2013 Volkswagen GOLF

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Average

Quick Summary

The 2013 Volkswagen GOLF has 67 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.8x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is fuel system problems (21% of all complaints), specifically: i was driving on the highway at 5 miles per hour and my car started losing power......like it had a clogged fuel filter. brand new 2 weeks old i thought not possible. i tried to safely get it to the left lane dodging traffic with my slow moving car. it went to 20 mph and it did not completely stop b. ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.

2 fire reports 3 crash reports 1 injury

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.8x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

FUEL SYSTEM

14 complaints

21%

• I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 5 MILES PER HOUR AND MY CAR STARTED LOSING POWER......LIKE IT HAD A CLOGGED FUEL FILTER. BRAND NEW 2 WEEKS OLD I THOUGHT NOT POSSIBLE. I TRIED TO SAFELY GET IT TO THE LEFT LANE DODGING TRAFFIC WITH MY SLOW MOVING CAR. IT WENT TO 20 MPH AND IT DID NOT COMPLETELY STOP B
• 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 S
• 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 L

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 5 MILES PER HOUR AND MY CAR STARTED LOSING POWER......LIKE IT HAD A CLOGGED FUEL FILTER. BRAND NEW 2 WEEKS OLD I THOUGHT NOT POSSIBLE. I TRIED TO SAFELY GET IT TO THE LEFT LANE DODGING TRAFFIC WITH MY SLOW MOVING CAR. IT WENT TO 20 MPH AND IT DID NOT COMPLETELY STOP B”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

14 complaints

21%

• 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 S
• 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 A
• 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 S

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“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 S”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

9 complaints

13%

• I DO NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE THIS CAR DUE TO THE AIRBAG RECALL HAS NO REMEDY AT THIS TIME, ITS BEEN 1.5 YEARS SINCE THE TAKATA AIRBAG FIASCO. AIR BAGS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES BEING SOLD NEW OR USED. THIS AIRBAG MIGHT KILL ME, THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO. WHY HASN'T THE FEDERAL GOV
• TAKATA RECALL/EMISSIONS RECALL - VW HELLO, MY NAME IS [XXX] AND I OWN A 2013 VW GOLF TDI. I AM VERY CONCERNED AT THE AIRBAG RECALL BECAUSE I DRIVE OVER 150 MILES/DAY JUST TO AND FROM WORK. ON TOP OF THAT, I ALSO DRIVE YOUNG CHILDREN IN MY VEHICLE ON A DAILY BASIS AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT MY
• TAKATA RECALL, IT'S BEEN 5 MONTHS SINCE I GOT THE NOTICE; HOWEVER, THE DEALER STILL HAS NO PART TO REPLACE THE DEFECTED PART.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I DO NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE THIS CAR DUE TO THE AIRBAG RECALL HAS NO REMEDY AT THIS TIME, ITS BEEN 1.5 YEARS SINCE THE TAKATA AIRBAG FIASCO. AIR BAGS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES BEING SOLD NEW OR USED. THIS AIRBAG MIGHT KILL ME, THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO. WHY HASN'T THE FEDERAL GOV”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

7 complaints

10%

• 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 A
• THE EPC STARTED COMING ON, IT LOSES POWER AND SOMETIMES CUTS OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING. MY SPEED SLOWS DOWN TO 3 MILES AN HOUR.
• 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 CA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“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 A”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

5 complaints

• BRAND NEW CAR DRIVES SOMEWHAT ERRATIC. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER FOR ALIGNMENT CHECK. WAS ADVISED BY DEALER THAT CAR IS DELIVERED WITH SUSPENSION ADJUSTED OUTSIDE OF MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS. NO REASON GIVEN WHY. I CONSIDER CAR UNSAFE AS IT DOESN'T DRIVE AS EXPECTED. CHECKING SOME OWNER WEBSITES,
• 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 S
• 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 S

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“BRAND NEW CAR DRIVES SOMEWHAT ERRATIC. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER FOR ALIGNMENT CHECK. WAS ADVISED BY DEALER THAT CAR IS DELIVERED WITH SUSPENSION ADJUSTED OUTSIDE OF MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS. NO REASON GIVEN WHY. I CONSIDER CAR UNSAFE AS IT DOESN'T DRIVE AS EXPECTED. CHECKING SOME OWNER WEBSITES, ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 67 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
FUEL SYSTEM: I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 5 MILES PER HOUR AND MY CAR STARTED LOSING POWER......LIKE IT HAD A CLOGGED FUEL FILTER. BRAND NEW 2 WEEKS OLD I THOUGHT NOT POSSIBLE. I TRIED TO SAFELY GET IT TO THE LEFT LANE DODGING TRAFFIC WITH MY SLOW MOVING CAR. IT WENT TO 20 MPH AND IT DID NOT COMPLETELY STOP B
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: 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 S
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
AIR BAGS: I DO NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE THIS CAR DUE TO THE AIRBAG RECALL HAS NO REMEDY AT THIS TIME, ITS BEEN 1.5 YEARS SINCE THE TAKATA AIRBAG FIASCO. AIR BAGS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES BEING SOLD NEW OR USED. THIS AIRBAG MIGHT KILL ME, THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO. WHY HASN'T THE FEDERAL GOV
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: 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 A
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)