2017 Volkswagen Golf Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Golf years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 117 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Volkswagen Golf. That ranks 2nd out of 29 Golf model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel/propulsion system (51 complaints, 44%), typically at around 35,500 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 5 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 117owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2017 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 51 | 44% | 35,500 | “fuel tank” (35%) | $3,800 |
| Engine | 18 | 15% | 37,400 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 10% | 17,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 10 | 9% | 2,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 7% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 7 | 6% | 2,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 4% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 4% | 79,100 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 4% | 5,365 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 3% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 3% | 27,113 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 3 | 3% | 7,200 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 3% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 3% | 51,668 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 3% | 34,726 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 2% | 21,500 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 2% | 10,898 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 10,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2017 Volkswagen Golf recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a problem with a suction jet pump seal inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system and possibly leak out of the charcoal canister.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13, 2024. 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 VW: 20UF/Audi: 20YF. Vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-647 will need to have the new remedy completed. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 16V-647.
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.
Suspension:rear:springs:coil springs
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.
Risk: If a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J5.
Electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module; steering:column locking:anti-theft device
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Volkswagen Golf and Golf Sportwagen vehicles. The build of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition while the vehicle shift lever is not in "Park." As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37L5.
Seat belts:pretensioner; air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module; air bags:side/window; air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi A7, A4, A6, Volkswagen Golf and Tiguan vehicles and 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles for driver frontal air bags, passenger frontal air bags or head air bags that may not deploy properly. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being recalled because the seat belt pretensioners may not activate properly.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the air bags and/or the seat belt pretensioners do not inflate or function properly, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners, free of charge. The recall began April 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
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.
The panoramic sunroof frame on my 2017 Volkswagen Golf has suffered a complete structural failure, exhibiting clear stress fractures and vertical cracking in the polycarbonate surround material. This factory defect allows severe rainwater ingress into the headliner, directly exposing the…
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Golf. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the messages "Service Vehicle - Place Vehicle in Park" and "Transmission Error" were displayed, with an audible chime. The âGearbox Overheatingâ warning light was illuminated…
Driving my 2017Golf the check engine light came on. The light was steady. I called my dealer and got it in for service. They report to me that the Thermostat housing needs to be replaced and oxygen sensors need replacing also. I just had the manifold replaced 6 weeks ago. I found on line that this…
My vehicle is subject to Safety Recall 20UF (Suction Jet Pump failure / Fire Risk). I have attempted to contact Pacific Volkswagen in Hawthorne, CA to schedule this safety-critical repair. On two separate occasions, upon mentioning that the call was regarding the 20UF recall, the dealership staff…
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Golf. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, while attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into a parking lot barrier. The contact stated that none of the air bags deployed. There…
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 | 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 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 2017 Volkswagen Golf?
Owners most often report fuel/propulsion system, engine, unknown or other problems. The top one, fuel/propulsion system, accounts for 51 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2017 Volkswagen Golf?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2017 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 2017 has far more complaints than most years, 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.