluation, opened August 2010, closed February 2011.

• Engine stalling

  Defect petition, opened August 2005, closed December 2005.

• Inadvertent side-airbag deployment

  Preliminary evaluation, opened December 2004, closed April 2005.

• Fuel pump leaks

  Preliminary evaluation, opened November 2004, closed April 2005.

• Turn signal/hazard flasher failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened October 2004, closed December 2004.

• Hood latch failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened July 1998, closed July 1998.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Volkswagen filed 417 bulletins about the 2021 Golf.

• Equipment: 105
• Electrical system: 83
• Engine and engine cooling: 71
• Engine: 39
• Power train: 17
• Service brakes: 13
• Structure: 11
• Exterior lighting: 8
• Visibility: 8
• Air bags: 6
• Other: 56

• This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 -… · August 2026
• Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement · August 2026
• Inquiries · July 2026
• Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards · July 2026
• Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start. · July 2026
• Lubricating engine components before reassembly. · July 2026
• Update Programming of MIB Infotainment · June 2026
• Difference between Component fluid leakage and seepage · June 2026

409 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.