2016 VOLKSWAGEN E-GOLF Complaints

WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART AND THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED.

ENGINE TURNS OFF AND CAR BRAKES TO AN ABRUPT STOP WHILE DRIVING IF "START ENGINE START" BUTTON IS PRESSED BY USER ERROR INSTEAD OF THE ADJACENT "MODE" BUTTON USED TO SELECT EITHER "NORMAL", "ECO", OR "ECO+" ENERGY LEVELS. 1. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED BOTH TIMES I HAVE TURNED OFF THE CAR WHILE IN MOTION ONCE PRIOR TO MAKING A LEFT TURN AND THEN THE SECOND TIME IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHICH WERE BOTH DANGEROUS SITUATIONS BUT THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. 2. THE CAR ALWAYS STARTS IN NORMAL MODE SO IF ONE IS LOW ON RANGE AS I WAS BOTH TIMES, WHENEVER THE CAR IS RESTARTED ONE MUST MANUALLY SWITCH BACK TO ECO OR ECO+. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY JUST STARTED DRIVING YOU MIGHT REALIZE THE NEED TO CHANGE MODES TO ECO FROM NORMAL FOR EXAMPLE WHILE IN MOTION. FOR SAFETY, I KEEP MY EYES ON THE ROAD SO REACHED DOWN TO WHERE I THOUGHT THE MODE BUTTON WAS AND INSTEAD PRESSED START ENGINE STOP BUTTON WHICH DRAMATICALLY TURNS OFF THE CAR. IT DOES NOT COAST, BUT COMES TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP. 3. THE VEHICLE MANUAL HAS A WARNING ON PAGE 210 TO NOT TURN OFF THE CAR IN MOTION WHICH IS STATING THE OBVIOUS BUT MANUALS DO NOT PREVENT HUMAN ERROR AND I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO DO THIS SINCE HAVE FOUND AN ENTIRE THREAD ABOUT THIS ON THE MYVWEGOLF.COM FORUM. 4. THE SOLUTION SHOULD BE A STRAIGHTFORWARD VEHICLE SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT WILL LOCKOUT THE START ENGINE STOP BUTTON COMPLETELY WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, IN "DRIVE", "B", OR "R" GEAR SELECTOR POSITIONS. 5. IN THE MEANTIME TO A RESOLUTION TO THIS SAFETY ISSUE, I WILL BE PLACING A RIGID ROUND PLASTIC BUTTON OVER THE START ENGINE STOP BUTTON ATTACHED WITH VELCRO TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN BY MISTAKE. 6. I HAVE REPORTED THIS SAFETY COMPLAINT TO VW CARE VIA CHAT AND THE TRANSCRIPT IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. 7. A PHOTO OF THE ADJACENT BUTTONS IS SUBMITTED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLKSWAGEN E-GOLF. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V138000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT PERFORM THE RECALL ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER STATE TO GET THE RECALL PERFORMED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

I WAS DRIVING BACK FROM WORK AFTER CHARGING 100%. AFTER I DROVE FOR ABOUT 10 MILES ON AN EXPRESSWAY (LAWRENCE), I STOPPED AT THE SIGNAL LIGHT. AFTER THE SIGNAL TURNED GREEN, I ACCELERATED THE CAR. IMMEDIATELY, ALARMS WENT OFF AND SAID ELECTRIC FAILURE. "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE: STOP!". I STOPPED AND RESTARTED THE CAR. AGAIN THE SAME ERROR. IMMEDIATELY, I TURNED ON THE FLASH LIGHTS. CAR DIDNT MOVE AND CARDS BEHIND ME WERE HONKING THE HORN. I CALLED 911 AND POLICE CAME AND SAVED ME DRAGGING THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER. I COULDNT EVEN GET DOWN THE CAR DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS AND CARS GOING AT 50MPH. I CALLED EGOLF EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE. THEY CAME AFTER AN HOUR AND TOWED THE CAR TO VOLKSWAGON CENTER. CAR IS BRAND NEW WITH ONLY 1500 MILES. ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION. VOLKSWAGO SERVICE REP CALLED ME AND TOLD THAT THE 12 V BATTERY IS FAULTY AND IT WILL TAKE 6 WEEKS TO REPLACE. ONE OF MY FRIENDS ALSO HAD THE SAME BATTERY ISSUE IN DEC 2015 AND HE ALSO HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH 12 V BATTERY ISSUE. I AM VERY CONCERNED AT THIS POINT THAT I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE ON EGOLF. ONE OF MY FRIENDS

I PULLED OUT OF MY OFFICE PARKING LOT AND AS I WAS TRYING TO CROSS INTO TRAFFIC GOING LEFT, MY CAR DIED, INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE, WITH A CAR HEADING MY WAY. BY LUCK I KNOCKED IT INTO NEUTRAL AND HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. BARELY ESCAPING AN ACCIDENT. AT ANY MOMENT IN THE FUTURE, I COULD SEE THIS ERROR AGAIN: "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE: STOP!", WHICH KILLS THE MOTOR, AND MEANS NO BRAKE OR STEERING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM (POWER STEERING), AIRBAG, SAFETY BELT PRETENSIONER, AND OTHER VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES.

VW E-GOLF ELECTRICAL VEHICLE DIED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING COMING TO AN ABRUPT STOP (AS IF THE BREAKS HAD BEEN FULLY APPLIED) WHILE ENTERING SINGLE LANE HIGHWAY ON-RAMP DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR. UNABLE TO ROLL THE CAR TO THE SIDE TO AVOID TRAFFIC. UNABLE TO EXIT THE CAR AS OTHER VEHICLES WERE SWERVING ON BOTH SIDES TO AVOID A COLLISION. TOOK OVER 20 MINUTES TO GET ASSISTANCE TO PULL THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (THANKS TO A COURAGEOUS GOOD SAMARITAN) UNTIL POLICE AND TOW TRUCK ARRIVED OVER 35 MINUTES AFTER THE INCIDENT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE MECHANICS WERE UNABLE TO DEAL WITH IT (HIGH VOLTAGE VEHICLE) UNTIL THEY RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM VW OF AMERICA. IT TOOK ABOUT 1 WEEK TO HAVE THE ISSUE RESOLVED. COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK PERFORMED AT THE DEALERSHIP: "1456 VEHICLE DOES NOT GO INTO READY MODE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ERROR DISPLAYED ON MFD. GFF. P060C INTERNAL CONTROL MODULE MAIN PROCESSOR PERFORMANCE ACTIVE/STATIC IN 8C MODULE. CONTACT TECHLINE 1548611. ADVISED TO ATTACH MVB FROM 8C AND 51. ATTACHED MVB. TECHLINE ADVISED TO CHARGE 12 VOLT BATTERY AND CLEAR FAULTS. CHARGE 12V BATTERY. TEST BATTERY AND OKAY. CLEAR FAULTS. VEHICLE NOW STARTS. ROAD TEST 30 MILES. THEN CHARGE HV BATTERY WITH LEVEL 2 CHARGER. RE SCAN AND NO FAULTS. CONTACT QTM AND ADVISED TO PERFORM ANOTHER ROAD TEST. ROAD TESTED VEHICLE ADDITIONAL 20 MILES. RE SCAN. NO FAULTS. QTM ADVISES TO RELEASE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME." SERVICE ADVISOR STATED THAT IT WAS A SOFTWARE GLITCH AND IT "SHOULD" NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I'M CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS IF THE ISSUE REOCCURS.

I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW E-GOLF, NOV 2015. DROVE IT 4 DAYS AND BROKE! IT'S BEEN 1 MONTH IN THE SHOP AND STILL NOT REPAIRED. VOLKSWAGEN AMERICA ANSWER (3RD WEEK) - WE WILL NEVER GIVE YOU A NEW CAR, THAT'S WHY IT HAS A WARRANTY. - WE WILL NOT GIVE YOUR MONEY BACK. - WE DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE YOU A LOANER NOR PAY FOR YOUR TRANSPORTATION WHILE YOUR CAR IS BEING REPAIRED. - YOU WILL NOT GET COMPENSATED FOR ANYTHING. - YOU OWE US THIS MONTH LEASE PAYMENT, BTW! VOLKSWAGEN AMERICA ANSWER (4TH WEEK): WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TALK YOU. GET AN ATTORNEY TO REACH OUT TO US. STILL CONSIDERING TO BUY AN E-GOLF?? GOOD LUCK!