2015 Volkswagen GOLF: complaints, problems and recalls

THE CAR SMELLS LIKE GAS FROM THE AIR VENTS. I HAVE MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS FOR THE DEALER TO FIX IT, BUT THEIR RESPONSE IS "YOUR SERIAL NUMBERS ARE NOT PART OF THE RECALL". THAT'S FINE, BUT IT SMELLS LIKE GAS INSIDE THE CAR! *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 2,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10678632 at NHTSA ↗

INSIDE WINDOWS IN THE WINTER AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES FROST OVER AFTER SITTING. I HAVE TO SCRAP MY WINDSHIELD , VW DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT IS BUILT THAT WAY. JAY THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME OTHER 2015 MODELS DO THE SAME THING AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. *JS

Owner-reported narrative. 3,937 miles reported. Look up ODI 10690247 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN I'M IN TRAFFIC STOP AND GO BETWEEN 11MPH TO 18 MPH AT LOW RPM (1,100 TO 1,800 RPM) THE VEHICLE FEELS LIKE SHAKING IN THE ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION LIKE I'M DRIVING A MANUAL CAR BUT MY CAR IS AUTOMATIC. NOW WHEN GOING UP A INCLINE AT 30 TO 33 MPH VEHICLE DOES THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10692757 at NHTSA ↗

THE DRIVERS SIDE HIGH BEAM IS NOT AIMED PROPERLY, IT IS POINTED BELOW THE CUT-OFF LINE OF THE LOW BEAM. THE HEAD LAMP ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER TWICE BUT THE AIM WAS NOT IMPROVED. VOLKSWAGEN WAS CONTACTED, THEY EVALUATED THE SITUATION AND SAID THAT THIS WAS THE WAY THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED AND SO COULD NOT BE FIXED. THE DEALER ALSO SAID THAT THEY LOOKED AT OTHER CARS OF THIS SAME MODEL AND THEY ALL OPERATED THE SAME. BOTH THE HIGH AND LOW BEAM REFLECTORS ARE MOUNTED IN A COMMON HOUSING AND THE ASSEMBLY ONLY HAS ONE ADJUSTMENT …

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10702350 at NHTSA ↗

THE PAINT NEAR A BOLT FOR ENGINE SUPPORT ON THIS ALLEGED NEW CAR IS DAMAGED, AND BARE METAL IS EXPOSED. AS THE RUST DEVELOPS, THE ENGINE SUPPORT MAY FAIL, AND THE ENGINE BLOCK MAY GO OUT OF POSITION. THIS CAN CAUSE FATAL ACCIDENT. BELOW IS THE PICTURE OF THE PAINT DAMAGE. THE WEB ADDRESS IS CASE SENSITIVE. HTTPS://LH3.GOOGLEUSERCONTENT.COM/-YVIYISDZMDO/VUVSSTKR7UI/AAAAAAAACBO/IEPTS_IAK4C/W1219-H914-NO/IMG_3189.JPG. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 460 miles reported. Look up ODI 10714197 at NHTSA ↗

TWO FOAM PIECES, ONE ON THE LEFT AND THE OTHER ON THE RIGHT, IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ARE WRAPPED IN TRANSLUCENT VINYL. SINCE THE VINYL CANNOT WITHSTAND THE HEAT, IT CAN CAUSE FIRE. BELOW ARE PICTURES OF THE VINYL WRAPPED FOAM ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE WEB FOLDER ADDRESSES ARE CASE SENSITIVE. HTTPS://LH4.GOOGLEUSERCONTENT.COM/-TAJJEWYCJ6E/VUKQFQ8MJPI/AAAAAAAAB_E/4OZ-CUBFFRI/W1157-H868-NO/IMG_3101.JPG HTTPS://LH4.GOOGLEUSERCONTENT.COM/-APZJAK01WIM/VUKQGSDF26I/AAAAAAAAB_Q/PQUVYQ0OOKY/W1157-H868-NO/IMG_3112.JPG HTTPS://LH6.GOOGLEUSERCONTENT.COM/-JIX…

Owner-reported narrative. 460 miles reported. Look up ODI 10714200 at NHTSA ↗

RURAL ROAD IN FLORIDA, CRUISE CONTROL SET TO SPEED LIMIT OF 45 MPH. APPROACHING A SHARP CURVE, I DOWN SHIFTED MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION FROM 5TH TO 3RD TO SLOW DOWN TO AN APPROPRIATE SPEED OF ABOUT 35 MPH. WHEN I RELEASED THE CLUTCH, AND BEGAN STEERING INTO THE CURVE, THE CAR'S CRUISE CONTROL RE-ENGAGED AND I FOUND MYSELF STRUGGLING TO STEER AROUND THE CURVE AT 45 MPH. EXACT MODEL IS GOLF SPORTWAGEN TDI SEL WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. VW'S OWN INSTRUCTION VIDEO SAYS THAT WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS DEPRESSED THE CRUISE CONTROL DIS-ENGAGES AND TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10715076 at NHTSA ↗

THE MODEL ABOVE IS A GOLF TDI WITH A 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION....AS I WAS DRIVING IN 6TH GEAR AT 60 M.P.H. WITH THE CRUISE ENGAGED I CAME UPON A DOWN GRADE AND AS I HAVE DONE FOR CLOSE TO 50 YEARS AND NUMEROUS STANDARD TRANSMISSION CARS, DOWN SHIFTED TO 5TH TO ALLOW ENGINE BRAKING DOWNHILL. WHEN I LET THE CLUTCH BACK OUT THE CAR ACCELERATED INSTEAD OF SLOWING BECAUSE THE CRUISE NEVER CANCELLED. IT WAS TRYING TO BRING ME BACK TO THE SET 60 M.P.H. SET SPEED. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, GANLEY VW NORTH OLMSTEAD OHIO, ON 6/8/15, AND AFTER THEY L…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10724109 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2014-07-07 (July 7, 2014)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Golf and GTI vehicles manufactured January 27, 2014, to May 12, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the stabilizer link fasteners may come loose and possibly interfere with the steering of the vehicle.

Consequence: A loose stabilizer link may interfere with the vehicle's steering, requiring additional effort to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front stabilizer links, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40K9/1W.

Reported: 2015-01-23 (January 23, 2015)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to November 24, 2014, 2014-2015 Passat vehicles manufactured April 7, 2014, to November 18, 2014, 2015 Golf and GTI vehicles manufactured July 1, 2014, to November 20, 2014, and 2014-2015 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles manufactured March 31, 2014, to November 27, 2014. A sealing cap at the fuel rail may fail, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment.

Consequence: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails with new parts, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24BL. Note: This recall expands and supersedes recall 14V-809 (Volkswagen recall number 24Bi) and only affects vehicles not previously repaired under that campaign.

Reported: 2015-04-17 (April 17, 2015)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Volkswagen Golf, and GTI manufactured on February 17, 2014, to May 22, 2014, and Audi A3 manufactured on February 16, 2013, to April 23, 2014. Improper nickel plating of components within the fuel pump may result in the fuel pump failing.

Consequence: If the fuel pump fails, the vehicle will not start, or if the engine is running, it will stop and the vehicle will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any affected fuel pumps, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi at 1-800-253-2834.

Reported: 2015-10-07 (October 7, 2015)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured September 8, 2014, to November 28, 2014, Golf vehicles manufactured April 2, 2014, to December 3, 2014, and E-Golf vehicles manufactured July 26, 2014, to October 18, 2014. The affected vehicles are equipped a Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) that may have been manufactured improperly. As a result, the front passenger seat occupant may be improperly classified or may not be detected.

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the front passenger seat occupant is incorrectly classified or non-detected, the passenger frontal air bag may deploy improperly or not at all, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PODS control module, free of charge. The recall began on November 20, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswgen's number for this recall is 69L6.

Reported: 2015-10-26 (October 26, 2015)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.

Consequence: If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.

Reported: 2016-09-07 (September 7, 2016)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Volkswagen Golf, Golf SportWagen, GTI, Audi A3 sedan and A3 Cabriolet vehicles. Due to a problem with the suction pump inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system.

Consequence: As fuel accumulates in the EVAP system, it may leak out through the charcoal canister filter element. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. The recall began November 2016. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298, Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 20Y6 and 20Y5. This recall has been fully superseded by recall 24V-110.

Reported: 2018-05-16 (May 16, 2018)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.

Consequence: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.

Reported: 2018-07-11 (July 11, 2018)

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."

Consequence: 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.

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.

Reported: 2018-12-19 (December 19, 2018)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas, 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began January 31, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J2/42J3.

Reported: 2019-03-06 (March 6, 2019)

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.

Consequence: 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.

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.

Reported: 2019-08-22 (August 22, 2019)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.

Reported: 2024-02-14 (February 14, 2024)

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.

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

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.