Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 15 safety complaints
about the 2017 Volkswagen Golf R with the US government. Of those, 2 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the engine,
named in 6 complaints, 40% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 20,500 miles,
the median across the 8
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers July 2017 to December 2023 · How this is counted
What is on file
15 complaints on file
15
Complaints
0
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
2
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not
the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production
ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 6 · 40%
6 40%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 · 13%
2 13%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 · 13%
2 13%
POWER TRAIN 2 · 13%
2 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 · 13%
2 13%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 · 7%
1 7%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 · 7%
1 7%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 · 7%
1 7%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 · 7%
1 7%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 · 7%
1 7%
WHEELS 1 · 7%
1 7%
048
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 15.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2019 at 3.
4 3 2 1
172017182018192019202020212021222022232023
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2017 to 2023.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2017 Volkswagen GOLF R, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
4 DR AWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
13.4%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Defect investigations
1 on file
An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A
preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering
analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
RQ23007
Closed recall query · opened December 12, 2023 · closed July 1, 2024 · led to recall 24V110
the gasoline fuel system
On December 12, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ23-007 to investigate the remedy repair effectiveness and scope of Volkswagen (VW) recall 16V-647. Recall 16V-647 was issued on September 2, 2016, for a defective suction jet pump (SJP) inside the fuel tank. Failure of the SJP could lead to a fuel leak from the vehicle. This recall covered certain model year (MY) 2015-2016 Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3 passenger car vehicles. The recall remedy repair replaced SJP Version 1.0 with an improved version, Version 1.1. The SJP is designed to purge fuel from the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system. VW’s recall filing stated the SJP may have been damaged during assembly, which could potentially allow fuel to flow directly into the EVAP system. Over time, the fuel could accumulate in, and cause a leak from, the charcoal canister filter element. ODI received consumer complaints of SJP failure leading to a fuel leak, refueling spit back, refueling shutoff, and/or fuel odor in vehicles previously repaired under recall 16V-647. Additional complaints alleging SJP failure leading to the previously stated outcomes were received in vehicles outside the scope of recall 16V-647, including MY 2016-2020 VW Golf and Audi A3 vehicles. VW issued recall 24V-110 on February 14, 2024, to address issues with SJPs Versions 1.0 and 1.1. The recall remedy replaces the SJP Version 1.0 or 1.1 with an improved version, Version 2.0. Recall 24V-110 covers certain MY 2015-2020 VW Golf (including Golf GTI), 2015-2020 Audi A3, and 2019-2020 VW Jetta GLI vehicles, including vehicle previously repaired under 16V-647. Vehicle owners were notified of this recall in April 2024 and VW’s projected date for owner notification of recall remedy availability is August 2024. In view of the recall being conducted by VW, ODI is closing this Recall Query (RQ). The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 injured
The shift boot trim piece was poorly designed and is the metal is peeling and has cut my hand several times. It has happened once while driving and I had to stop at a gas station to get a paper towel to stop the bleeding. The trim piece peels right where the opening to the storage cubby is. The dealer is aware of the situation, but will not cover the cost of replacing the part.
NHTSA complaint 11448803. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
Thermostat Sensor Failure causing check engine light P00B7. Vehicle not reading the correct engine temp causing cooling fans to run at 100% and drivability concern. Dealer diagnosed the repair as replacement of the Thermostat/Thermostat Housing quoted at $1,635. The vehicle has not been inspected by any other party other than dealership. Check Engine line appeared, thermostat not reading proper temp, and cooling fans running at 100% speed. This is a well documented problem with my vehicle:
NHTSA complaint 11561868. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The fuel suction pump in my 2017 volkswagen golf r failed causing strong gas odors to emit whenever the car is running, loss of power, inability to put more than a small amount of fuel in, and gas leaking into the evap and charcoal canister causing them to fail. This creates a huge risk for ignition and fuel dumping onto the road which, only because I stopped driving it, has not happened to me. A check engine light has still yet to appear even after part failure. I believe you can see how big of a safety risk this causes to not only the vehicle's occupants, but those around it as well. I have already taken it to the volkswagen dealer and they themselves confirmed that yes the fuel suction …
NHTSA complaint 11560614, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
My VW on two occasions experienced coolant / water pump system failures (May 2022 and August 2023), the second of which required full water pump replacement. These are identical to the class action lawsuit outlined on (civil court case Civ. No.: 2:21-cv-11251-MCA-MF), though I am receiving difficulties with the settlement claim for unknown reasons. My vehicles water pump is identical to those outlined in the case, as the pump model numbers and OEM origin are identical. These two incidents posed a severe risk/hazard to both the vehicle and myself due to leakage and loss of coolant putting the car at risk of catatrosphic engine failure. It is becoming apparent that these should amount to a …
NHTSA complaint 11537264, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
38,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Golf R. The contact stated that the fuel gauge remained on Empty after fueling the vehicle. Additionally, fuel accumulated in the EVAP system, and leaked out from the fuel tank onto the rear passenger's side wheel. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that recalls were VIN specific and there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V647000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
NHTSA complaint 11447546. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
While driving in the left hand lane on a divided 4-lane (2 lanes each direction) road, a car in front of me slowed in order to make a left hand turn. I braked to slow, looked and saw space in the adjacent lane, moved into that lane and pressed the accelerator to get to the speed of the approaching traffic in that lane. There was no throttle response at first so the approaching traffic was quickly closing the gap. I lifted my foot off the accelerator and then immediately pressed it again at which the throttle responded and I was able to accelerate to the speed of the approaching traffic (in this case a large dump truck) and narrowly avoided a rear-end collision. I have complained of this …
NHTSA complaint 11427052, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst