2015 Volkswagen Golf UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
The chrome plastic trim coating on the START/STOP button and also the steering wheel have peeled and are razor sharp. I cut myself badly on both pieces on my right fore fingertip and middle ring finger. I try to avoid placing my hand accross the horn of the steering wheel since this happened, but the trim there is very dangerously sharp. There is a recall on the same trim on 2017 cars (Service Action 34L9), but the VW dealer told me there was not on my vehicle.
Thermostat/water pump housing leaking coolant at 20,000 miles. No damage to vehicle that caused this, seems to be a common issue with VW Golfs. The repair is out of pocket and the dealership which sold me the car only a year ago is quoting $1600.
Was reaching across front console when metal trim near shifter seems to be released and acted like a razor blade cutting my hand severely.
THERMOSTAT
ERROR: SERVICE VEHICLE. ONLY LEAVE VEHICLE IN P POSITION. THIS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING FOR ONLY A SECOND OR TWO. IT OCCURS BOTH HIGHWAY AND CITY DRIVING. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE NOVEMBER 2018. DEALER SAYS TO IGNORE. INTERNET GROUPS INDICATE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2015 VW GOLF. SHIFTER PROBLEM THAT VW IS NOT ADRESSING..
WHEN I START MY CAR IN THE MORNING THE CODE ERROR SERVICE VEHICLE. ONLY LEAVE VEHICLE IN P POSITION! IT GOES AWAY BUT FLASHES AGAIN AS I'M DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY OR A REGULAR ROAD OR TURNING EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT. THE ERROR MESSAGE COMES ON AND JUST AS QUICKLY GOES AWAY, ONLY TO RETURN AGAIN IN MINUTES OR HOURS.
PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE AT 32,000 MILES (THIS CAR ALREADY HAD TWO DEFECTIVE PARTS AT 9,000 MILES - THE TIMING CHAIN COVER AND OIL LEVEL SENSOR.) CAR STARTED MAKING SCREECHING NOISE WHEN DRIVING, HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER WHO SAID IT WASN'T MAKING ANY SOUND WHEN THEY DROVE IT, AND THEY DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG. ONE WEEK LATER, BURNING SMELL FROM VENTS, NOW DEALER SAYS CLUTCH HAS FAILED.
WHEN I PUT MY HAND INSIDE THE COMPARTMENT BELOW THE AIR CONDITIONER KNOBS AND IN FRONT OF THE SHIFT-STICK I CUT MYSELF ( TWO FINGERS ) WITH THE EDGE OF THE METAL PART NEAR IT. THAT METAL PART IS EXPOSED AND IS SHARP AND CUTS LIKE A THIN PAPER OR A KNIFE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED.
1ST INCIDENT IN JANUARY 2016I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND CONSTRUCTION BARRELL ROLLED ACROSS HIGHWAY. MY FORWARD COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM DID NOT ACTIVATE; I HAD TO HIT THE BARRELL; LOTS OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR; THE BOSCH RADAR WARNING SYSTEM IS HELD IN PLACE WITH PLASTIC AND IT BROKE OFF DURING COLLISION. 2ND INCIDENT,APRIL 2016 HIT A RUBBER CONE THAT HAD FALLEN OUT OF A TRUCK ON THE HIGHWAY. THE WARNING SYSTEM SENSOR BROKE OFF AGAIN. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW, I PAID EXTRA FOR THE EXPENSIVE $1,000 +DRIVER ASSISTANCE PACKAGE WITH FORWARD COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM. IT HAS NOT ONLY FAILED ME TWICE, IT BREAKS EASILY BECAUSE A PIECE OF PLASTIC HOLDS IT IN PLACE. I HAVE LOOKED AROUND AND HAVE NOT SEEN ANY OTHER CARS WHERE THIS IMPORTANT SENSOR IS POSITIONED SO OPENLY AND IS SO VULNERABLE TO BEING HIT BY SMALL OBJECTS AND BREAKING AND NOT MAKING THE CAR RESPOND. THIS POORLY DESIGNED SAFETY DEVICE IS VERY FRAGILE. EVEN THE VOLKSWAGON DEALERSHIP AGREED THAT IT IS A POOR DESIGN AND THE COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM WILL ONLY WORK IF THERE IS TO BE A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER CAR. THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY DEVICE BREAKS OFF TOO EASILY. DID NOT HAVE POLICE REPORT FOR FIRST INCIDENT, BUT HAD INSURANCE CLAIM..POLICE REPORT NUMBER FOR THE SECOND INCIDENT IS 16-011613 (DURHAM, N.C.). THE PART I AM MOST CONCERNED ABOUT IS: BOSCH, RADAR SENSOR, 5Q0907561F.
PARKED CAR IN DRIVEWAY, IN THE MORNING PANORAMIC SUNROOF WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED. NOT AN ATTEMPTED BREAK IN, IT APPEARS SPONTANEOUS, LIKE PRESSURE BUILT UP IN THE GLASS MADE IT EXPLODE OR BURST.
CAR HAS SHUT DOWN AFTER STOPPING 4 TIMES NOW STARTING IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR LAST INCIDENT WAS 11 SEPT 2015 TOOK TO KALAMAZOO VW SERVICE DID NOT FIND ANY FAULT CODES ALSO KEY FOB WILL NOT UNLOCK CAR WITHIN RANGE OR NOT START VEHICLE WILL STATE KEY FOB NOT IN RANGE WHEN TRYING TO START WITH KEY IN CAR.
I WAS TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES AN HOUR AND MY SUNROOF EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. TEMPERATURES OUTSIDE WERE IN THE MID 90'S, TIME OF DAY WAS 6:00 PM, I HAD AIR CONDITIONING RUNNING AND SUNROOF AND INTERIOR SHADE TOTALLY CLOSED. AFTER THE EXPLOSION, THE SUNROOF WAS BOWED FROM THE INSIDE OUT (CONVEX CURVE) AND THE SAFETY GLASS WAS SHATTERED IN WEBLIKE PIECES. I PULLED OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND I WAS MISSING GLASS FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOF ABOUT THE SIZE OF AN OBLONG WATERMELON.
Trend Over Time
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Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2015 Volkswagen Golf has 12 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.