2018 Volkswagen Golf R Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Golf R years
- Not enough data 5th of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Volkswagen Golf R. That ranks 5th out of 13 Golf R model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (3 complaints, 33%). There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 9owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 Volkswagen Golf R problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 3 | 33% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 33% | 14,250 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 11% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 11% | 8,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 11% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 11% | 2,363 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 11% | 8,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 11% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 11% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Volkswagen Golf R recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Unknown or other
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
Fix: Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.
Unknown or other
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R and Atlas, 2017 Golf Alltrack and E-Golf and 2016-2018 Passat vehicles. These internal use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. The recall began October 6, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01E9.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R vehicles. The fuel hose quick connector may detach from the fuel supply line in the engine bay, resulting in a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the engine compartment can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will secure the fuel line connection, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 11, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20Bi.
Seats:mid/rear assembly
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf and Golf R vehicles, and Audi A3 Sedan and RS3 vehicles. The rear seat frame head restraint guide sleeves may be incorrectly welded to the seat frame.
Risk: If the guide sleeves are incorrectly welded, in the event of a crash, the rear seat head restraints may have reduced stability, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners, and dealers will inspect the guide sleeves for incorrect welds, replacing the rear seat frame, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 28, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72H8 (VW) and 72H9(Audi).
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647) (RQ23007) — opened Dec 12, 2023, closed Jul 1, 2024, led to recall 24V110.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
After starting the car and then beginning to drive, the transmission falls into neutral when it should have shifted from 1st to 2nd gear. In order to recover, the driver has to stop applying the accelerator and then wait a second or two for the rpmâs to approach idle rates before the transmission…
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Golf R. The contact stated that the headlights had become significantly dim while driving due to moisture accumulation inside the headlights housing. The contact stated that the failure had reduced the visibility of the roadway while driving at night. The vehicle…
When driving the car it occasionally slips into neutral when it should be making the 1st to 2nd shift. Happens rarely; about 12-15 times in 60K miles. More common after filling up with gas, but has happened at other times. Very dangerous as one pulls out to merge into traffic to have the car do…
Around 5 times now over the last year or two, most recently yesterday, the (DSG automatic) transmission has dropped out of gear into neutral when pulling away from a stop. Note that the shifter was not moved and did not move - but the transmission pops out of gear. Every time this has been when…
Exiting a parking lot with a 15% incline @3mph merging into the road, the front park assist sensors beeped and the vehicle automatically applied brakes instead of accelerating. The engine stalled since i had the clutch fully released, incoming traffic had to stop when they noticed the vehicle not…
Other Volkswagen Golf R years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Golf R | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 Golf R | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 Golf R | 12 | 1 |
| 2023 Golf R | 6 | 3 |
| 2022 Golf R | 10 | 5 |
| 2020 Golf R | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 Golf R | 6 | 2 |
| 2018 | 9 | 4 |
| 2017 Golf R | 15 | 0 |
| 2016 Golf R | 12 | 4 |
| 2015 Golf R | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 Golf R | 4 | 0 |
| 2012 Golf R | 1 | 0 |
See all Volkswagen Golf R problems by year, every Volkswagen model, or the Volkswagen VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Volkswagen Golf R?
Owners most often report power train, service brakes, electrical system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 3 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Volkswagen Golf R?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 Volkswagen Golf R a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Golf R model years, the 2018 has too little data to compare, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.