2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Complaints

WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, I HEARD A RATTLE FROM THE ENGINE, FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF SOMETHING RATTLING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THEN FALLING OUT. THE ENGINE DIED IMMEDIATELY AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER. AFTER THE DEALER INSPECTED THE CAR THEY FOUND THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS FAULTY AND IT CAUSED THE WATER PUMP PULLEY TO COME OFF AND CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER HEAD, VALVES, COVER, WATER PUMP, AND TIMING BELT, IN ADDITION TO THE WATER PUMP PULLEY FALLING OFF. THE DEALER THEN TOLD ME THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND THAT THEY HAD MADE THE SAME REPAIR TO SEVERAL OTHER MODELS IN THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY ADVISED THERE WAS AN UPDATED WATER PUMP PART THAT HAD COMPONENTS MADE OF METAL RATHER THAN PLASTIC TO WITHSTAND THE ENGINE HEAT, WHICH WAS WHAT CAUSED MY WATER PUMP TO FAIL. ADDITIONALLY, MY VEHICLE WAS IN FOR A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE APPOINTMENT DAYS EARLIER AND THE DEALER NEGLECTED TO CHECK THE WATER PUMP OR ADVISE ME THAT IT MIGHT BE FAULTY, EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW AND ADMITTED LATER TO IT BEING A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. *TR

THE HATCHBACK EDGES ON THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLES HAVE A KNIFE POINT THAT IS JUST UNDER SIX FEET OFF THE GROUND. UNLOADING THE CAR IN THE GARAGE I MISJUDGED THE CLEARANCE AND SUFFERED A PAINFUL PUNCTURE WOUND ON TOP OF MY HEAD. I FELL TO THE GROUND AND THE WOUND BLED PROFUSELY. THESE EDGES NEEDED TO BE ROUNDED OFF OR OTHERWISE BLUNTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED THEN CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD SEND SOMEONE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000. UPDATED 08/15/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE ACCELERATOR STUCK WHEN HE BACKED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY ON INCLINE. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BY ITSELF AFTER GOING DOWN AN INCLINE AND AROUND THE CORNER.

FUEL PUMP FAILURE AT 7200 MILES (DESPITE USING DIESEL FUEL) RESULTING IN SHARDS OF METAL IN THE FUEL SYSTEM AND INABILITY TO DRIVE CAR, HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER LOOKING AT THE WEB, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN A NEWER TDI ENGINE. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY IN DALLAS. THERE WAS A 2003 TOYOTA TACOMA TWO LANES TO THE LEFT OF ME. HE APPARENTLY WANTED TO TAKE AN EXIT THAT WAS RAPIDLY COMING UP. HE HAD A DRESSER IN THE BED SO HE ASKED HIS WIFE IF IT WAS CLEAR TO CUT ACROSS ALL 5 LANES TO TAKE THE EXIT. I WAS TWO LANES OVER AND REAR ENDED HIM. HE BRAKE WHEN HE SAW ME AND I HAD LITTLE TIME TO REACT, SO I HIT HIM FRONT DISTRIBUTED TO REAR DISTRIBUTED. MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I'VE BEEN A POLICE OFFICER FOR 17 YEARS AND A FIREFIGHTER EVEN LONGER AND KNOW HOW AIR BAGS WORK. SINCE I ESSENTIALLY REAR ENDED HIM, I KNOW I TRIPPED MORE THAN ONE AIRBAG SENSOR AT A TIME. MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I ENDED UP WITH A CARDIAC BRUISE AND UPPER JOINT INJURIES. I CALLED VW CUSTOMER CARE AND SENT THEM PICTURES OF THE CAR. THEY THINK I WENT UNDER HIS TRUCK AND THAT'S WHY THE BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HIS TRUCK WAS STOCK WITH NO LIFT KIT OR ANYTHING, SO I WOULD HOPE MY BAGS WOULD DEPLOY, BUT THEY DIDN'T. I KNOW WE NOW TRACK IF A VEHICLE'S HEIGHT HAD BEEN ALTERERD ON ACCIDENT REPORTS IN TEXAS. I HAVE A FEW PICTURES OF THE CAR.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. STARTED MOTOR AND PLACE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE. A LOUD CLUNK NOISE WAS HEARD BUT BACKING UP WAS OK. THEN PLACED VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND THE SAME NOISE WAS HEARD AGAIN. THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO OPERATE ONLY IN THE TOP [HIGH] GEAR MODE. IT DOES NOT AUTO SHIFT THROUGH THE FULL GEAR RANGE. DRIVES FORWARD IN TOP GEAR ONLY. *TR

ON 12/24/2012, RETURNING FROM A RESTAURANT WITH MY FAMILY, I HEARD A BANG AND MY ENGINE DIED WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT 35 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND ROLL OFF THE STREET. I FOUND OUT ON 12/26 THAT MY WATER PUMP HAD FALLEN APART, DESTROYING MY TIMING BELT AND ENGINE HEAD. SEVERAL VEHICLES WITH THE BUILD DATE OF MY CAR HAVE EXPERIENCED WATER PUMP FAILURES THAT DESTROY THE TIMING BELT AND CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURES. LUCKILY, I WAS TRAVELING AT A SLOW SPEED WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. VW CLAIMS TO NOT KNOW ABOUT "A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM." I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT NO SUPERSEDED PART IS BEING INSTALLED; THE SAME WATER PUMP PART IS BEING PUT BACK. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEAD, PUMP, BELT, MISC BOLTS, ETC. I AM WORRIED ABOUT MY SAFETY THAT THIS INCIDENT WILL RE-OCCUR. HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?5854747-CONSOLIDATED-WATER-PUMP-FAILURE-THREAD HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?5813173-GOLF-R-WATER-PUMP-MADNESS!!!! *TR

THE CAR IS A 2012 VW GOLF TDI, PURCHASED AROUND APRIL OF 2012. IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 7500 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I WAS ON A SHORT DRIVE TO THE STORE AND BACK (5 MILES ROUND TRIP FROM HOME). ON THE WAY BACK, I HEARD A METAL GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND NOTICED A LACK OF POWER. I TURNED OFF THE RADIO TO CONFIRM THAT THE SOUND WAS COMING FROM MY NEW CAR AND IT WAS. AT THE NEXT STOP LIGHT, THE CAR DIED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. I CONFIRMED THAT I STILL HAD DIESEL FUEL, AND SURE ENOUGH, I STILL HAD 1/4 TANK. SO I WAS NOT OUT OF FUEL. THE ENGINE WOULD CRANK, BUT NOT START. THANKFULLY THIS HAPPENED AT A STOP LIGHT INSTEAD OF ON THE HILLY INTERSTATE I TAKE TO WORK 20 MILES EACH DAY. ASIDE FROM HEARING THE METAL GRINDING SOUND FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS, I HAD NO WARNING. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER TOOK A FEW DAYS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY FUEL PUMP. APPARENTLY, THE FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONED AND SHOT METAL SHARDS THROUGH MY ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM. IT TOOK THE DEALER WELL OVER A WEEK TO REPLACE EVERY COMPONENT AND THE COST OF LABOR AND PARTS WAS OVER $10,000. THANKFULLY, VW COVERED THE REPAIR AS BEING UNDER WARRANTY. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH CONFIRMED THAT HUNDREDS OF OTHER VW DIESEL ENGINES HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE FUEL TANK. BASED ON REPORTS I HAVE SEEN ONLINE, I CAN EXPECT ANOTHER FAILURE ANY DAY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER AND FORCE VW TO ISSUE A RECALL. I HAVE OWNED 5 VOLKSWAGENS IN THE PAST (OWN 2 RIGHT NOW) AND LOVE THEM, BUT I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE AFTER THIS INCIDENT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD HAD JUST SHIFTED INTO 4TH GEAR CAME UP TO A RED LIGHT. I PRESSING IN THE CLUTCH AND STARTED TO SLOW DOWN STILL IN 4TH GEAR. THE RED LIGHT TURNED GREEN BEFORE I COULD SLOW DOWN MUCH AT ALL. I RELEASED THE CLUTCH WHEN I DID THIS THE ENGINE AND RPM INCREASED. I WAS STILL IN 4TH GEAR AND HARDLY ACCELERATING BUT IT FELT AS THOUGH I WAS IN SECOND GEAR. I KINDA FREAKED AND LOOKED TO MAKE SURE I WAS IN 4TH AND I WAS.THE CAR BEGAN TO RUN NORMAL SO I JUST BRUSHED IT OFF. I CAME TO ANOTHER RED LIGHT AND MADE A COMPLETE STOP. THIS IS WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE AND FLASH THE ORANGE COIL LOOKING LIGHT. IT COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AND I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE CAR. MY BROTHER CAME AND HELPED ME PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. *TR

AT 2766 MILES I WAS CRUISING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THE EPC LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE, I PULLED OFF TO THE SHOULDER, CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THE WATER PUMP SEIZED AND SERIOUSLY DAMAGED THE ENGINE. I WENT TO LOOK AND THERE WAS A BIG HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE. HE TOLD ME THEY HAD TO ORDER NEW PISTON HEADS, RODS, ETC... BASICALLY, NEEDED TO REBUILD THE ENGINE. SPEAKING TO THE MECHANIC ACTUALLY WORKING ON THE CAR, HE SAID IT WOULD PROBABLY NEED AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. THEY QUICKLY REALIZED REPAIR WASN'T POSSIBLE AND HAD A NEW ENGINE EN ROUTE. AFTER A LITTLE SEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO AT LEAST 5 OTHERS (THERE ARE MORE NOW). IT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE WATER PUMP PULLEY. I AM MOST CONCERNED BECAUSE VW DENIED THEY HAD EVER HEARD OF THIS. I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE WILL NOT SUFFER THE SAME ISSUE. *TR