Most common 2000 Volkswagen Golf problems
Share of the 88 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volkswagen Golf complaints by model year
Best Golf years: 2020, 2014, 2021. Years to avoid: 2022, 2015, 2017, 2011, 2016. Compare all years →
2000 Volkswagen Golf recalls (5)
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
On certain passenger, wagon, and convertible vehicles equipped with or without cruise control, a brake light switch May malfunction if it was installed incorrectly.
Remedy: Dealers will install the newly designed brake light switch free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2007, and will be conducted in several staggered mailings through September 21, 2007.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with gasoline engines and double-layer fuel tanks, tension on the fuel supply line May cause the fuel pump supply nipple to crack which could result in a leak.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the fuel supply line for tension, and inspect the fuel pump supply nipple for cracking. If necessary the fuel line and the fuel pump will be replaced free of charge.
Exterior lighting › Hazard flashing warning lights › Switch
On certain passenger vehicles, the hazard switch and flasher system function May degrade over time because of distortion and material transfer of the contacts of certain hazard switch relays which occurs due to substantially increased electrical current load from higher wattage turn signal bulbs.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the hazard flasher switch/relay kit. The recall began on March 31, 2005. Owners should contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Equipment › Other › Owners/service/other manual
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." child seat anchorages installed in the vehicle's rear seats must be identified by markings, and their location and use be described in the owner's manual.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a supplement for the owner's manual and also one set of four guidance fixtures intended to use in conjunction with child seats equipped with rigid or semi-rigid lower anchorage attachments.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Upper arm
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. One of two brackets used to bolt the front suspension control arm in front of the vehicle to the body structure May not have been welded sufficiently.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the bracket and if the welding is insufficient, will replace the control arm.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2000 Volkswagen Golf:
Fuel pump leaks
This investigation was opened on November 29, 2004, based on five consumer reports alleging fuel leaking from the fuel pump.by letter of April 14, 2004, Volkswagen of America (Volkswagen) notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall of 35,000 golf and gti vehicles manufactured in wolfsburg Germany for the north American market.the recalled vehicles are in model years 1999 and 2000 and are equipped with…
Turn signal/hazard flasher failure
This investigation was opened on October 19, 2004, based on nine reports on 2000 through 2001 jetta and gti vehicles alleging that the turn signals and or hazard flashers fail to blink, or flash.some of the complainants reported that the lights would blink only a few times and then stop.several of the complainants reported that having the hazard flasher switch replaced repaired their vehicles.by letter of December…
Engine stalling
By letter received on June 24, 2005, mr. Ronald m. Strickland of raleigh, nc, submitted a petition requesting that the agency investigate the performance of the ignition coil plugs on model year (my) 2000-2003 Volkswagen jetta, golf and passat sedans.the petitioner alleges that he had experienced multiple stalling events as a result of one or more ignition coil plugs malfunctioning on his 2002 vw jetta sedan.as a…
What 2000 Volkswagen Golf owners say
Windows, wipers & sunroof all 20 →
1. Passenger front window drops down in door. Has happened twice. There were four other people at the dealer for the same problem at the same time I was there. I was told it was an "arizona" problem and that the part that holds the window up melts and breaks. I was driving down the highway when my window fell down causing me to become distracted by the incident and nearly causing an accident. 2. Air bag light went on for no reason. Cost tom me was $618 to replace a faulty airbag and wiring harness. I believe that should be covered even out of warranty since there is nothing I could have possibly done to cause the airbag to become defective. 3. Cruise control disengages when the right turn signal is applied. This happened for months unti the cruise control went out completely. I have heard this failure is due to a ribbon cable which gets broken in the steering column. …
While driving my 2000 vw Golf, with 78000 miles, I squirted my windshield with fluid to clear it, and the wipers, instead of the usual 2-wipe cycle slowed down, struggled and then, without warning, ceased to operate, stopping halfway on the upswing. I was unable to physically move the wiper back to rest position. Luckily, it was not raining and I was driving on a city road where I could pull over safely to the curb. I did drive the car home that day, as it was clear, but was unable to use the car for the next few days, as rain threatened, and obviously I could not afford to be driving in even a light rain as the front wipers were non-operational. I had the wipers repaired at minuteman vw, bedford ma, on September 14. They found that the wiper linkage on the passenger side was completely in a bind and were physically unable to move it, while the driver's side moved freely. …
Air bags
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30mph the vehicle rear ended another vehicle and the airbags failed to deploy. Injuries were sustained by the occupants of both vehicles. The contact was wearing a seatbelt. The airbag indicator lights were not illuminated prior to the incident. There was a police report filed at the scene. The vehicle was determined totaled by the independent repair shop.
2000 vw Golf. The airbag light is stuck on. There is no way for me to know if the bag will deploy or not. In order for the dealer to look at it it would cost me $100 for the diagnostic test and between $500 and $700 to fix the problem. They also told me there is no guarantee that they will fix the problem. So after I pay $500 or $600 they still wont guarantee the bags are safe. How do I go about figuring this out. It seems like a very big safety issue for the manufacture of volkswagens and to put me and my family in danger is unacceptable. Do I pay the money and just hope it is fixed? No accidents yet but what if. I no longer trust the ability of the cars safety. This is my complaint. I feel I was sold a car and now the safety features of the car have become compromised. Help!
Engine & cooling
2000 vw Golf 2.0l engine; driving to work on freeway (65-70mph). Heard "pop" and a hissing noise from front of vehicle. Slowed down and pulled over to shoulder, saw coolant leaking. Engine would not restart. Towed to dealership, found internal engine damage to valves and pistons. Cause was a faulty water pump: vw uses a plastic impeller on the water pumps which frequently break and cause the engine to overheat very quickly. After the damage, a simple google search on vw forums revealed numerous other people had the same problem I had. The end result was that I had to replace the engine, radiator, timing belt, water pump ($6000 repair bill). Sadly, vw put in the same type of water pump with the plastic impeller, so I have little confidence that it will last longer than another 60000 miles. …
Vehicle is a 200 vw Golf tdi. At approx. 40K miles engine developed excessive carbon build up in the EGR system and required cleaning. Vw performed this service at no charge. At approx 60K mile excessive carboin build up again noted. Vw contends that this is a maintenacve proble caused by exzcess sulfer in the fuel. Customer requested vw to perform cleaning and provide permanent repair or other mitigation to prevcent re-occurance. Custome believes that the tdi engine in Golf 200 models was not properly designed or tuned for disiel fuel in use and that vw either should provide corrective action or pay on-going costs that will be necessary to maintain propoer engine performance. Vw is non-responsive. Vw case nummer is 501-830-79. Complaint initiated with vw on 6/3/05.
2000 Volkswagen Golf engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9L 4-cyl turbo diesel | 5-speed manual | FWD | 35 / 44 / 38 |
| 1.9L 4-cyl turbo diesel | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 29 / 40 / 33 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 28 / 24 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 28 / 24 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 26 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 26 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 Volkswagen Golf a good car?
Based on 88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 Golf rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Golf at the same age. It is one of the Golf years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2000 Volkswagen Golf?
The windows, wipers & sunroof — 20 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about power window devices and controls. Next are the air bags (16) and engine & cooling (13).
How many recalls does the 2000 Volkswagen Golf have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2000 Volkswagen Golf, the most recent from February 20, 2007 (switch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Volkswagen Golf?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2014 and 2021. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2022, 2015, 2017, 2011 and 2016. See the full Volkswagen Golf years comparison.
At what mileage do 2000 Volkswagen Golf problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 34% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.