Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2002 record →
WHILE TRAVELING OVER A ROUGH STRETCH OF ROAD THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT AND WINDOW AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.IT SHOULD BE NOTED THERE WAS NO SIDE COLLISION,IMPACT OR BODY DAMAGE.THE DEALER INSISTS THAT A SIDE IMPACT MUST HAVE OCCURED,AND THAT I WIL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ESTIMATED $3500 IN REPAIRS.I STIL AWAIT WORD AS TO WHETHER MY INSURANCE POLICY COVERS THIS TYPE OF CLAIM.SO FAR I'VE BEN TOLD THEY MAY NOT COVER IT.
CAR WAS REAR-ENDED AT A STOP LIGHT. CAR CASCADED INTO THE CARS IN FRONT. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ON DRIVERS SIDE. AIRBAGS (4) DEPLOYED ON PASSENGER SIDE ONLY. THERE WAS NO PASSENGER. SEEMS I COULD HAVE USED THE AIRBAG PROTECTION ON MY SIDE. (DRIVER). *AK
I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 10-15 MILES A HOUR AND MY RIGHT RIM MIGHT HAVE SLIGHTLY HIT THE CURB AND MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AND CURTAINS DEPLOYED.I TOOK IT RIGHT AWAY TO THE DEALER, AND THEY SAID THERE IS A CRASH CODE AND WILL NOT PAY FOR IT. I CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA MANY TIMES AND THEY SAY TO CLAIM IT THROUGH INSURANCE. THERE IS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO MY CAR AT ALL SO I THINK IT A FAULTY CRASH CODE! *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH LEFT RIM HIT THE CURB. AS A RESULT, THE SIDE CURTAINS AND SEAT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.*AK
DIESEL FUEL LEAK- WHEN FILLING TANK TO FULL, FUEL POURS OUT SOMEWHERE AT THE TOP OF THE TANK. *LA
SIDEWALLS OF MY DAUGHTER'S VOLKSWAGEN SEPARATED. THE TIRES WERE CONTINENTAL CONTITOURING CONTRACT, 19565R15-91H CH95. *LA
INTAKE MANIFOLD IS CLOGGED ON VEHICLE DUE TO CARBON BUILD UP FROM THE EXHAUST VALVE.*MR CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY LOCAL DEALER THAT THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T PASS FEDERAL EMISSION REQUIREMENTS. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS WILLING TO CHARGE $380.00 FOR THE TASK. CONSUMER DECLINED DUE TO THE HIGH PRICE BUT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. CONSUMER RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND FOUND OTHER CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME DEFECT. *PH
BRAKE LIGHT AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SAFETY INTERLOCK SWITCH FAILED AND LEFT THE CAR STRANDED. *PH
MULTIPLE PROBLEMS INCLUDED: MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON, VEHICLE CUT OFF, TRUNK SWITCH FELL OUT, DRIVER DOOR LOCK INOPERATIVE, FUEL GAUGE INOPERATIVE, ENGINE RATTLE. MULTIPLE REPLACEMENTS - CAMSHAFT SENSOR, TRUNK SWITCH, POWER DOOR LOCKS, FUEL LINES INSTALLED, FUEL SENDER UNIT, TIMING BELT AND TENSIONER. *TT *JB
THE VEHICLE HAD A DAMAGED MOTOR. *TT *SCC *JB
CONSTANT KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT END OF VEHICLE. *JB
CONSTANT NOISE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. AIR BAG SPRING CHANGED TWICE. STEERING COLUMN STILL MAKING NOISE. *JB
BRAKE WARNING SYSTEM WILL ACTIVATE FOR NO KNOW REASON AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. *NLM
PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED DESPITE VEHICLE BEING IN COLLISION OR IMPACT. VEHICLE WAS ON FREEWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. DEALER CLAIMS SENSOR INDICATES IMPACT, BUT THERE WAS NO IMPACT. *JB
THE COIL PACK WAS DAMAGED. *MR THE COIL PACK WAS REPLACED. THEN THE COIL PACK IN THE CYLINDER FAILED. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED FOR VW TO COMPENSATE HER FOR LOST TIME. THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON DUE TO THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION SYSTEM EXPERIENCED AN INCORRECT PURGE FLOW. THE WINDSHIELD WASHER RESERVOIR LEAKED COOLANT. THE EXPANSION TANK WAS REPLACED. SCC *JB
OIL PAN CRACKING/ENGINE SEIZING- BECAUSE THE OIL PAN IS MADE OF ALUMINUM WITHOUT ANY SORT OF SKID PLATE PROTECTING IT, THE COLD TEMPERATURES OF WINTER MAKE IT BRITTLE AND IF ANY SORT OF NATURAL OCCURING HAZARD, SUCH AS ICE OR ROCKS, OR MAN MADE HAZARD, SUCH AS ROAD DEBRIS HITS THIS OIL PAN THE CHANCE OF ENGINE FAILURE/SEIZING IS GREATLY INCREASED.
VEHICLE JERKS HEAVILY AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND REMAIN ON. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PH
THE PASSENGER SIDE AND SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY FOR NO REASON
INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL LOSE ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING WHEN DRIVING. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT IT IS A RESULT OF A PROBLEM WITH IGNITION COIL.TS.*AK
CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE SIDE AIR BAG INADVERTENLY DEPLOYED.*JB
CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK IS PUMPING THREW THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAUSING AND DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
PASSENGER SIDE SEAT AND CURTAIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED DESPITE VEHICLE BEING IN NO INCIDENT OR COLLISION. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER AND PROBLEM ADVISED. NEITHER DEALER OR VW PREPARED TO CONSIDER OR DISCUSS POSSIBILITY OF SUCH POSSIBILITY OCCURANING. BOTH DEALER AND VW THE MANUFACTURERS INSIST THAT VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN MAJOR IMPACT OF 2G OR ABOVE AND THAT THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED BY INSURANCE COMPANY DESPITE THERE BEING NO EVIDENCE OF IMPACT OR COLLISION. DESPITE PLEAS TO VW , THEY WOULD NOT INVESTIGATE POSSIBILITY OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WITHOUT IMPACT. VEHICLE STILL IMMOBILE AND UNREPAIRED AFTER ALMOST 3 MONTHS. VEHICLE SINCE MOVED TO ANOTHER VW DEALER . DT
I FOUND THAT IS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS MODEL AFTER TALKING TO MANY PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM.NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
1) WHILE DRIVING, DOOR AJAR LIGHT SUDDENLY CAME ON FOR NO REASON. NO DOORS WERE AJAR. AFTER PARKING, THE FACTORY INSTALLED ALARM SYSTEM CAME ON SEVERAL TIMES FOR NO APPARENT REASON. 2) THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DEFECT RELATES TO A PERSISTENT BUZZING NOISE FROM THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER.
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2002 Volkswagen Golf → · Every Golf year → · How the figures are calculated →