The Lemon Index2010 Volkswagen Golf.
The 2010 Volkswagen Golf is worse than average by owner complaints: 61 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 196, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about fuel system, diesel, it has 5 recalls, and it gets 25 to 32 mpg combined. The best Volkswagen Golf year is 2014.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 122 owner complaints, owners reported:
Every Volkswagen Golf year. 2010 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 10K to 73K miles on the car (103 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- engine complaints mostly came at 48K–90K miles
- fuel system, diesel complaints mostly came at 8K–38K miles
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 0K–73K miles
Recalls 5
- airbags 2018
Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
- brakes 2016
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.
- airbags 2016
Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Show all 5 recalls
- fuel system, diesel 2011
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL 2009-2012 JETTA AND JETTA SPORTWAGEN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2008 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2009 THROUGH SE…
- transmission & drivetrain 2009
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND AUGUST 2009.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Volkswagen told dealers about
Volkswagen sent dealers 1176 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Malfunction light is on and there is noise with the engine running rough
- In some vehicles, the warning light for engine may be on and the engine power has failed
- Certain model year vehicles are experiencing engine not starting, making a rattling noise
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- OpenAir bag clockspring failure2018
- ClosedHigh-pressure fuel pump failure2011–2015
- ClosedDiesel fuel injector line leakage2011
- ClosedHigh pressure fuel pump failure (hpfp)2010–2011
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★☆ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★★☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $2450–2950 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.0L 4-cyl, 2.5L 5-cyl.
In owners' words
While driving my 2010 VW Golf tdi will stall/hesitate for a second or two. I experience this issue about once every couple weeks. I reported the issue to the dealer, but they reported that could not find any issues with the car.
2010 Volkswagen Golf owner · NHTSA complaint 10395774
More owner reports
2010 VW gti with dsg has stalled out twice for me in traffic. The car will start to idle roughly then stall out. This usually occurs after being in stop and go traffic after and hour or so.
NHTSA complaint 10361242
The 2010 gti with dsg driving in heavy stop and go traffic, after and hour and half . Stalled in the middle of traffic at 7:00 pm.
NHTSA complaint 10365560
Quick answers
Is the 2010 Volkswagen Golf reliable?
No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 2× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 196; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Volkswagen Golf year by this measure is 2014.
What are the most common 2010 Volkswagen Golf problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are fuel system, diesel (31%), engine (25%) and transmission & drivetrain (18%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2010 Volkswagen Golf have?
5 safety recalls (latest: airbags). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2010 Volkswagen Golf get?
25 to 32 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2010 Volkswagen Golf problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 10,000 and 73,000 miles. The middle report was at 40,000 miles, from 103 complaints.
Does the 2010 Volkswagen Golf have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 18% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2010 Volkswagen Golf cost in fuel a year?
About $2450 to $2950 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2010 Volkswagen Golf have?
2.0L 4-cyl, 2.5L 5-cyl.
What Volkswagen Golf year is better than the 2010?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2014, 2020 and 2013.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works