The Lemon IndexAll cars · Volkswagen Golf · 2017
2017 Volkswagen Golf. Advanced data.
The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.
Engines and drivetrains 9
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City / hwy / combined | Fuel | Fuel cost/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | Auto (S6) | FWD | 25 / 35 / 29 | Regular | $2,150 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | Manual 5-spd | FWD | 25 / 36 / 29 | Regular | $2,150 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | Manual 6-spd | AWD | 22 / 32 / 26 | Regular | $2,400 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | Auto (AM-S6) | AWD | 22 / 30 / 25 | Regular | $2,500 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | Manual 6-spd | FWD | 24 / 34 / 28 | Regular | $2,200 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | Auto (AM-S6) | FWD | 24 / 32 / 27 | Regular | $2,300 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | Auto (AM-S6) | AWD | 23 / 30 / 25 | Premium | $3,100 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | Manual 6-spd | AWD | 22 / 31 / 25 | Premium | $3,100 |
| Electric | Auto (A1) | FWD | 126 / 111 / 119 | Electricity | $650 |
EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.
Failure mileage by system
Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 10,200 and 45,000 miles. Median 29,900, from 137 complaints with a mileage.
| System | Median | Middle half | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel or ev drive system | 34,000 | 11,000–43,600 | 17 |
| Engine | 30,800 | 11,400–47,200 | 24 |
| Electrical | 14,000 | 3,000–34,000 | 15 |
| Body structure | 22,000 | 7,900–35,500 | 14 |
| Airbags | 27,000 | 5,500–41,200 | 10 |
Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.
Complaints by system
| System | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | 19% |
| Electrical | 15% |
| Body structure | 15% |
| Fuel or ev drive system | 13% |
| Wipers & visibility | 12% |
One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.
Severity, all complaints
| Total | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths | Tows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 9 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.
Recall campaigns 6
24V110000 Feb 2024 Fuel System, Gasoline
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.
Risk. 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 previ
21V321000 May 2021 Unknown Or Other
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.
Risk. Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
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.
20V561000 Sep 2020 Unknown Or Other
Defect. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R and Atlas, 2017 Golf Alltrack and E-Golf and 2016-2018 Passat 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.
Risk. Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
Remedy. Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. The recall began October 6, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01E9.
19V188000 Mar 2019 Suspension / Rear / Springs / Coil Springs
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.
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.
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.
18V464000 Jul 2018 Steering / Column Locking / Anti-Theft Device
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."
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.
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.
16V955000 Dec 2016 Seat Belts / Pretensioner
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.
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.
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.
NHTSA investigations
| Status | Subject | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed | Fuel leak due to suction jet pump failure within fuel tank (remedy effectiveness of recall 16v647) | 2023 | 2024 |
Manufacturer communications 716
Volkswagen filed 716 service communications for this car with NHTSA.
- Tech Tips (Comfort Module (J393) or BCM (J519) Replacement): This document informs if a…
- Technical Bulletin informing that When applying brakes at highway speeds the following…
Crash ratings by version
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Golf 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| Volkswagen Golf GTI 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| Volkswagen Golf GTI 2 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
Safety equipment
| Electronic stability | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Optional | Optional |
Nearby model years
Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Updated
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