2019 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Complaints

The right rear coil spring fractured at the lower control end of the coil. This model was subject to a recall (19V188000) for premature fracture of the coil spring. However, according to VW this recall did not affect the VIN of our vehicle. Suspect that the recall either should have included our VIN or that the replacement springs have a similar material defect.

Driver seats frame is loose, have been waiting for part since October/2022, they said that I can take over a year. Strong Volkswagen technician told me that is not safe to drive the car because if I get in accident I can get smashed once the seat is not safely locked in place. The strong vw service manager told me that the solution is sale the car for someone who doesn’t know about the problem. The car is under the warranty bumper to bumper.

The contact owns 2019 Volkswagen Golf. The contact stated that while a complete stop, the Auto Start/Stop feature failed to engage and a message advising to manually start the vehicle by turning the ignition key was displayed. The contact stated that as he attempted to turn the ignition key, the key was stuck and the key fob fractured, causing the vehicle to go into Safe Mode. The anti-theft warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of bystanders. The vehicle was towed the contact’s residence. The contact notified the dealer of the failure and ordered a new key. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

This vehicle has experienced cracked front rims on two separate occasions resulting in sudden air pressure loss to the tire and an emergency stop and a ruined tire. Additionally, this car has worn the front tires aggressively ever since new. There is an existing recall on 2019 Alltracks that is the result of improperly machined front wheel bearings and has resulted in a number of incidents surrounding the front wheels and the drivability issues. This recall apparently doesn't impact my vehicle, but seeing that VW recommends not driving the vehicle until the repairs are made and with the issues that appear similar to the recall, I am concerned that recall should be expanded.

Faulty/unreliable water pump resulted in sudden coolant leak and subsequently overheating the engine. This seems to be a common problem when looking at reports/discussion from other owners of this vehicle online. It’s a known issue that the stock water pump is bad.

HORN. It takes great effort to sound the horn on this model VW. I am the original owner, and took it to two (2) VW dealers and they said that it works properly, but then again, they pressed very hard to make it work, and not how a normal driver would use it. For me and other drivers however, normal pressure on the horn will not sound it. I have driven many cars over the years (I am 63 and started driving 15-1/2) and I find this dangerous. I am in a Facebook group of VW Golf Sportwagen & Alltrack (similar car) owners, and many other owners state the same issue, and that it is dangerous. I have an older 1998 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T Wagon, which the horn performs much better. You can tap it and it goes "beep" like to communicate "thanks" (or other) to drivers, pedestrians, etc., or press normally and it goes "HONK". The horn on the 2019 Golf Sportwagon often doesn't sound when pressed, and it is a serious safety issue for me and my family. My wife has witnessed this multiple times and thinks it dangerous too. It is a serious flaw of this vehicle and I wish I had reported it sooner. Here are some comments from other Facebook users (same vehicle / model / year): "It is about the sensitivity of the pressure switch. Takes too much force to engage and it's not easy to modulate it.", "The horn is horrible. I have hit it in panic and it doesn't blow. If there is a VCDS code to shange it, please share." "Same behaviour on my 2017 VW Alltrack"; "Yep - another thing I don't like about this car. I have to remove one hand from the control rim if I have a situation where another car is about to hit me"; "I smash the steering wheel and it honks". I live in NYC and haven't yet, but will ask a Police officer or fireman to try to sound it. I haven't reported it to my Insurance, and no OBD-II codes or check engine lights -- supposedly this is "normal". This has been this way since Aug 27 2019 when I purchased the car, and hasn't improved or gotten better. END

GTI has an overly squeaky front suspension. Suspension is 100% stock and unmodified. Searching online yields many Golf owners experiencing the same issues (in the USA and worldwide). People say to lube up the suspension with grease, but this could cause a safety issue if it gets on the brakes. Volkswagen claims this is normal, but I've owned nine Volkswagen vehicles and this is the first one that's ever had this issue. This sound has been ongoing since the vehicle had 10,000 miles on the odo; the vehicle now has 60,000 miles.

I was driving during the afternoon on a local road at approximately 30 mph. When I approached a traffic light with car brake lights showing ahead of me, I gently tapped my brakes in anticipation of possibly needing to slow down or stop. Instead of an expected gradual slowing of the vehicle, I was surprised when the brakes seemed to grab and the car stopped abruptly as if I had stepped down hard on the brake pedal. Fortunately, the situation appeared to return to normal in an instant when I let up on the brakes. The incident has not reoccurred.

The vehicle suddenly shut off while going 60 mph on the highway, and a 'Check Starter System' message appeared before a message that indicated that I need to stop the vehicle appeared. Vehicle was able to restart and the same issue occurred again less than 1 mile down the road. My safety was at risk due to the loss of power, that on another road or a highway on ramp, could have caused a collision due to the loss of speed I experienced. There were no prior warnings until the loss of power. The manufacturer service center was unable to replicate the issue or make any corrective action.

During annual state inspection on 7/8/22, tech found that the right rear wheel (19" VW Pretoria Gloss Black Alloy Wheels) was bent on both the inside and outside. Unsafe to drive. Wheel had to be replaced. Do not recall hitting any pothole or road hazard that might have caused this damage to the wheel. Apparently, other owners of this model car have also experienced bent rims. This may be a manufacturing defect or a design flaw, in that the wheels cannot withstand the forces transmitted from stock low profile tires (235/35ZR-19).