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People love the style of the 2018 VW Golf. This fun hatchback has been an American mainstay and showcases the vibrant side of culture. The newer models are labeled with the tagline “never a dull moment,” and owners agree. This car is regularly in the shop for electrical system faults, a defective suspension, terrible service brakes and a structure that leaks.
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Contents
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Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
---|---|
Unknown Or Other | |
Power Train | |
Fuel/propulsion System | |
Service Brakes | |
Structure:body | |
Vehicle Speed Control | |
Engine | |
Electrical System | |
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
Tires |
Problems with the electrical system can come in many forms. From the small inconveniences to the major malfunctions, car manufacturers must work hard to produce a reliable vehicle, which this Golf is not.
One NHTSA complaint states, “Over time, a build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts can make it possible to remove the key from the ignition switch without the shift lever being in the P Park position. This makes the vehicle noncompliant with 49 CFR 571.114 Standard no. 114 Theft Protection and Rollaway Protection. If the ignition key is removed without the shift lever being in the P Park position, there is a risk that the vehicle may roll away, resulting in a crash that could injure people and damage property.”
That’s precisely the problem that NHTSA Campaign Number 19V615000 discusses. Almost 700,000 vehicles were recalled because the key can be removed when the shifter isn’t in Park. Of course, many owners probably aren’t too disappointed when this vehicle starts to roll away, especially if they have been dealing with some of the other issues that are so prevalent.
The Golf is meant to have a sporty ride, but that doesn’t mean that the suspension should be made with sub-par materials. Yet, that’s precisely what’s occurring.
One post on the Golf forums states ongoing problems with the suspension. “So the latest news on our Golf Estate is that VW now acknowledges that we have a ‘fault’ with the front lower suspension arms and are looking to replace them. This is news, as two weeks ago they had routinely declared our noise to be ‘normal.’ What’s changed is that I have shown them that this noise occurs at times other than when braking. That’s what I said all along, from literally 24 months ago.”
This owner seems to know more about the VW Golf than the automaker does. Eventually, NHTSA Campaign Number 19V188000 was issued, probably once Volkswagen realized they could no longer hide the problems. It turns out that 56,000 vehicles have rear coil springs that can prematurely fracture, leaving drivers at risk of an accident. Coil springs are such a basic part that has been perfected for many years. It’s unheard of for an automaker to coil springs that are fracturing. The automaker needed to live up to the reputation of not having dull moments, so it only makes sense to snap the springs in half. Anything else would have been too boring.
When a driver wants to stop, they apply the brakes. This automatic action often occurs without anyone thinking about it. When the pedal is depressed, the car should naturally slow down and stop, unless there’s a problem such as with the Golf.
One NHTSA comment states, “I had to brake hard as the person in front of me on the offramp stopped short. I think someone cut the driver in front of me off, or people were just having trouble merging. The anti-lock brakes did not work. The car fish-tailed from right to left. I let up on the brakes and the car straightened out and I didn’t get killed but it would have been a bad accident. Thankfully, the guy behind me was able to stop. This is a car I bought last week. There is something wrong with the brakes. Even my 10-year old car would have activated anti-lock.”
It turns out that there is yet another recall on the Golf, this time related to the braking system. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V369000 states that the brake caliper pistons have an insufficient coating that affects braking power. Aside from being a car that can roll away on its own, the car also struggles to stop. It’s as if the Golf just wants to keep going – like the little engine that could.
The Golf is not supposed to be a cheaply made machine, yet looking at the complaints, one would think that a kid built it.
Here’s a short complaint left on the NHTSA website. “Water leak from the panoramic roof. Headliner and A-pillar is wet and will be replaced. Windshield fogged and had condensation.”
VW isn’t ashamed to talk about water leaks. Even Service Bulletin #TT 97 19 02 states that the A-pillar can leak and lead to other faults with the car. If owners wanted to buy a boat, that’s what they would have done. Instead, they spent money on a sporty compact car that is supposed to perform. Apparently it does, unless it’s raining.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes VW pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Feb 22, 2023 |
State | WI |
Description | We were driving on the highway when the sunroof exploded. There were 4 of us in the car and none of us recalls anything striking the sunroof. Glass exploded wverywhere. |
Category | Exterior Lighting |
Date | Jan 07, 2023 |
State | MD |
Description | Headlights don't turn on immediately upon ignition start. Error message appears on infotainment and dashboard. The temporary fix, turned off the vehicle and locked the car, and tried again and it worked just fine. I took the car for regular service when I had mentioned to them that my headlights were acting up. They told me they found no fault codes and could not do anything about it. I spoke to a manager and they told me to take pictures if it happens again, so I did. (the picture in the dark) the headlights would not turn on once again in evening in the auto setting and I had to cycle the car off and on to get them working properly again. Once turned on the driver-side headlight is now a yellow color similar to a halogen light. (the picture in the daytime) last week I went to warm up the car for 3-5 minutes and when I returned to the vehicle I noticed the driver-side headlight drl was not illuminated. I went into the vehicle and saw that there was an error message on the infotainment screen regarding the headlights. I cycled the car on and off and the vehicle went back to "normal" these issues happen on both headlights but is more persistent on the driver side headlight on my vehicle. I mentioned this on a facebook group to ask if anyone has experienced this and many people are/did, unfortunately, experience this issue, even as far back as the 2015 model years. Many people mentioned that they went to the dealership(s) and they would not cover the headlight under warranty as according to them it's impossible to have both headlights inoperable at the same time. I am lucky to have a good dealership to where to they actually are replacing the entire headlight assembly on the driverside. But I am worried even with a new headlight assembly, in a few years it will happen again. If this would have happened while driving at nighttime I would've not had any visibility whatsoever. Please recall the led headlights in these vehicles |
Category | Power Train |
Date | Oct 24, 2022 |
State | NY |
Description | Received a low coolant warning and then checked the coolant level. Coolant was low and was topped off. One week later the issue recurred as the coolant level and dropped below minimum levels again. Thermostat housing had a slow leak which was discovered by the dealer. This seems to be a flaw in the design of the thermostat housing as multiple owners are reporting the same issue with the same flaw in the thermostat housing. |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Sep 16, 2022 |
State | VA |
Description | Chromed metallic trim on center console above shifter and beneath center cubby opening has cracked and lifted creating a small, very sharp raised raw edge that deeply lacerated my right hand while reaching into of cubby to retrieve item while behind the wheel. Normal use, no overt damage to explain de-lamination of trim in this location. |
Category | Engine, Power Train |
Date | Sep 14, 2022 |
State | IL |
Description | Vehicle intermittently stalls when coming to a stop in traffic while in gear. Has occurred on multiple separate occasions, but cannot be easily re-produced. When vehicle stalls it can be difficult to restart while in traffic and occurs without warning creating safety hazard. Usually there are no codes stored by the computer when this occurs, but check engine light has been noticed. Vehicle has been brought to dealership 3 different times for same issue. Upon first visit starter was replaced. Upon 2nd visit an oxygen sensor was replaced. Upon 3rd visit no further action was taken and I was told by dealer vehicle tested normal with no further repairs being authorized. |
Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
Date | Jul 29, 2022 |
State | NY |
Description | Fuel leaking from charcoal canister next to exhaust can lead to fire. Fuel leaking on to ground by passenger side rear wheel. Strong smell of gasoline outside and inside car. Caused dizziness while driving can harm children. No warning or any lights other then strong odour of gasoline from inside/outside of vehicle similar to safety recall 20y6 parts requested for repair by dealer -evap can system -fuel tank |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Jun 15, 2022 |
State | UT |
Description | I was driving west on I-80 and my sunroof exploded/shattered. There was no rock to be found anywhere. |
Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
Date | Apr 01, 2022 |
State | OH |
Description | Had forward collision assist (turned on by default at engine start) turned on. When entering an intersection, vehicle stopped short to a full stop right in front of a metal plate on the road in the intersection. Had there been a vehicle behind me, the system may have needlessly caused a collision. |
Category | Structure:body |
Date | Nov 17, 2021 |
State | OH |
Description | The u-shaped on the passenger door jamb the the door latch attaches to came loose preventing the door from closing completely. Ganley vw tightened up the fasteners without writing up a service order so it would be reported to vw. They did not use a torgue wrench. I asked them to use thread locker to help prevent this from recurring. They refused and stated vw does not permit them to use thread locker. It took 8 days to get an appointment to repair this. |
Category | Tires |
Date | Nov 10, 2021 |
State | TX |
Description | Unknown we have hankook ventus s1 noble 2 225/40r18 tires on our 2018 vw gti that came oem, and are the same on the car as when we took possession of the car from the dealer in 2018. The front right tire, has two substantial cracks and one section where a more open gap occurred in the exterior sidewall. In this latter section, it is very near the tire's tread. We have less than 14,000 miles on this vehicle, as we are retired and did not drive much to begin with, but even less after the pandemic occurred. Additional details (below) - I first saw the tire issues on 11/10/2021, but the tire has not yet failed. Per hankook's earlier recall, I am concerned that the cracks/opening are precursors to failure while in use. |
Category | Power Train |
Date | Oct 21, 2021 |
State | OR |
Description | When driving the car it occasionally slips into neutral when it should be making the 1st to 2nd shift. Happens rarely; about 12-15 times in 60k miles. More common after filling up with gas, but has happened at other times. Very dangerous as one pulls out to merge into traffic to have the car do this when trying to accelerate. Acceleration is moderate and not flooring it when this happens. I know of 3-4 others on vw forum reporting the same issue. Again, this is potentially dangerous. |
Category | Power Train |
Date | Oct 17, 2021 |
State | WA |
Description | Around 5 times now over the last year or two, most recently yesterday, the (dsg automatic) transmission has dropped out of gear into neutral when pulling away from a stop. Note that the shifter was not moved and did not move - but the transmission pops out of gear. Every time this has been when pulling pretty gently away from a stop sign or intersection.. It has happened both when the car was cold, and also after driving 15 miles. Yesterday was a highly dangerous situation - I was making a left turn out of a gas station across 4 lanes of traffic, and when it dropped to neutral was left rolling across the lanes with revs up and in neutral gear unable to accelerate. This was when it occurred to me that this could cause serious injury or death. I asked about this behavior on a vw owners forum, and so far have one response from another owner saying the same thing has happened to him 15-20 times (also a 2018 r) and his dealer says is "normal". I've not talked to my dealer yet. So does not appear to be unique to me. - no warning indicators - not taken to dealer yet - component - dual clutch automatic transmission (dsg) - safety - highly dangerous loss of gear/ability to accelerate out of path of oncoming traffic. - available for inspection on request |
Category | Electrical System, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
Date | Aug 17, 2021 |
State | VA |
Description | The vehicle went forward in reverse and backward in drive, multiple times in one day, observed by driver and passenger. Another vehicle was struck; no one was injured (fortunately). Dealer said they could not recreate the problem and nothing was wrong. |
Category | Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
Date | May 25, 2021 |
State | CA |
Description | When coasting with foot off the accelerator at normal road speeds starting at greater than ~30 mph, the vehicle will bleed speed normally until around 25 mph. At that point the transmission will suddenly grab and rapidly decelerate the vehicle down to approximately 15 mph. After reaching around 15 mph the transmission disconnects and the car coasts normally again. This has happened consistently since the car was delivered and after taking the car to two separate dealers for investigation was assured that it's part of the normal operation of the transmission. I believe the rapid deceleration when unexpected can be a safety hazard as cars following behind will not see any brake lights to warn them that my vehicle is slowing. |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Apr 23, 2021 |
State | CA |
Description | Trim on center console above shifter and below center cubby is razor sharp and has cut my hand deeply twice while parked and cleaning interior since purchasing the car. |
Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
Date | Feb 09, 2021 |
State | MA |
Description | Automatic emergency braking system engages without cause or warning. At both slow and moderate speeds with no obstacle in front of car. Risk of causing a rear-end accident very high. Dealership ran diagnostic and found nothing. Recommends disabling system if issue persists. |
Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
Date | Jan 29, 2021 |
State | TX |
Description | Right front (passenger) side has a very loud consistent rattling noise at around 2000-3500 engine rpm range. Reading alone and confirming with other owners of the same vehicle, it is a loose fuel line going under the front passenger side rattling against the chassis. Could be a high risk, not sure, check and advise. |
Category | Lane Departure: Assist, Power Train, Suspension |
Date | Dec 26, 2020 |
State | MD |
Description | So what happen was ever since I got my 2018 golf gti autobahn dsg, I've experienced issues with the transmission, it jerks when slowing down from 2nd gear to first and sometimes from 4th through 1st. I took in the car to the dealership and they said nothing was wrong I took it to them multiple times and they still said nothing is wrong however I have showed them proof that there is something wrong with the car, I have a scanner tool and it shows that I have multiple codes for transmission and other stuff as well. The car has 7600 miles which is basically brand new considering its 2yrs old. Also when reversing the transmission may disengage repeatedly, this happens mostly when reversing on an incline, however the incline is as little as 1. 5-2%. The lane departure keep feature is dangerous, let me explain why. When driving on a road that doesn't have visible lines the system may jerk the steering wheel hard to one side depending on road conditions, if a driver doesn't have a good grip of the steering wheel, there is a high risk of a crash. The suspension in this car is amazing but when it was new, now it feels like the car has no stability and does not absorb bumps in the road. My 2013 toyota corolla le does a better job at absorbing bumps than my 2018 gti with adaptive dampening. My car used to feel like a super expensive mercedes-benz or bmw when it came to suspension comfort but now its just not the same at all. So the other day this crazy driver slammed on his/hers brakes and the automatic braking system engaged which is good cause no accidents happened, however the car had a hard time accelerating after, it felt like the front brakes were still engaged, but after 1 long minute the car started moving again normally until you try to reverse and then it started jerking repeatedly while going in reverse. This car needs to be recalled especially the 6 speed dsg transmission |
Category | Engine, Power Train |
Date | Dec 22, 2020 |
State | CA |
Description | Coolant leak noticed underneat the engine. It run down to the oil pan dripping on the drive way. Took the car to the dealership for diagnosis. They said leak is coming from the thermostat housing. Mileage is now 73700. Vw powertrain warranty covers up to 72000. |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Sep 01, 2020 |
State | MA |
Description | Trim surrounding shift console is made of brittle metal that tears at fold and then lacerates driver or passenger when they reach into center cubby. |
Category | Structure:body |
Date | Nov 21, 2019 |
State | AZ |
Description | Immediately after beginning to leave work on november 13, 2019, I noticed the sunroof on my 2018 vw golf was shattering and crumbling away, starting toward the front and center of the sunroof. The initial break must have occurred either as it was sitting in the parking lot at work, or immediately after beginning to drive, at no more than 20mph, because I noticed it on the driveway leading away from my workplace. The weather was about 30 degrees fahrenheit with no precipitation and there was no road debris involved. Over the next few days, I tried to limit my use of the car (I secured a rental car through my insurance for a few days) but the area of broken glass expanded significantly anyway. To date, vw has not accepted any responsibility for this under warranty even though the car was bought new, I am the only owner, and it only had about 20,300 miles on it at the time of the incident. They suggested I go through my insurance for the repair. The repair is in progress but I am told by the glass shop that is handling it that one of the two sunroof actuators actually appears damaged by the flexing and breaking of the glass and this is making it difficult to remove the original sunroof panel. |
Category | Service Brakes, Vehicle Speed Control |
Date | Nov 04, 2019 |
State | MI |
Description | Exiting a parking lot with a 15% incline @3mph merging into the road, the front park assist sensors beeped and the vehicle automatically applied brakes instead of accelerating. The engine stalled since I had the clutch fully released, incoming traffic had to stop when they noticed the vehicle not moving. Parkpilot system will often misread the road as an obstacle and apply brakes on its own, specially below the 3mph speed. It could be a combination of the ride height of this vehicle and the layout of regular parking lots in the us. |
Category | Structure:body, Visibility/wiper |
Date | Oct 21, 2019 |
State | VA |
Description | Water leak from the panoramic roof. Headliner and a pillar is wet and will be replaced. Windshield fogged and had condensation. |
Category | Structure:body |
Date | Oct 01, 2019 |
State | NY |
Description | Panoramic moonroof leaking around edges and staining headliner and upholestry |
Category | Air Bags |
Date | Jul 05, 2019 |
State | NY |
Description | Warning light indicating error in passenger air bag. Requested immediate servicing as air bag may deploy accidentally or not deploy when needed. |
Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
Date | Jun 14, 2019 |
State | MO |
Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2018 volkswagen golf. On several occasions, while driving, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The contact took the vehicle to suntrup volkswagen (located at 6000 s lindbergh blvd, st louis, mo 63123, (314) 892-8200) four times, but they were unable to duplicate the failure. Diagnostics revealed a faulty valve, which was replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also stated that the vehicle would also accelerate while on an incline. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 16,000. *bf consumer stated volkswagen is under no obligation to honot their warranty as long as they maintain that my car is operating normally. 'parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).'*jb |
Category | Electronic Stability Control, Service Brakes, Unknown Or Other |
Date | May 28, 2019 |
State | CA |
Description | Front collision warning sounds when leaving parking lots with small dip where the road meets the exit. 25% of the time my emergency brakes activate stopping the car when I want to exit. The car thinks the road is an obstacle because of the dip. This happen often and in different parking lots. Very dangerous since you're entering a road way and could cause an accident. |
Category | Electrical System |
Date | May 17, 2019 |
State | MI |
Description | Backup camera may not display upon shifting to reverse - I had an android phone projecting an android auto session. With the engine running, stationary at a parking lot, I depressed the clutch and shifted to reverse. The infotainment system did not show the backup camera nor a warning popup of an error - it just displayed the media screen. I tried 3 times more - the 2nd time the infotainment display showed "parkpilot is currently not available". Picture is attached. Video is available if needed. |
Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
Date | Mar 22, 2019 |
State | VA |
Description | Strong smell of gasoline inside car while driving on a 55mph divided highway and 1/2 tank of gas indicated. Within approximately 10 miles of driving on the highway and back roads attempting to make it to a service station, ~1/8 tank of gas was indicated by gauge, the engine stopped running after only 1 stumble. Heavy smell of raw gasoline inside of car and under hood. No puddle of gas was observed under car. The local police were called out and confirmed no currently leaking gas before aaa would dispatch a tow truck. The car was towed to the selling dealer and diagnosed as a failed high pressure fuel pump and a clamp not connected between high pressure fuel pump and high pressure fuel hose. I was told this fault would cause an incorrect fuel level to be shown but dealer would not confirm it was the cause of the lost gasoline. The car had previously had the fuel recall performed by the same dealer and dealer said the recall had been performed properly and this failure was not related. When car was retuned after pump replacement, interior of car and engine still smelled of gasoline but car seemed to be driving normally. |
Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
Date | Mar 09, 2019 |
State | MN |
Description | After car has been driven long enough to be completely warmed up and then parked, on re-entering the car and before starting it, there is a strong odor of gasoline noticeable to the driver and front-seat passenger. Once the engine has been started and the ventilation fan has run, the odor dissipates; the odor is not coming through the ventilation system. The dealer's service department found one engine fuel line connection which appeared to be leaking and replaced that fuel line, but the problem remains. This has been an ongoing problem starting shortly after we bought the car in july 2018. |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Mar 04, 2019 |
State | NY |
Description | Less than one year into ownership, the car has experienced a panoramic sunroof leak on both the drivers side and passenger side front area near the a-pillar and the sunvisor. There have been multiple reported incidents all over various sources on the internet. The sunroof, visor and dome light area is exactly the same design as the 2018 tiguan that has now been recalled due to sunroof leaks causing short circuits on the dome light thus causing a fire. The fear we have is that this is a low volume car so it's not getting the same exposure vs. The tiguan which is a high volume car and many more are on the road. In addition, this follows-up on several complaints made of the same issue on the 2017 alltrack model. |
Category | Service Brakes |
Date | Mar 01, 2019 |
State | CA |
Description | The "front assist" system on a 2018 vw golf r is prone to making unsafe abrupt stops in traffic. If a leading car makes an abrupt stop, the front assist system applies instant heavy braking even when the driver is already bringing the car to a smooth stop at a safe distance. This double-braking results in unexpected skidding and risks a rear-end collision with following cars. The manual override to front assist is pressing hard on the gas pedal. This action can't be performed when the driver is already bringing the car to a stop. |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Feb 20, 2019 |
State | WA |
Description | Over time, a build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts can make it possible to remove the key from the ignition switch without the shift lever being in the "p" park position. This makes the vehicle noncompliant with 49 cfr 571. 114 standard no. 114 theft protection and rollaway prevention. If the ignition key is removed without the shift lever being in the "p" park position, there is a risk that the vehicle may roll away, resulting in a crash that could injure people and damage property. Recall still not fixed parts supposed to be available beginning of january vw has still not released |
Category | Fuel System, Gasoline |
Date | Jan 10, 2019 |
State | WI |
Description | Took delivery of vehicle on august 13, 2018, at about 1000 miles noticed a strong smell of gasoline coming from the air vents and engine compartment. This occurs after the vehicle is warmed up, stopped for 45 minutes than restarted the vehicle was manufactured on january 18, 2018. Has been at the dealer seven times, multiple parts replaced but the problem continues. *tr |
Category | Service Brakes, Wheels |
Date | Nov 27, 2018 |
State | DE |
Description | After a rain the passenger side brake pad sticks to the outboard rotor. The pad binds to the rotor causing the brake tl seize. The vehicle was in reverse backing out. Of park. |
Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
Date | Oct 03, 2018 |
State | NY |
Description | Took delivery of vehicle on sep. 23,2018 drove it for three days and noticed a strong smell of gasoline coming from the air vents and engine compartment. This occurred after the vehicle was warm and restarted. The vehicle was manufactured in 2017. The vehicle is currently at the vw dealer being evaluated. |
Category | Service Brakes |
Date | Sep 09, 2018 |
State | CA |
Description | I had to brake hard as the person in front of me on the offramp stopped short. I think someone cut the driver in front of me off, or people were just having trouble merging. The anti-lock brakes did not work, the car fish-tailed from right to left. I let up on the brakes and the car straightened out and I didn't get killed but it would have been a bad accident. Thankfully the guy behind me was able to stop. This is a car I bought last week. There is something wrong with the brakes. Even my 10 year old car would have activated anti-lock. |
Category | Engine |
Date | Jul 10, 2018 |
State | AZ |
Description | After restarting hot engine after a brief stop, car might stumble during first attempt to accelerate, for example trying to enter traffic from a parking lot. This has happened several times and has been cause for alarm. The engine is running but feels as if it is not. This is not normal turbo lag and the problem clears after the first instance. I reported this to the dealer and their response is that they can't duplicate and there are no diagnostic codes set. |
Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of bad manufacturing and run-arounds from auto companies. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
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