What 194 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Volkswagen Golf R

-rear coil springs snapped -if coil completely falls out there will be no suspension, creating a greater chance of accident -yes confirmed by mavis discount tire -inspected by me and mavis discount tire -no warning

NHTSA ODI 11578065

Front suspension creaking noise. Front suspension creaking noise during suspension cycles (going over speed bumps or entering on an inclined surface) due to I believe Coil Spring not formed correctly and rubs against the perch of the strut or other issues/manufacturer defects with the front suspension. See also technical bulletin for 2012-2019 Passat stating similar issues: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10155776-9999.pdf I had originally reported a creaking noise to the dealer service center while my vehicle was still under warranty. The dealer claimed it was not able to recreate the sound, which I believe to be a false statement as it is very easy to recreate as it occurs every time I pull into my driveway or go over a speed bump. I stated this at the time however I suspect they didn’t want to replace under warranty or take ownership of the defect / recall. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I have not sought a second opinion from an independent service center yet. I believe this poses a safety concern for both myself and many others. It continues to creak because VW refuses to admit there is a problem. Please help, thank you!

NHTSA ODI 11505083

Car developed a knocking sound from the front-left which occurred during any movement of the suspension, i.e. from all minor perturbations of the road surface rather than major dynamic actions such as breaking or steering. The dealer diagnosed worn out sway bar bushings. They replaced these (and potentially other suspension components - work details from the invoice can be provided upon request) but discovered during their work that the entire front subframe had failed with a major crack. Details can be seen in the attached photos (taken by the VW dealership - Ourisman of Bethesda, MD). I authorized the replacement of the front subframe with OEM components, at a cost in excess of $2000. I have owned the car from new (first registered in January 2018) and it has ~43,000 miles. The car has never been involved in an accident and has been used as family transport on standard road surfaces / driving conditions.

NHTSA ODI 11496908

The vehicle had been making mild clunking noises for some time (at least 2.5 years) during some combinations of turns/bumps. When took to mechanic in January 2020, the sound would not reproduce during test drive, so problem was not diagnosed. Clunking sound became more pronounced over time, until on 8/27/21 while driving a neighborhood road, there was a loud clank, as if some metal part came loose. Then there was very loud clunking, as if a metal part was knocking around loose - more pronounced when turning or going over bumps. Upon inspection by a mechanic later in the day, the sway bar had come loose due to one of the bolts on the driver side sway bar bracket had come out. Both this mechanic and later, the Volkswagen dealer mechanic, said this was very odd, since they normally only see sway bar damage when a car has been in an accident. My car has never been in any kind of accident. Sway bars help ensure a vehicle doesn’t roll too much when handling turns. Aside from safety, sway bars help prevent lopsided wheel alignment and work to maintain an overall better grip on the road. A faulty sway bar puts the vehicle at risk for rolling during turns. My belief is that there was something faulty about the sway bar mounting bracket or bolt which explains the mild clunking I heard prior to deterioration (more frequent clunking) and ultimate failure (on 8/27/21). I have a write up of the inspection and repair from the dealer. I also have photos from the dealer prior to the repair.

NHTSA ODI 11432701

REAR SPRING BROKE. DEALER REPLACED BUT SAID CAR DOESN'T QUALIFY FOR RELATED SAFETY RECALL 42J5 EVEN THOUGH YEAR OF CAR IS LISTED IN RECALL DATE RANGE.

NHTSA ODI 11394609

THERE ARE LOUD CREAKING/CRUNCHING NOISES COMING FROM ALL 4 CORNERS OF THE VEHICLE. SEARCHING YOUTUBE, IT IS A PREVAILING PROBLEM IN ALLTRACKS. IT SEEMS TO BE DEFECTING BUSHING AT THE TOP OF THE SUSPENSION. IT OCCURS WHEN THERE IS LATERAL COMPRESSION AND OCCURS EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS IS DANGEROUS AS THE ENTIRE CAR REST ON THESE BUSHING AND COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL WHEN THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY.

NHTSA ODI 11317776

WHEN WE BOUGHT THE CAR IT CAME LIFTED WITH BIGGER WHEELS AND TIRES. THEY DID NOT TELL US IT WAS AFTERMARKET AND NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IT IS NOT SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD BECAUSE IT KEEPS BLOWING THE REAR SHOCKS. IT BLOWS THE REAR SHOCKS AND BASICALLY YOUR DRIVING JUST ON COIL SPRINGS . WHICH MEANS LACK OF CONTROL TO THE VEHICLE.IT HAS BEEN ON GOING SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS.

NHTSA ODI 11156600

THE FRONT STRUT MOUNTS ON THIS CAR CONTINUALLY GO BAD. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF MIXED CITY AND HIGHWAY (NO OFFROAD) DRIVING, THE STRUTS MAKE A RUMBLE AT LOW SPEEDS ON ANYTHING BUT A FLAT ROAD, AND CAUSE A LOW WHINE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AT LOW SPEEDS (I.E. PARKING, RIGHT TURN ON RED). THE MOUNTS HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED REPLACED BY THE DEALER TWICE UNDER WARRANTY AND I AM CURRENTLY ON MY 3RD AND THEY ARE MAKING THE SOUNDS AGAIN. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY AT 23,000 MILES AND HAS THE SAME SYMPTOMS. PREVIOUS FIXES OCCURRED AT AROUND 9,000 AND 20,000 MILES.

NHTSA ODI 11115079