2013 Volkswagen Golf R

Routine

Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags3
000
Suspension1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Oct 4, 2022NY

Failed click-spring in the steering wheel- the airbags and horn are out of commission.

Air Bags
Filed Dec 12, 2021IL

Clock spring failure with airbag error light on, and steering controls & horn not functioning. Car previously had clock spring fixed under recall in Aug 2016 (car mileage 55,619), and now had the exact same issue occur in Nov 2021 at 79,596 mi. Original recall did not fix issue, service records available.

Air Bags
Filed Sep 27, 2021CA

7 times now, I have heard a “pop” while turning the steering wheel & the airbag light has come on. The horn will not work after this happens. Each time, it has occurred at low speed, whilst making a turn or merely backing out of my driveway. 6 times of the 7 times, I have taken it to the Hansel VW dealership in Santa Rosa, CA & they have told me it was the clockspring in the steering column & they have replaced it. The 1st time, it was replaced under the vehicle’s warranty, 4 of the other times it was replaced under the parts warranty. On 3/18/20, the part was out of warranty & I had to pay for it, but was not charged for labor. On 9/25/21, I was backing out of my driveway, when it occurred for a SEVENTH time. As I have recently relocated, I will be taking it to the Niello VW dealership in Sacramento on 10/6/21 for repair. I am in the process of contacting VW of America Dates of clockspring replacement: 01/28/2015 05/05/2017 03/06/2018 05/29/2018 03/18/2020 07/27/2020 10/06/2020 (scheduled)

Suspension
Filed Jan 18, 202150,000 milesMA

REAR SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTURED RESULTING IN A SHARP LOOSE PIECE OF STEEL. THIS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE CAR, AND THE CAR STARTED TO MAKE AN UNEXPECTED METALLIC NOISE. THIS LOOSE PIECE COULD HAVE RUPTURED THE TIRE AND CAUSED A SAFETY ISSUE OR ACCIDENT. THE REPAIR SHOP DEEMED THE CAR NOT DRIVABLE DUE TO SAFETY. I PAID TO HAVE BOTH REAR SPRINGS AND SPRING PADS REPLACED. THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 51K MILES. THIS IS A SURPRISING FAILURE AND I WAS CONCERNED FOR MY AND OTHER OWNER'S SAFETY. THIS SAME EXACT FAILURE IS THE SUBJECT OF AN NHTSA RECALL FOR 2015 AND LATER VW GOLFS, THE SAME MODEL I HAVE. I CONTACTED VW AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR.

4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2017
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20263000Routine
20250100Routine
202412100Routine
20236300Routine
202210500Routine
20196200Routine
20189400Routine
201715000Routine
201612400Routine
20151000Routine
2013 — this page4000Routine
20121000Routine

Compare every Golf R year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.