What 194 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Volkswagen Golf R

Car battery spontaneously exploded when trying to start the car.

NHTSA ODI 11743364

Infotainment system is restarting itself repeatedly every 30 seconds to every few minutes.This has been going on for about 2 weeks. The component has not yet been inspected by a 3rd party.

NHTSA ODI 11704039

I've been experiencing a recurring issue with my vehicle where the EPC light frequently activates. When this happens, the car significantly reduces its speed, making it difficult to drive safely. I've noticed this situation over the past six to eight months, and it typically requires me to pull over. After turning off the vehicle multiple times, I'm usually able to reset it and drive normally again. I'm seeking advice on how to address this problem effectively.

NHTSA ODI 11635575

Failure of wheel speed sensor in front right wheel. This is the THIRD time I have had a wheel speed sensor fail on this car, which has 35,000 miles on it. Failure caused loss of power steering, airbags, abs, etc.

NHTSA ODI 11610366

This is the second time since November 2022 that our clock spring has failed. While it's broken the driver has no airbag, horn, or usability of controls on steering wheel. This is a huge saftey concern especially driving in winter conditions.

NHTSA ODI 11504304

Car will stutter and stall. Usually after multiple short trips (5 stops and starts) in a short period of time (2 hours). 1 min/1000 gauge is fluttering around 0.75 on gauge when stopped. When car stalls it can be when pulling out at a stop sign. It will stall when gas is applied and then I need to coast around a corner. Occasionally the car will stall out when driving between 20 and 30 miles per hour. When this happens it is extremely dangerous because I am driving in traffic and need to pull over to the side of the road. I had this problem fixed at the dealership once before in 2021 and it cost $559.08 then. I was told at the time that gas sometimes has sediment in it and I should not get gas at grocery store pumps where the price is lower. I should stick to better gas stations. I now am getting my gas at the same two better places all the time hoping that the problem wouldn’t happen again. The problem started two weeks ago and is following the same pattern. I scheduled a service appointment again for them to check my car but it never displays any codes and it is difficult for them to recreate the stalling. My car is almost at 85,000 miles when my warranty runs out.

NHTSA ODI 11502182

This is related to VW recal 37M2. My VIN is not in the recall list, but it has the exact same issue with the shifter assembly. The car does not recognize when the transmission is placed in Park. Unable to lock doors

NHTSA ODI 11496535

Passenger window (front) and locks not working. Suddenly stopped working on my low mileage car. The wire harness had to be replaced. Similar recall for the VW Atlas that would also effect the airbag because of corroded wire contacts. Brought to VW dealer and they determined (after 2 weeks) the wire harness had to be replaced. Not functioning doors and locks and possible airbags are a huge safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11483955

Bought the car from autonation in October 2021 and had condensation wet dog smell. Car was garaged until 4/2022 at which time I noticed headliner stains and water coming into wheel well, called dealer was advised to check drain tubes. I cannot. More rain more issues. Care warning lights all came on including airbag. Car has 38150 miles. VW refusing to cover under recall. Wants me to file insurance claim. Dealer did not acknowledge mold headliner issues until I called back after picking up the car. PANORAMIC SUNROOF LEAKS. HEADLINER I AND CARPET IS BADLY STAINED WITH VISIBLE MOLD GROWTH. PILLAR STAINING AS WELL. WATER LEAKS FROM DOME LIGHT AND SUNROOF CONTROL BUTTONS. WATER ALSO LEAKS INTO FOOT WELL. TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP WHO HAVE SAID THAT IT IS LIKELY THE SUNROOF DRAINS ARE BLOCKED BY DEBRIS AND REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE CONSUMER TO ACCESS THE SUNROOF DRAINS TO KEEP THEM CLEAR, PARTICULARLY THE REAR DRAINS, WHICH ENTAILS DISMANTLING PART OF THE CAR. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MANY REPORTED COMPLAINTS BY OWNERS WITH A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN BEING ISSUED. PLEASE ENCOURAGE AN INVESTIGATION

NHTSA ODI 11467619

Front and rear radio speakers are not sealed properly leading to rain leaking into the floor and body of the car. This has been reported significantly and frequently online. VW will fix my car for approximately $4500.

NHTSA ODI 11426639

THE MOON ROOF HAS BEEN LEAKING WATER THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE RADIO BACK UP CAMERA NAVIGATION SYSTEM HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING THERE'S WATER THAT CAME ALL IN THROUGH THE FRONT BY THE WINDSHIELD THE TWO PILLARS AND NOW IT'S HAPPENING IN THE BACK IT WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY

NHTSA ODI 11352458

ON OR ABOUT 6.13.2019, MY 2017 VW GOLF ALLTRACK SE LEAKED WATER THROUGH THE LIGHT IN THE ROOF, BEHIND THE VISOR (DRIVER'S SIDE) WHILE STATIONARY. EACH TIME THE HEADLINER WAS STAINED, WATER SAT IN THE LIGHT AND IT LEAKED ALL OVER MY LAP. AS OF 6.11.2020, IT IS STILL LEAKING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE AND A CLASS ACTION SUIT IS PENDING. VW CLAIMS THIS IS A REPAIR DEFECT, NOT A MANUFACTURE DEFECT AND ONLY OFFERS TO COVER 75% OF A $12K REPAIR ON A VEHICLE THAT HAS 34K MILES, BEEN MOSTLY GARAGE KEPT OR COVERED AND ALL MAINTENANCE COMPLETED ONLY AT VW DEALERSHIPS. I HAVE FILED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH VW. THEY STATE THAT SINCE VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE OF 3 YEAR WARRANTY (3YR/36K MI), THEY ARE OFFERING GOODWILL. I DO NOT FEEL IT IS FAIR OR RIGHT TO HAVE TO SPEND EVEN $1 TO REPAIR A KNOWN STRUCTURAL DEFECT RELATED TO THE SPOT WELDS AND SUNROOF, WHICH WERE LIKELY THE CAUSE OF EACH AND EVERY LEAK THAT THE CAR HAS EXPERIENCED. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAR LIKES TO SUDDENLY ATTEMPT TO ACTIVATE THE COLLISION WARNINGS FOR NO REASON - AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AS WELL, POSSIBLY RELATED TO WATER DAMAGE. VW OF AMERICA REFUSES TO TAKE ANY ACTION BEYOND THEIR OFFER OF 75% COVERAGE OF COSTS AS GOODWILL ON A CAR THAT WASN'T BUILT RIGHT TO BEGIN WITH AND FRANKLY, IS A RISK TO THE SAFETY OF MY TWO CHILDREN, 4 & 2, AS A SPOT WELD IN THE SUNROOF IS SURELY A SIGN THAT IT'S LIKELY NOT THE ONLY STRUCTURAL DEFECT OR FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS MY 4TH VW AND CLEARLY WILL BE MY LAST.

NHTSA ODI 11339536

I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND I FELT SOME SORT OF STRINGY-LIKE METALLIC RESISTANCE AS I TURNED MY STEERING WHEEL (SIMILAR TO A RUBBERBAND HELD TAUT AND BEING PLUCKED). APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES LATER, AN AIRBAG AND A TRANSMISSION WARNING APPEARED AND MY HORN AND ALL BUTTONS ON MY STEERING WHEEL STOPPED WORKING. I WAS AT 50,0170+ MILES WHEN THIS OCCURRED. MY VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER RECALL, EVEN THOUGH 400,000 + OTHER VWS HAD THE SAME RECALL...

NHTSA ODI 11317038

PURCHASED A USED 2017 VW ALLTRACK APRIL 2 YEARS AGO. PRESENTLY HAS ~30K MILES. CHRISTMAS DAY THIS YEAR, 4 WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED LIT-UP IN THE CONSOLE-AIR-BAG, TIRE PRESSURE, ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED, AND ADVISED THAT WATER-INTRUSION OCCURRED DUE TO BLOCKED SUN-ROOF DRAINS [WHICH ARE NOT IMMEDIATELY ACCESSIBLE. ADVISED THAT IT WAS NOT CONSIDERED STANDARD MAINTENANCE AND AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. ALSO REPAIRED WERE CORRODED WIRING CONNECTORS AND CORRODED WIRES! DEALER ADVISED THAT ONCE CORRECTED 'IT SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM AGAIN' WHICH WE DON'T TRUST OR BELIEVE. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN AND WELL-DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. WE ARE VERY FRUSTRATED AND CONCERNED THIS PROBLEM WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY OCCURRING. RUST NEVER SLEEPS

NHTSA ODI 11292290

THIS CAR HAS A WELL KNOWN PANORAMIC SUNROOF LEAK THAT CAUSES EXCESS WATER TO ENTER INTERIOR OF VEHICLE AND SOAK BOTH FRONT AND REAR ELECTRONICS. MY VEHICLE HAS THIS PROBLEM CAUSED BY RECENT HEAVY RAINS. CAR IS USED TO TRANSPORT CHILDREN AND AM WORRIED ABOUT MOLD ABOUT FRONT AIR BAGS BEING WATER DAMAGED.

NHTSA ODI 11291139

YOUR SYSTEM IS MISLABELING CARS. SEARCH FOR 2017 GOLF R. IT SHOWS 58 COMPLAINTS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE CARS TIED TO THESE COMPLAINTS IT'S VW ALLTRACKS. I WANT PEOPLE TO SEE THE ISSUES I'M HAVING WITH MY CARS BUT I NEED YOU TO FIX THE WEBSITE. PLEASE HELP. I FIND IT STRANGE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO VW AFTER ALL THE ISSUES THEY HAVE HAD.

NHTSA ODI 11287489

I HAVE A 2017 GOLF R EQUIPPED WITH DSG TRANSMISSION, AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING AND ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL. OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WOULD MAKE A CONTINUOUS AND PERIODIC CLICKING NOISE THAT CAN LAST FOR A FEW MINUTES WHEN IN MOTION AND WHEN BRAKE IS NOT APPLIED. AS SOON AS I STEP ON THE BRAKE, THE CLICKING STOPS. WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED, THE CLICKING COMES BACK. THE PROBLEM STARTED IN MAY/JUNE 2018 WHEN THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 14000 MILES, AND HAS BEEN DOING THAT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE SINCE THEN. I BROUGHT IT TO A VW DEALER IN JULY 2018, BUT BECAUSE THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT ISSUE, THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND OUT THE ROOT CAUSE. THERE WAS NO ERROR CODE EITHER. HOWEVER THEY SUSPECTED THAT THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM CERTAIN RELAYS IN THE ABS / BRAKING SYSTEM, WHICH IS CONCERNING AS IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A SAFETY ISSUE. A VIDEO OF THE PROBLEM CAN BE SEEN HERE: HTTPS://STREAMABLE.COM/PL4XK

NHTSA ODI 11271084

FOR THE PAST 2+ YEARS, I WILL HAVE HAD THIS CAR 3 YEARS IN NOV.2019, AND FOR THE PAST 2 YRS+ THE DEALER HAS NOT FOUND THE TROUBLE WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT SENSOR COMING ON FOR NO REASON. IT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING, THE LDRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT LIGHT COMES ON AND THE SENSOR STARTS BEEPING - THE WORST WAS OVER A HALF HOUR STRAIGHT WHILE DRIVING HOME. IT HAS HAPPENED ON CITY STREETS- CANNOT RECALL IT ON HIGHWAY DRIVING. IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS THE SEATBELT UNIT WAS REPLACED- BUT THE LIGHTS AND BEEPING HAS RETURNED. I AM NOW THINKING IT MAY BE THE SEAT - SENSOR. NOT THE BELT. I READ/VIEWED VIDEOS THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL OF SOME PEOPLE'S SEATBELT HOUSING, FIXED WITH WELDS. MOST RECENTLY IT IS HAPPENING MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING. IT HAPPENED 7 TIMES WHILE DRIVING MY CAR FROM WORK TO THE DEALER, <10 MILES CITY STREET DRIVE. IT HAS NEVER BEEN REPRODUCED AND I DO NOT THINK ANY CODE WAS EVER SCANNED. THIS IS MY FIRST LEASE, AND AS SUCH I ONLY LET THE DEALER TACKLE IT. STILL NOT FIXED AND NOW MUCH, MUCH WORSE, WITH MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES AND NO RHYME OR REASON TO IT.

NHTSA ODI 11209670

PANORAMIC SUNROOF LEAKS AFTER 40+ DAYS AND COUNTING OF REPAIR AT VW DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ROOT CAUSE OR NOT CAPABLE OF FINDING MULTIPLE PROBLEMS, OR MAYBE DO NOT WANT TO FIND ROOT CAUSE. WATER LEAKS INTO CAR AFTER RAIN/SNOW LIMITS VISIBILITY ON WINDSHIELD, ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARISE FROM SPEAKERS, DOOR LOCKS AND POWER WINDOWS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. LOCATION OF SUNROOF LEAK IS ALSO NEXT TO SIDE AIRBAGS AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS PROBABLY CAUSING PREMATURE DETERIORATION.

NHTSA ODI 11186850

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V464000 (STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. VOLKSWAGEN OF CHERRY HILL (2261 MARLTON PIKE W, CHERRY HILL, NJ 08002, (888) 486-1840) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *BF *TR

NHTSA ODI 11180256

MY PANORAMIC SUNROOF HAS HAD AN ISSUE WITH WATER INTRUSION. DECEMBER OF 2017 I TOOK THE CAR INTO VW OF POHANKA, MARYLAN. THEY REPLACED THE HEADLINER, DRAINAGE TUBES, AND SMOOTHED OUT THE WELDS TO TRY AND FIX THE PROBLEM. I NOTICED THAT THE LEAK IS BACK WITH WATER STAINS ON THE A-PILLAR AND OVERHEAD. THE PROBLEM IS WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE WATER HAD LEAKED INTO. WE ARE AFRAID THAT THE WATER INTRUSION MAY CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD AND DO NOT WANT ANY ELECTRICAL ISSUES DUE TO THE WATER LEAK. OUR MAIN CONCERN IS THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS LOCATED ON THE B-PILLAR AND THE POSSIBLE HEALTH ISSUES OF MOLD AND RUST. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS DURING THE RAIN SEASON.

NHTSA ODI 11175989

THE SUNROOF LEAKS WATER FROM ALL FOUR COUNTERS INTO THE VEHICLE: HEADLINER, SEATS, CARPET AND DASHBOARD. WARNING SIGNALS/ERRORS MESSAGES: AIR BAG, TRACTION, ENGINE LIGHT. 2500 MILES ON VEHICLE PURCHASED 3/18 NEW. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY DURING A MAJOR RAIN STORM.

NHTSA ODI 11102380

THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. FOLLOWING RAIN, WATER LEAKED INTO THE CAR FROM THE PANORAMIC ROOF AT THE A-, B-, AND C-PILLARS AND REAR HATCH ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES OF THE CAR. WATER DRIPPED FROM THE DASH ONTO THE FRONT FOOT WELLS. WATER ENTERING THE PILLARS COULD COME INTO CONTACT WITH PILLAR-MOUNTED AIRBAGS AND WITH ELECTRICAL CONTROLS AND SYSTEMS MOUNTED IN THE DASH.

NHTSA ODI 11101498

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD MISFIRED IN ALL CYLINDERS; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER CLEARED THE SYSTEM AND WARNING SENSORS AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO WARM UP BEFORE DRIVING. IN ADDITION, THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO WEEKS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT IT NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE; HOWEVER, AN UPDATE WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME. THE FAILURE OCCURRED A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,300. ..UPDATED 05/15/17 *BF *CN

NHTSA ODI 10972264