2002 Volkswagen Golf Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Golf years
- Far more complaints than other years 8th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 74 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Volkswagen Golf. That ranks 8th out of 29 Golf model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (22 complaints, 30%), typically at around 67,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 10 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
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- 74owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 22 | 30% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 13 | 18% | 29,429 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 11 | 15% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 11 | 15% | 64,749 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 9% | 81,290 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 5% | 61,470 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 4% | 48,200 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 4% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 4% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 4% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 3% | 5,415 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 3% | 17,089 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 1% | 47,700 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 5,415 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | 26,466 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Volkswagen Golf recalls (3)
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.
Exterior lighting:hazard flashing warning lights:switch
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the hazard switch and flasher system function may degrade over time because of distortion and material transfer of the contacts of certain hazard switch relays which occurs due to substantially increased electrical current load from higher wattage turn signal bulbs.
Risk: This may result in intermittent or inoperative turn signal and hazard flasher function.
Fix: Dealers will replace the hazard flasher switch/relay kit. The recall began on march 31, 2005. Owners should contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Problem: On some passenger vehicles, short circuits can occur within the electronic control unit of the anti-lock braking system (abs).
Risk: This can result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the abs control unit. Owner notification began march 8, 2002. 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 volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
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
- Engine stalling (DP05004) — opened Aug 11, 2005, closed Dec 8, 2005.
- Inadvertent side-airbag deployment (PE04081) — opened Dec 16, 2004, closed Apr 1, 2005.
- Turn signal/hazard flasher failure (PE04073) — opened Oct 19, 2004, closed Dec 16, 2004, led to recall 04V584000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The tire sidewall blew out. We were driving at 65 mph on an interstate highway in an urban area and had to change the tire in the triangular space between the highway lanes and an exit - very dangerous. These were sold as 60,000 mile tires, and this tire had 20,200 miles on it. It was maintained at…
Certain conditions cause the electrics door locks to not function. When this happens, it is not possible to exit the car from the inside as the door handles are not operative creating a trapped situation potentially leading to injury or death if the case of a fire.
While driving at about 45 miles per hour, the side curtain and seat bolster airbags deployed on their own. There was no impact to the vehicle that preceded this incident. The airbags simply deployed by themselves. This seems to be a recurring problem with this generation of volkswagens…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen golf with a tdi engine. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The contact had to pop the clutch and kill the ignition, but the engine continue to operate until the vehicle ran out of fuel. The contacts mechanic inspected the vehicle and…
Tl* the contact owns 2002 volkswagen golf. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start in rainy weather. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that the ignition coil would need to be replaced. The contact located a voluntary manufacturers recall for the failure but was advised by…
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 | 74 | 3 |
| 2001 Golf | 116 | 5 |
| 2000 Golf | 88 | 5 |
| 1999 Golf | 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 2002 Volkswagen Golf?
Owners most often report air bags, engine and engine cooling, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 22 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Volkswagen Golf?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 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 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.