2015 Volkswagen E-GOLF
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2015 Volkswagen E-GOLF has 46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.6x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (41% of all complaints), specifically: i was driving my 5-month old vw e-golf on a city road with heavy traffic and traveling about 35-40 mph when all of sudden my electric car shut off and came to a shuddering stop. it felt almost like another car had hit me from behind. the electric vw golf came to such an abrupt stop that the car be.
46
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
0.6x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
ELECTRICAL
19 complaints- • I WAS DRIVING MY 5-MONTH OLD VW E-GOLF ON A CITY ROAD WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC AND TRAVELING ABOUT 35-40 MPH WHEN ALL OF SUDDEN MY ELECTRIC CAR SHUT OFF AND CAME TO A SHUDDERING STOP. IT FELT ALMOST LIKE ANOTHER CAR HAD HIT ME FROM BEHIND. THE ELECTRIC VW GOLF CAME TO SUCH AN ABRUPT STOP THAT THE CAR BE
- • THE E-GOLF WAS IN MOTION ON A PEDESTRIAN ROAD, THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THEN, A MESSAGE DISPLAYED STATING SOMETHING LIKE "ERROR: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM." THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN, YET NOTHING HAPPENED; IT COULD NOT BE RESTARTED, THE WINDOWS WOULDN'
- • I JUST EXPERIENCED THIS ERROR "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE: STOP!" ON THE WAY HOME FORM SAN FRANCISCO TO OAKLAND THANKFULLY I WAS ALREADY OVER THE BAY BRIDGE. THE CAR JUST LOST POWER AND STOPPED. AFTER THE CAR STOPPED I PUT ON THE HAZARDS PUT ON THE BREAK AND TURNED THE CAR OFF I HAD TO DO ABOUT 5 ATT
“I WAS DRIVING MY 5-MONTH OLD VW E-GOLF ON A CITY ROAD WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC AND TRAVELING ABOUT 35-40 MPH WHEN ALL OF SUDDEN MY ELECTRIC CAR SHUT OFF AND CAME TO A SHUDDERING STOP. IT FELT ALMOST LIKE ANOTHER CAR HAD HIT ME FROM BEHIND. THE ELECTRIC VW GOLF CAME TO SUCH AN ABRUPT STOP THAT THE CAR BE”
— NHTSA complaint filing
FUEL SYSTEM
9 complaints- • WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED BRIEFLY, AND THE ELECTRIC DRIVE TURNED OFF. THE DRIVER AIRBAG WAS DISABLED, IN ADDITION TO STEERING AND BRAKE ASSIST, AND OTHER SAFETY FEATURES. THE WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY STATING "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE
- • AFTER THE VEHICLE IS DONE CHARGING USING THE J1772 PLUG (L2 OR L1 CHARGING), THE PLUG REMAINS LOCKED TO THE VEHICLE CHARGING INLET. PRESSING THE J1772 PLUG BUTTON DOES NOT RELEASE THE PLUG AS THE CAR MUST BE UNLOCKED USING A KEY TO RELEASE THE PLUG. IN A PUBLIC CHARGING LOCATION, ANOTHER EV DRIVER A
- • VEHICLE WAS TRAVELLING ~40 MPH ON PUBLIC ROAD. REACHED DOWN TO PRESS "MODE" BUTTON TO LEFT OF SHIFTER TWICE TO SWITCH TO ECO MODE. PRESSED "POWER" BUTTON BY MISTAKE. TWO PRESSES OF POWER BUTTON CAUSES VEHICLE TO SHUT OFF, EVEN WHILE MOVING. VEHICLE SUFFERED TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. WAS ABLE TO BRING VEH
“WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED BRIEFLY, AND THE ELECTRIC DRIVE TURNED OFF. THE DRIVER AIRBAG WAS DISABLED, IN ADDITION TO STEERING AND BRAKE ASSIST, AND OTHER SAFETY FEATURES. THE WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY STATING "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
7 complaints- • THE E-GOLF LOST ABILITY TO DRIVE, THERE IS A RED TRIANGLE WITH AN EXCLAMATION MARK ON THE DASH, AND THE RED CAR ICON WITH AN EXCLAMATION ON IT, INDICATING A "ELECTRICAL ERROR" ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL. ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS OF THE CAR SEEM TO BE WORKING, EXCEPT IT WON'T START, AND THE KEY FOB LOCK/UNLO
- • ON AUGUST 28 2016 PRIOR TO CHARGING E-GOLF, CHARGING SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING THE DAMAGE ON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND BATTERY. THE CAR WAS PARKED ON THE UCSD THORNTON PARKING LOT. AT THAT TIME CAR ODOMETER SHOWS 8727 MILES. VOLKSWAGEN DIDN'T (FAILED TO) INFORM ME ABOUT THE RECALL FOR THE SOFTWARE THAT
- • THE 2015 AND 2016 EGOLF'S HAVE A CHARGING FAULT WHICH PREVENTS THE CHARGE PLUG FROM BEING REMOVED FROM THE CAR. THIS PERMANENTLY ATTACHES THE CAR TO THE CHARGER IT IS CONNECTED TO, BE IT AT HOME, IN A MALL, AT THE GROCERY, ETC. THE ISSUE IS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL HERE: HTTP://WWW.MYVWEGOLF.COM/FORUM
“THE E-GOLF LOST ABILITY TO DRIVE, THERE IS A RED TRIANGLE WITH AN EXCLAMATION MARK ON THE DASH, AND THE RED CAR ICON WITH AN EXCLAMATION ON IT, INDICATING A "ELECTRICAL ERROR" ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL. ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS OF THE CAR SEEM TO BE WORKING, EXCEPT IT WON'T START, AND THE KEY FOB LOCK/UNLO”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ENGINE
5 complaints- • THE E-GOLF WAS IN MOTION ON A PEDESTRIAN ROAD, THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THEN, A MESSAGE DISPLAYED STATING SOMETHING LIKE "ERROR: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM." THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN, YET NOTHING HAPPENED; IT COULD NOT BE RESTARTED, THE WINDOWS WOULDN'
- • I JUST EXPERIENCED THIS ERROR "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE: STOP!" ON THE WAY HOME FORM SAN FRANCISCO TO OAKLAND THANKFULLY I WAS ALREADY OVER THE BAY BRIDGE. THE CAR JUST LOST POWER AND STOPPED. AFTER THE CAR STOPPED I PUT ON THE HAZARDS PUT ON THE BREAK AND TURNED THE CAR OFF I HAD TO DO ABOUT 5 ATT
- • AT ABOUT 17500 MILE ON ODOMETER, I HAD JUST UNPLUGGED THIS ELECTRIC CAR FROM A PUBLIC LEVEL 2 CHARGING STATION AND SAW A WARNING "ERROR: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. STOP!". I ASSUMED IT WAS JUST A LIGHT WHEN FIRST TURNING THE CAR ON SO SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. ( I WAS PARKED IN A STANDARD PARKING LOT, RACK
“THE E-GOLF WAS IN MOTION ON A PEDESTRIAN ROAD, THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THEN, A MESSAGE DISPLAYED STATING SOMETHING LIKE "ERROR: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM." THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN, YET NOTHING HAPPENED; IT COULD NOT BE RESTARTED, THE WINDOWS WOULDN'”
— NHTSA complaint filing
TRANSMISSION
4 complaints- • I WAS DRIVING MY 5-MONTH OLD VW E-GOLF ON A CITY ROAD WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC AND TRAVELING ABOUT 35-40 MPH WHEN ALL OF SUDDEN MY ELECTRIC CAR SHUT OFF AND CAME TO A SHUDDERING STOP. IT FELT ALMOST LIKE ANOTHER CAR HAD HIT ME FROM BEHIND. THE ELECTRIC VW GOLF CAME TO SUCH AN ABRUPT STOP THAT THE CAR BE
- • VEHICLE WAS TRAVELLING ~40 MPH ON PUBLIC ROAD. REACHED DOWN TO PRESS "MODE" BUTTON TO LEFT OF SHIFTER TWICE TO SWITCH TO ECO MODE. PRESSED "POWER" BUTTON BY MISTAKE. TWO PRESSES OF POWER BUTTON CAUSES VEHICLE TO SHUT OFF, EVEN WHILE MOVING. VEHICLE SUFFERED TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. WAS ABLE TO BRING VEH
- • CAR WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET AND SUDDENLY LOST POWER. PULLED OFF ROAD, WAITED AND RESTARTED VEHICLE WITH NORMAL FUNCTION. EVALUATED AT VW DEALER AND TOLD THE DC-DC CONVERTOR IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND SHUTTING DOWN THE MOTOR. THIS PART WAS PART OF A PRIOR SAFETY RECALL BY NHSTA, AND THE CAR
“I WAS DRIVING MY 5-MONTH OLD VW E-GOLF ON A CITY ROAD WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC AND TRAVELING ABOUT 35-40 MPH WHEN ALL OF SUDDEN MY ELECTRIC CAR SHUT OFF AND CAME TO A SHUDDERING STOP. IT FELT ALMOST LIKE ANOTHER CAR HAD HIT ME FROM BEHIND. THE ELECTRIC VW GOLF CAME TO SUCH AN ABRUPT STOP THAT THE CAR BE”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 46 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐ELECTRICAL: I WAS DRIVING MY 5-MONTH OLD VW E-GOLF ON A CITY ROAD WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC AND TRAVELING ABOUT 35-40 MPH WHEN ALL OF SUDDEN MY ELECTRIC CAR SHUT OFF AND CAME TO A SHUDDERING STOP. IT FELT ALMOST LIKE ANOTHER CAR HAD HIT ME FROM BEHIND. THE ELECTRIC VW GOLF CAME TO SUCH AN ABRUPT STOP THAT THE CAR BE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐FUEL SYSTEM: WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED BRIEFLY, AND THE ELECTRIC DRIVE TURNED OFF. THE DRIVER AIRBAG WAS DISABLED, IN ADDITION TO STEERING AND BRAKE ASSIST, AND OTHER SAFETY FEATURES. THE WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY STATING "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐OTHER: THE E-GOLF LOST ABILITY TO DRIVE, THERE IS A RED TRIANGLE WITH AN EXCLAMATION MARK ON THE DASH, AND THE RED CAR ICON WITH AN EXCLAMATION ON IT, INDICATING A "ELECTRICAL ERROR" ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL. ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS OF THE CAR SEEM TO BE WORKING, EXCEPT IT WON'T START, AND THE KEY FOB LOCK/UNLO
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ENGINE: THE E-GOLF WAS IN MOTION ON A PEDESTRIAN ROAD, THE VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THEN, A MESSAGE DISPLAYED STATING SOMETHING LIKE "ERROR: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM." THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN, YET NOTHING HAPPENED; IT COULD NOT BE RESTARTED, THE WINDOWS WOULDN'
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Volkswagen E-GOLF — Year Comparison
How does 2015 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
Full years-to-avoid analysis →NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 46
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 0
- Crash reports
- 0
- Injury reports
- 0
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2015 Volkswagen E-GOLF