1999 Volkswagen Golf Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Golf years
- Far more complaints than other years 10th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 64 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Volkswagen Golf. That ranks 10th out of 29 Golf model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (16 complaints, 25%), typically at around 57,411 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 64owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Volkswagen Golf 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 25% | 57,411 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 10 | 16% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 9 | 14% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 9% | 86,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 8% | 51,623 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 6% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 6% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 3% | 72,606 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 3% | 85,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 2% | 126,900 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 2% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 2% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | 124,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Volkswagen Golf recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: On certain passenger, wagon, and convertible vehicles equipped with or without cruise control, a brake light switch may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly.
Risk: The brake lights could become inoperative, or remain on. Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.
Fix: Dealers will install the newly designed brake light switch free of charge. The recall began on april 27, 2007, and will be conducted in several staggered mailings through september 21, 2007. Vehicles within the make, model, and model year of this population may be involved in either this recall or 06v-183, but not both. The remedy is the same for each recall. Volkswagen dealers will apply the remedy based on the vin number of the vehicle. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with gasoline engines and double-layer fuel tanks, tension on the fuel supply line may cause the fuel pump supply nipple to crack which could result in a leak.
Risk: Leaking fuel, in the presence of an ignition source, may cause a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the fuel supply line for tension, and inspect the fuel pump supply nipple for cracking. If necessary the fuel line and the fuel pump will be replaced free of charge. The recall began on july 25, 2005. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.8l vr6 engines fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." the recommended cold tire inflation pressure published on the label for tires of the size 205/50 r15 86h is 0.1 bar (1.45 psi) too low. It should be 2.5 bar (36.3 psi). The label recommends 2.4 bar (34.8 psi = 35 psi).
Risk: Under inflated tires can affect vehicle handling, and driving with substantially under inflated tires puts the consumer at risk for a crash.
Fix: Owners will be provided with corrected labels, or a dealer can install the label if the owner wishes. Owner notification began september 29, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact vw at 1-800-893-5298.
Structure:frame and members
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The sound absorbing mat attached to the inside of the b-pillar side trim panel could have been improperly installed. Surface and edges of the mat could have been damaged during the assembly process. It could ignite when exposed to the exhaust gas of the seat belt pre-tensioner igniter in the event of a severe front or side collision.
Risk: This could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will remove the matting materials from inside the b-pillar on both sides of the vehicle.
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 pump leaks (PE04079) — opened Nov 29, 2004, closed Apr 19, 2005, led to recall 05V154000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
White metal used in front and read windshield wipers and also rear hatch door latch flake apart and crumble making wipers and latch unusable. Replaced front wiper assembly june 2012, rear wiper does not work, same with rear door latch. Front wipers stopped working suddenly while in a summer…
This started to occur about 2009, about 6 years ago. When i pushed up the rear seats, i discovered that the center seat belt was tight and would not release. I couldn't even push the rear seat back down because the seat belt was so extremely tight. Within a year or two later, all of the rear seat…
Instrument cluster fire in 1999 vw golf tdi: 2003-01-14, mileage 88290, lights and gauges on instrument cluster were acting flaky and not working properly. Some lights were dim and some were burnt out. 2003-02-05, i bought new instrument cluster. Plan was to have dealership replace faulty one with…
Window regulator switches and interior lights started to malfunction early in the life of the car, starting about 2003. My passenger window fell into the door once, and the same happened for my driver side window twice. The window switches are flaky and require intense concentration to tap them…
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 volkswagen golf. The contact stated that the valve in the fuel causes the vehicle to stall without warning. The valve becomes clogged with the fuel. He has researched several complaints regarding this failure and stated that volkswagen is aware, but does nothing to…
Other Volkswagen Golf years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Golf | 11 | 0 |
| 2022 Golf | 81 | 0 |
| 2021 Golf | 7 | 1 |
| 2020 Golf | 6 | 2 |
| 2019 Golf | 63 | 6 |
| 2018 Golf | 29 | 6 |
| 2017 Golf | 117 | 5 |
| 2016 Golf | 85 | 9 |
| 2015 Golf | 131 | 12 |
| 2014 Golf | 12 | 5 |
| 2013 Golf | 43 | 5 |
| 2012 Golf | 48 | 6 |
| 2011 Golf | 110 | 6 |
| 2010 Golf | 69 | 4 |
| 2009 Golf | 3 | 0 |
| 2008 Golf | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 Golf | 2 | 0 |
| 2006 Golf | 12 | 1 |
| 2005 Golf | 19 | 2 |
| 2004 Golf | 28 | 2 |
| 2003 Golf | 26 | 2 |
| 2002 Golf | 74 | 3 |
| 2001 Golf | 116 | 5 |
| 2000 Golf | 88 | 5 |
| 1999 | 64 | 4 |
| 1998 Golf | 18 | 1 |
| 1997 Golf | 7 | 0 |
| 1996 Golf | 3 | 1 |
| 1995 Golf | 43 | 4 |
See all Volkswagen Golf 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 1999 Volkswagen Golf?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, fuel system, gasoline, electrical system problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 16 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Volkswagen Golf?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Volkswagen Golf a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Golf model years, the 1999 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.