2023 Volkswagen Golf

Routine

Owners filed 11 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System5
000
Engine2
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Service Brakes1
000
Power Train1
000
Back Over Prevention › Rearview System Braking1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Mar 27, 2024ME

Back up camera not working due to infotainment system not working. Dealer is aware, says they are waiting for a software update.

Engine
Filed Feb 5, 2024NY

While driving, Front Safety System Light came on. Additionally, Drive System light came on and car would not go over 25-30 mph.

Electrical System
Filed Dec 10, 2023FL

Infotainment system fails to start/load. Infotainment screen provides multiple error messages such and “component protection active” and/ or “you can activate this function at dealer” and subsequently becomes inoperable, including multiple safety related features: Back up/ rear view camera freezes image or does not turn on at all. Autonomous emergency braking (front assist) fail light comes on. Park distance control fail light comes on. Have been to the VW dealer on two different occasions for these issues specifically and the systems and problems not resolved. They reset/ updated the infotainment system at 1st visit. System failed again/ unresolved. Took back to dealer and they called VW corporate for help. Picked up from 2nd visit and systems promptly failed again. Online search suggests common, unresolved problem. Thank you for aiding consumers in resolving these safety issues

Unknown or Other
Filed Oct 27, 2023CA

The infotainment of the car with the navigation gave wrong directions and almost drove me into a canyon rather than the street. I took it to the dealership and left it there for two days and the problem was still there.

Electrical System
Filed Oct 3, 2023NY

Having consistent issues with safety features and infotainment system that locks up with errors. Since new my VW Gti has been experiencing drivers' assistants' issues. At times the backup camera does not work. At times the the whole infotainment system will have various different errors that prevent any of the safety features to be turned on. The errors don't easily go away unless turning off the car and trying to restart it all.

Power Train
Filed Sep 5, 2023IL

The vehicle has a manual transmission and is equipped with a hill start assist feature. This holds the brake on a hill so the clutch and gear may be engaged and keep the car from rolling back. The feature in this vehicle does not release the brake when the vehicle starts moving forward and holds it for a set amount of time based on hill gradient. This had led to stalling of the vehicle, as the clutch and gear engagement process is completed before the brakes are released. This can be dangerous in traffic situations, especially in intersections.

Service Brakes
Filed Aug 25, 2023WA

All 2022 & 2023 Volkswagen GTI & R models with manual transmissions are impacted by this safety issue. When making a stop on any amount of road grade/hill, the vehicle brakes fully engage and will not disengage when removing your foot from the brake pedal, or by engaging or disengaging the clutch, or by applying throttle. Upon releasing the brake pedal, there is a programmed waiting period of 2-3 seconds where the brakes remain fully engaged, and the vehicle is unable to move regardless of the driver input. Once the waiting period expires, the vehicle begins an uncontrolled roll-back and the driver is able to engage or release the clutch and apply throttle for forward movement. During this waiting period, after the brake pedal is released, any vehicle input will cause a stall. During this waiting period the vehicle brake lights have turned off so drivers behind you believe you have begun forward movement, and they are likely to rearend your vehicle. If you re-apply the brake pedal, the waiting period resets, and you must go through the 2-3 second waiting period again. This feature creates a danger of entering or crossing traffic because the driver cannot 'time' when they will have the ability to move the vehicle, it also creates a danger of stalling the vehicle on a hill or while entering traffic. While in traffic on an uphill gradient, the feature continually engages the brakes and creates waiting periods; this is the case even on an uphill gradient while on an interstate ca

Electrical System
Filed May 26, 2023TX

The problem is Component Protection, When the car goes into Component Protection you lose A/C and defrost, crash protection, It has been see by a Volkswagen dealer.

Electrical System
Filed Dec 26, 2022CT

Vehicles infotainment system does not turn on at startup - several error messages for safety features by most importantly, rear camera does not work when infotainment system screen is down and requires the dealer to activate it or fully black screen. Took to VW three times and they cannot determine the issue. Says it’s a software issue, but also showing “low voltage” warnings in computer diagnostics. Audi, owned by Volkswagen, just issued a recall for infotainment systems disabling rear cameras due to low voltage issues. The symptoms are identical to the VW issues. This is Audi recall internally coded 91Ei and it impacted many makes and models. I believe the components are possibly shared and the recall needs to extend to the GTI as well. Contacted VW and they have been unresponsive to me. I have video of the issue that shows the issue in more detail. Also attached the work order from VW that noted “low voltage”.

Back Over Prevention › Rearview System Braking
Filed Dec 24, 2022CT

2023 GTI’s rear camera, cross traffic sensors and parking sensors not functioning as Infotainment system controls these systems, and is consistently blacking out and showing errors. Had VW in for several services and dealer told me it’s a VW Software issue. Hence, this issue is likely systemic. Considering it renders the backup camera intermittently non functional I consider this a big safety problem. VW needs to address this issue immediately and issue a TSB or a fix. Many owners having same issue. Taken vehicle to two dealer and they have told me it is a Volkswagen technology issue and is unsolvable unless VW fixes the software. Contacted Volkswagen - no response.

Engine
Filed Nov 16, 2022MD

This car should be under an active recall for 2022/2023 Volkswagen GTI/R due to insecurely installed radiator. But it's not listed somehow. The radiator was loose and caused rupture in coolant hose, and loss of coolant.

11 of 11 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2015
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2023 — this page11000Routine
202281000Routine
20217100Routine
20206200Routine
201963600Do not drive
201829600Do not drive
2017116500Routine
201685900Routine
20151311230Routine
201411500Routine
201343510Routine
201248600Routine
2011110630Routine
201069400Routine
20093000Routine
20081000Routine
20072000Routine
200612300Routine
200519400Routine
200428611Fatalities reported
200327670Routine
200274700Routine
2001116920Routine
200088810Routine
199964710Routine
199818100Routine
199723010Routine
199636120Routine
199543500Routine
199441540Routine
19937500Routine
19926200Routine
19918300Routine
199010520Routine

Compare every Golf 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.