Brake complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2022 | 2 | 2% | 0 miles |
| 2021 | 2 | 29% | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2018 | 2 | 7% | 1,000 miles |
| 2017 | 5 | 4% | 5,000 miles |
| 2016 | 4 | 5% | 12,000 miles |
| 2015 | 8 | 6% | 25,000 miles |
| 2014 | 1 | 8% | 16,000 miles |
| 2013 | 5 | 12% | 50,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2011 | 2 | 2% | 38,000 miles |
| 2010 | 4 | 6% | 107,000 miles |
| 2005 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2004 | 1 | 4% | 8,000 miles |
| 2002 | 3 | 4% | 76,000 miles |
| 2001 | 10 | 9% | 38,000 miles |
| 2000 | 12 | 14% | 52,000 miles |
| 1999 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 1998 | 2 | 11% | — |
| 1995 | 4 | 9% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Forward collision warning malfunction made the safety feature become safety issues. I have to turn it off before I drive. Otherwise it automatically preforms hard break/ stop for no reasons, no matter how how fast am I driving, where and when. Even pulling out from parking lot w/ 5/10 mph at midnight when there is absolutely no one and nothing around or on the middle of the highway w/ 60mph in the afternoon.
June 16,2017 , I put the car in reverse and attempted to leave the parking space. All wheel brakes were locked/the car stalled. 2-3 minutes later, they freed up. On feb.15,2018 while waiting in traffic on rt.580 in dunedin, they locked up again. 2-3 minutes later, they freed up and I shut off my emergency flashers. March 28 ,2018 , ditto in my driveway after just backing out of the garage. Two vw dealers on mar.22 and again on April 5, their computers could find no problems with the braking system. My scan of the internet all pointed to the master cylinder as the problem.
Vehicle exhibits multiple electrical and systems faults related to the airbags, TMPS, ABS, etc, as similarly described in 07/26/2019 Volkswagen Technical Tip 97-1902TT. Vehicle interior and sunroof tray is wet in various places. These issues raise concerns as they relate to safety and drivability. Upon inspection, the plastic sunroof tray is apparently cracked in multiple places as described in 12/06/2016 Volkswagen TSB 2045403 (supersedes V601608 November 22, 2016) and referenced again in Volkswagen Update 60C7. According to dealership records, the sunroof tray was claimed repaired per Volkswagen Update 60C7. This does not seem to be true.
Brake failure. The car was being driven around 20mph, when a 'brake: fluid low see owner's manual' message came on. After seeing this message pressure was applied to the brake pedal and the pedal went to the floor. The pedal made a 'chattering noise' as it moved through the pedal stroke. The parking brake was used to stop the car. This was easily recreated in a parking lot and at the local dealer. The warning light came on each time the car was started after the initial incident, and when pressure was applied to the pedal, the pedal easily went to the floor making the same chattering noise. There were no symptoms before this incident. The brake system seemed to function as it should and had every other time the car was driven. I checked for brake fluid leaks at the master cylinder and at each of the four calipers, and did not find any leaked fluid. …
I drove the car to a meeting on Thursday evening, jan 4th, 2018. Parked it in a residential home office parking area in santa fe, nm at 6 pm. At 6:10 pm another person arrived to the meeting and said she saw flames by a red car. It was my Golf. Several of us went out with pots of water and a hose to contain the fire. Moved the other vehicles away from it to avoid it spreading. The flames came down from the engine onto the ground in front of the bumper. It was smoky and smelt horrible. We were able to contain the fire. When the fire dept arrived they used a special tool to pry the hood open and used the residential garden hose to douse the engine to stop the smoldering and reduce the heat of the vehicle to assure it would not ignite again. The car was assessed as totaled. I just bought it from vw uptown abq. It was a tdi that had the modification for the emissions class action suit.
NHTSA recall number:15V705 manufacturer recall number: 23r1 exit ave43, while I tried to turned right for small curved the vehicle was braking. That day I just went to repair my tire I got some nail in my tire I'm not sure that dealer put the air enough or check my tire pressure or not? I just got vehicle 40days and dealer ship not put gap that not over $2000 for my new car but they put vwcare for $2000 for me. Recall for new vehicle incomplete before sold for me I got a report that dealer didn't send that vehicle for repair. First time buyer new car no gap but has vwcare for $2000. I'm asking about recall they not answer my question.
On two occasions, about two weeks apart, the power cut off while driving. The car became very difficult to steer. The alternator light came on. After turning the ignition off and on again once or twice, the car started again, and the light was no longer on. On the first of these occasions, the car was being driven on a city street. It was a minute or two after first starting the car that day. The second was also on a city street. This also occurred just after starting, while turning a corner. On a third occasion, about one week before the above-mentioned two incidents, the epc light came on and power was diminished, but the engine did not cut out totally. This occurred on an expressway, after the car had been driven for some time. After dropping in speed, the engine returned to normal before the car stopped. Both problems would appear to be electrical problems. …
The rear brakes (mainly driver side) on my 2013 sportwagon tdi, are sticking bad.. Mileage has dropped 10 mpg-ish, and they are really emitting quite a bit of heat.. So obviously the brakes are sticking, but I cant find the reason... I asked the dealer if they could take a look. And they said that it just needs new pads and the caliper sliders greased. So I had them all replaced. It seemed to be better getting normal mileage and less heat and now a couple days later its back to sticking. Took the center console apart to see if there was a bias in the cables showing a stuicky cable or something and I could see they were dead even... Went away for some time and now its back again..
Related recalls (3)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.
Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
On some passenger vehicles, short circuits can occur within the electronic control unit of the anti-lock braking system (ABS).
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ABS control unit. Owner notification began March 8, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a…
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The rear brake line on the passenger side was routed too close to the corner of the fuel tank. The line could be damaged by chafing against the fuel tank.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the brake line and replace any damaged lines.
Frequently asked questions
Which Volkswagen Golf years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (12), 2001 (10), 2015 (8), 2013 (5) and 2017 (5) model years. Brake complaints make up 14% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for Volkswagen Golf brake problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 18V-369 (caliper, Jun 1, 2018); 02V-031 (antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, Jan 31, 2002); 98V-195 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, Aug 17, 1998). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Volkswagen Golf brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 39,000 miles; 62% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the foundation components › disc › pads (8 mentions), followed by the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (7).
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.