2017 Volkswagen Golf: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
51%
136 of 269 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
51% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2017 Volkswagen Golf are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 66% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 28 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 46%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER01/08/20211 INJURED
THERE IS A MAJOR DEFECT WITH THE CENTER CONSOLE STORAGE OF THIS VEHICLE THAT IS CAUSING DEEP CUTS AND GASHES ON PEOPLE'S HANDS. SPECIFICALLY, THE SILVER SHARP METAL TRIM PIECE IN FRONT OF THE SHIFTER BOOT BECOMES SLIGHTLY LIFTED OVER TIME AS IT SEPARATES FROM A PLASTIC THAT HOLDS IT, AND THE SHARP EDGE IS EXPOSED IN AN…
I was parking my car with my foot firmly on the brake when suddenly the car surged out of control and very fast crashed in to a building. I was bruised and cut with chest pains, but the worst of it is that I lost my driver's license because of the accident. I have a mechanic's report. The mechanic came and looked at…
I was parking the car with my foot firmly on the brake when my car just took off fast and crashed into a building. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. I was bruised and cut in several places and I have had recurring chest pains. The worst part is that my driver's license has been suspended and since the accident on June 21, 2…
Three of 136 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (6)
STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE
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 micr…
SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS
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 s…
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
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 vehicl…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2017 Volkswagen Golf
Ask the seller whether the fuel system has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown hard starts, stalling, hesitation, a fuel smell or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many fuel system faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the fuel system.
6 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A fuel system already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 4 body styles NHTSA files separately.
