2013 Volkswagen GOLF problems and owner complaints

AFTER EXITING THE FREEWAY, I WAS DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND THE ENGINE CUT OUT WITHOUT WARNING. I WAS UNABLE TO CHANGE LANES DUE TO LACK OF POWER AND POWER STEERING, SO I TRIED TO RE-START THE ENGINE WHILE COASTING IN THE FAST LANE. THE HUD INDICATED THAT I HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK, SO I STOPPED THE CAR IN THE FAST LANE IN ORDER TO DO SO. THE ENGINE STARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY. THE CAR WAS 6 WEEKS OLD AT THE TIME, AND HAD ABOUT 1100 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 1,150 miles reported. Look up ODI 10534805 at NHTSA ↗

DRIVING IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC AT AROUND 35-40 MPH. PRIOR,TO THIS INCIDENT, CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND TROUBLE FREE. ENGINE DIED, SUBSEQUENTLY POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING AND I NEEDED TO STEER VEHICLE TO SHOULDER OF ROAD. I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND WAS ABLE TO ADJUST TO SITUATION, CONCERNED THAT A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER COULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT IN THE SAME SITUATION. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 37,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10633456 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY AND ACCELERATING WHEN I REALIZED THAT MY CAR WOULDN'T GO FASTER THAN 40MPH. I PULLED THE CAR OVER AT THE NEXT EXIT AND THE CAR WOULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. IT WOULD NOT LET ME GO PAST THE SLOWEST SPEED THAT I HAD REACHED WHILE EXITING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND IT WOULD NO LONGER START. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST VW DEALERSHIP WHERE IT TOOK NEARLY A WEEK TO GET THE CAR FIXED. THERE WERE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE FUEL LINES; THE FUEL PUMP AND ALL LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD MY CAR FOR LESS THAN A YEAR AT THE T…

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10627303 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 2 MILES AFTER STARTING MY CAR THE DIESEL GLOW PLUG WARNING LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND IT FELT LIKE I LOST POWER. I GOT TO A SAFE PLACE ABOUT 500 FEET AFTER, PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND STARTED IT AGAIN IT SEEMED OK FOR A MINUTE BUT THEN IT STARTED FLASHING AGAIN THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I TURNED IT OFF AND IT WOULDN'T START, IT MADE A LOUD WHINE & CLICKING NOISE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE BEARINGS FAILED IN THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 20,825 miles reported. Look up ODI 10641699 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 48 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL COLLAPSED, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO THE MEDIAN. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,500.

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10532475 at NHTSA ↗

ON JULY 16TH, 2013, AT 9:10 PM, I HAD DRIVEN, MY VW GOLF, 11 MILES, AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, OF 59 MPH. I WAS USING THE CRUISE CONTROL. UPON ARRIVING, AT MY FREEWAY EXIT, I BELIEVE I TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL, OR TAPPED THE BRAKE. I DON'T RECALL WHICH. I HAD BEEN DRIVING MY 2013 GOLF, FOR 11 MILES, AT THE FREEWAY SPEEDS, OF 59 MPH. OTHER VEHICLES WERE PASSING ME, WITH THESE OTHER VEHICLES GOING FASTER, THAN MY CAR. I WAS GOING SLOWER THAN THEM. MY CAR WAS NEW, AND I AM RETIRED. SO I DO NOT NEED TO TRAVEL SO FAST. AFTER ALLOWING THE 2013 VW GOLF…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,554 miles reported. Look up ODI 10536973 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN I TURNED THE KEY TO START THE CAR , THE DASH LIGHTS FLICKERED AND TURNED DIM. IT SOUNDED LIKE IT DOES WHEN THE CAR BATTERY WAS DEAD BUT SMOKE STARTED TO COME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AS I LEFT TO GET TO THE PHONE , FLAMES STARTED TO COME OUT OF THE HOOD. I GOT TO A PHONE AS SOON AS I COULD AND CALLED 911. THE CAR WAS PARKED DOWN THE STREET FROM OUR HOUSE BECAUSE OF A SNOW STORM. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND PUT OUT THE FIRE BUT THE CAR WAS DESTROYED. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10564035 at NHTSA ↗

ON TWO OCCASIONS, ABOUT TWO WEEKS APART, THE POWER CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND ON AGAIN ONCE OR TWICE, THE CAR STARTED AGAIN, AND THE LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ON. ON THE FIRST OF THESE OCCASIONS, THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A CITY STREET. IT WAS A MINUTE OR TWO AFTER FIRST STARTING THE CAR THAT DAY. THE SECOND WAS ALSO ON A CITY STREET. THIS ALSO OCCURRED JUST AFTER STARTING, WHILE TURNING A CORNER. ON A THIRD OCCASION, ABOUT ONE WEEK BEFORE TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11025069 at NHTSA ↗

THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED AT 130,000 MILES COSTING $5000 TO REPLACE THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND 4 INJECTORS. THIS IS A DIESEL ENGINE, SO 130,000 HIGHWAY MILES IS NOTHING. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE DIESEL POWERED CARS AND TRUCKS IN THE PAST THAT HAVE GONE PASSED 300K MILES BEFORE A MAJOR REPAIR WAS NEEDED. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A "ECONOMY CAR" AS PER WHAT THE SALESMAN STATED. I DO NOT KNOW OF ANY OTHER VEHICLE THAT COST'S $5000 TO REPLACE A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. $5000 IS 1/3 THE VALUE OF THE CAR. THE CAR STALLED ON ME IN THE MIDDLE O…

Owner-reported narrative. 130,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10861470 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,700.

Owner-reported narrative. 112,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10947395 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, HE SHIFTED INTO THIRD GEAR AND THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED AND SHUT-OFF WITH THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. THE CONTACT STATED A TOW TRUCK TRIED TO BOOST THE BATTERY AND IT FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE BATTERY HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE STILL FAILED TO RESTART. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIF…

Owner-reported narrative. 91,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11400370 at NHTSA ↗

i was driving down the freeway on the way to work at 75 mph when all of a sudden my EPC went off in my 2013 volkswagon gti my entire car shut down (manual transmission) i lost all steering ability while on the freeway going 75 mph i couldn't get over to the shoulder due to loss of brakes due to entire car shutting down .i was almost smashed by a semi due to inability to steer my vehicle to total loss of power . i got the vehicle towed to a service shop they tell me that my timing chain had stretched and timing chain tensioner has failed, whic…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11506679 at NHTSA ↗