CSR

Volkswagen · NHTSA safety record

2017 Volkswagen Golf

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

115

Complaints

3

Crashes

0

Fires

5

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2017 Volkswagen Golf have filed 115 safety complaints with NHTSA between January 2017 and May 2026. The most complained-about system is the fuel and propulsion system, named in 51 of them (44%). The typical failure was reported at 21,500 miles, the median across the 31 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 5 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (5)

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

24V110000 · February 14, 2024

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a problem with a suction jet pump seal inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system and possibly leak out of the charcoal canister.
The risk
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are VW: 20UF/Audi: 20YF. Vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-647 will need to have the new remedy completed. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 16V-647.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 261,257 vehicles across all model years covered

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

21V321000 · May 5, 2021

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
The risk
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
The remedy
Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 46 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS

19V188000 · March 6, 2019

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.
The risk
If a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J5.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 56,173 vehicles across all model years covered

STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE

18V464000 · July 11, 2018

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Volkswagen Golf and Golf Sportwagen vehicles. The build of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition while the vehicle shift lever is not in "Park." As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
The risk
Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
The remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37L5.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 33,168 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

16V955000 · December 29, 2016

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi A7, A4, A6, Volkswagen Golf and Tiguan vehicles and 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles for driver frontal air bags, passenger frontal air bags or head air bags that may not deploy properly. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being recalled because the seat belt pretensioners may not activate properly.
The risk
In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
The remedy
Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 5,947 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (1)

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.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 115.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 51 44%
ENGINE 18 16%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 12 10%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10 9%
AIR BAGS 7 6%
STRUCTURE 7 6%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 5 4%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 4%
POWER TRAIN 4 3%
STEERING 4 3%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 3%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 3 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2022 at 27.

2017 2022 2026
2017 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

STRUCTURE:BODY

1 injured · crash · 21,000 miles

ON 10/17/17 AT 6:30 PM, I WAS DRIVING VERY SLOWLY IN SLOW TRAFFIC IN TOWN WHEN A MAN DRIVING IN BACK OF ME WAS LOOKING DOWN SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AND DISTRACTED (WAS ON HIS PHONE ALTHOUGH HE SAID HE FELL ASLEEP) WHEN HE HIT THE BACK (REAR-ENDED) MY CAR. I HAD MY SEAT BELT ON. MY HEAD AND BODY THRUSTED FORWARD AND BACK AND MY HEAD HIT THE LOWER PART OF THE HEAD REST HARD BECAUSE THE HEAD REST AND SEAT ARE TOO TALL (I'M SHORT) AND THE HEADREST DOESN'T FIT MY HEAD. I SUFFERED A CONCUSSION, WHIPLASH, AND SIGNIFICANT PAIN. THIS IS THE 2ND ACCIDENT WHICH WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE 1ST ACCIDENT ON 6/21/17 WHICH I PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TO YOU, VW OF AMERICA, AND DIRITO BROTHERS IN WALNUT CREEK. I

NHTSA complaint 11043590, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured

There is a piece of trim near the gear selector in the interior that separated to reveal a sharp edge that caused a severe cut on my hand.

NHTSA complaint 11495771. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured

I have gear shift trim that has peeled and is extermely sharp in my vehicle. This had led to cutting my hands multiple times while accessing the center storage compartment. This is a known issue with GTIs and other Volkswagen trim manufacturing, yet Volkswagen refuses to replace the part in my VIN. The relevant Service Action Code is 34J7.

NHTSA complaint 11609661. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

crash · towed · 96,000 miles

The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Golf. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, while attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into a parking lot barrier. The contact stated that none of the air bags deployed. There was no injury sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was towed to an Auto Body Shop. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not deemed a total loss. The contact related the failure to an article read online on Edmonds Auto Reviews.

NHTSA complaint 11696778, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Driving my 2017Golf the check engine light came on. The light was steady. I called my dealer and got it in for service. They report to me that the Thermostat housing needs to be replaced and oxygen sensors need replacing also. I just had the manifold replaced 6 weeks ago. I found on line that this is a common problem . Why isn’t this a Recall Repair?

NHTSA complaint 11735790. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My vehicle is subject to Safety Recall 20UF (Suction Jet Pump failure / Fire Risk). I have attempted to contact Pacific Volkswagen in Hawthorne, CA to schedule this safety-critical repair. On two separate occasions, upon mentioning that the call was regarding the 20UF recall, the dealership staff disconnected the call. This repeated 'recall avoidance' at Pacific Volkswagen is preventing me from remedying a known fire risk, and the dealership is effectively refusing to facilitate a federally mandated safety repair. I am concerned that the dealer is prioritizing paid service over safety-critical warranty work.

NHTSA complaint 11712343. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have been having rear cameras for quite some time. The first time I took it to the dealer they could not find any issues and told me to take pictures. I did, plenty of them. Monday 10-27 2025 I took it in again for the gas tank issue and camera issue. Being disabled due to serious spine issues I had to minimize waiting time. The dealer preformed a radio update per 91-19-02 & MIB2 composition & discovered media info system malfunctions. I am currently under VW extended warranty 10 year 100000 mi but they charged me $225.00 for the update. This is exactly the same issue for recall #91SB. Apparently the issue goes back further than the recall, I believe that these issues were swept under the

NHTSA complaint 11696492, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
In December 2021, my fuel gauge read empty, so I stopped at a gas station near the Honolulu Airport and VW Honolulu dealership. As I was pumping the gasoline, it began overflowing from the top of the tank, although I had just started pumping. I immediately removed the pump which is when gas began leaking out of the bottom of the tank, like a faucet. Luckily, I was right by the dealership, and was able to make it there without anything dangerous happening. After assessing my vehicle, the VW technicians said there was an internal issue with a faulty fuel tank. They said this issue was not something that I caused. Attached are the invoices and notes provided by the technicians. I paid $3,877

NHTSA complaint 11689572, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The component that failed, according to Volkswagen, is the rollover valve in the gas tank. This issue caused large amounts of gasoline to leak and pool from behind the rear passenger wheel well, creating a significant fire hazard and risk of harm. The vehicle was inspected by a Volkswagen service center as part of the repair process, whereupon the Volkswagen service center documented that the issue was caused by a faulty rollover valve in the gas tank. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure.

NHTSA complaint 11622253. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Volkswagen Golf

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2022 81 0
2019 62 6
2018 29 6
2016 85 9
2015 131 12
2014 11 5
2013 43 5
2012 48 6
2011 110 6
2010 69 4

Other 2017 Volkswagen models

Every Volkswagen on this site — 152 vehicles, 256 recall campaigns and 2 open investigation s.

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

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.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst