Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | 18% | — |
| 2022 | 24 | 30% | 0 miles |
| 2021 | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 17% | — |
| 2019 | 35 | 56% | 1,000 miles |
| 2018 | 3 | 10% | 74,000 miles |
| 2017 | 18 | 15% | 37,000 miles |
| 2016 | 19 | 22% | 17,000 miles |
| 2015 | 28 | 21% | 15,000 miles |
| 2014 | 2 | 17% | 127,000 miles |
| 2013 | 14 | 33% | 50,000 miles |
| 2012 | 11 | 23% | 14,000 miles |
| 2011 | 26 | 24% | 28,000 miles |
| 2010 | 16 | 23% | 30,000 miles |
| 2006 | 2 | 17% | 16,000 miles |
| 2005 | 3 | 16% | 95,000 miles |
| 2004 | 4 | 14% | 1,000 miles |
| 2003 | 1 | 4% | 74,000 miles |
| 2002 | 14 | 19% | 42,000 miles |
| 2001 | 23 | 20% | 73,000 miles |
| 2000 | 13 | 15% | 61,000 miles |
| 1999 | 16 | 25% | 72,000 miles |
| 1998 | 3 | 17% | — |
| 1995 | 4 | 9% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Golf. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the hill assist engaged the brake longer while the brake pedal was not depressed. The contact mentioned that the vehicle stalled afterwards. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200.
Poor quality of the shifter knob component and installation from the factory for the 6-speed manual transmission variant of the 2022 VW GTI. The shifter knob can come loose and pop out of the metal shaft while shifting gears in the drive. The poor quality of the knob develops a crack in the corner of the component which can cause the knob to detach from the transmission over time and make the car undrivable. Since taking delivery of the car from the dealership, the shifter knob appears to not be installed properly as the component can feel loose and pop out of the metal shaft and get detached from the transmission. This incident of the shift knob popping out occurred a few times while driving. As changing gears with the shifter knob is a crucial aspect of driving the car, the current component poses a serious quality and safety issue for the car that was overlooked by the manufacturer.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Golf. The contact stated that the turbocharger failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the mechanic informed the contact that during the inspection, the rear coil spring fractured. The contact researched and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V188000 (Suspension), which was associated with the failure; however, the VIN was not included. The contact stated that the dealer had replaced the turbocharger assembly after the original failure with the vehicle. The dealer also replaced the rear coil springs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
The car idles rough during initial cold start up, intermittently hesitates during acceleration and feels like it misfires during cruising. My dealer found that the ignition timing was retarded by 5 and told me to use better gas, citing a VW field service action (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10176770-0001.pdf). The problem persisted after they treated the fuel. The car has never thrown a code causing the check engine light to turn on, and so the dealer has declined to investigate further. My records show the car was only filled with premium fuel, using VW recommended brands (BP, Exxon, Mobil, Shell) in the 2,000 miles prior to the service appointment and was only filled with regular fuel twice (due to the Colonial Pipeline shutdown) since the car was delivered new from the dealer.
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.
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.
Car will stutter and stall. Usually after multiple short trips (5 stops and starts) in a short period of time (2 hours). 1 min/1000 gauge is fluttering around 0.75 on gauge when stopped. When car stalls it can be when pulling out at a stop sign. It will stall when gas is applied and then I need to coast around a corner. Occasionally the car will stall out when driving between 20 and 30 miles per hour. When this happens it is extremely dangerous because I am driving in traffic and need to pull over to the side of the road. I had this problem fixed at the dealership once before in 2021 and it cost $559.08 then. I was told at the time that gas sometimes has sediment in it and I should not get gas at grocery store pumps where the price is lower. I should stick to better gas stations. …
Issues with thermostat housing: the part fails, causing a slow coolant leak. Coolant light eventually comes on. I bought my car in fall 2016. Issue first occurred and was diagnosed and fixed by dealer under warranty in April 2020. It has now (August 2021) reoccurred and has been diagnosed again by the dealer as the same issue. This should be a lifetime part. I should not have had to replace this part twice within a little more than a year, on a car that is just about five years old. Safety issue: possibility of sudden failure/overheating that might leave the driver stranded by the side of the road. Numerous others have reported this issue occurring repeatedly; please see https://www.reddit.com/r/GolfGTI/comments/drna5m/mk775_thermostat_housing_issue_and_coolant_loss/ VW has also settled a class action on a similar issue on an older generation of cars (Coffeng, et al. v. …
Related recalls (2)
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.
Remedy: Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.
Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Fan
Improper material was used in manufacturing the radiator fan motor shaft causing the shaft to wear and become noisy.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the complete cooling fan assembly on vehicle having the potential shaft material problem. Dealers will install a new fan blade including a new lock nut on vehicle with loose fan blade lock nuts.
NHTSA investigations
Vehicle Stalling - Manual Transmission
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a defect petition received on 14 August 2019 requesting an investigation of an alleged defect of the manual transmissions in Model Year (MY) 2019 Volkswagen (VW) GTI, Golf GTI and Jetta GLI vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
Which Volkswagen Golf years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2019 (35), 2015 (28), 2011 (26), 2022 (24) and 2001 (23) model years. Engine complaints make up 56% of all complaints for the 2019.
Is there a recall for Volkswagen Golf engine problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 15V-705 (engine, Oct 26, 2015); 95V-178 (fan, Sep 20, 1995). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Volkswagen Golf engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 31,000 miles; 70% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (28 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (19).
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.