FaultScore

Volkswagen Golf driver assist problems

71 of the 2,009 complaints filed about the Volkswagen Golf are about the driver-assist systems — 4% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2022.

71

Complaints

4%

Share of all complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance complaints by model year

2015 Golf 1 1.4%
2016 Golf 3 4.2%

Median failure at 70,000 miles

2017 Golf 4 5.6%

Median failure at 7,200 miles

2018 Golf 1 1.4%

Median failure at 500 miles

2019 Golf 7 9.9%
2022 Golf 47 66.2%
2023 Golf 8 11.3%

What owners said

2019 Volkswagen Golf Ashburn, VA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

When driving down the road doing about 35 mph with no car close in front of me my forward collision sensor went off without warning and initiated sharp braking which almost caused the car behind me to run into me. My car jolted like I’d been hit (I hadn’t) and the red warning light lit up the dashboard. The person behind me was able to brake in time and didn’t hit me. I don’t think my brake lights engaged. It was terrifying and incredibly unsafe and I’m lucky I wasn’t on a highway or there wasn’t anyone following too closely behind. Very, very dangerous situation.

NHTSA complaint #11587310 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2019 Volkswagen Golf Ashburn, VA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

When driving down the road doing about 35 mph with no car close in front of me my forward collision sensor went off without warning and initiated sharp braking which almost caused the car behind me to run into me. My car jolted like I’d been hit (I hadn’t) and the red warning light lit up the dashboard. The person behind me was able to brake in time and didn’t hit me. I don’t think my brake lights engaged. It was terrifying and incredibly unsafe and I’m lucky I wasn’t on a highway or there wasn’t anyone following too closely behind. Very, very dangerous situation.

NHTSA complaint #11587310 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2019 Volkswagen Golf Matthews, NC

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

When driving over train tracks the automatic emergency brakes engaged and the forward collision detection beeping alarm sounded. This has happened over 5 times since I have owned the car. Many times the forward collision alarm will go off without engaging the brakes, seemingly without cause. Only when passing over train tracks do the emergency brakes bring the vehicle to a stop or to an extreme slowdown. I have a video of the incident if you would like it, but no way to upload on this website. You can hear the emergency brake and alarm going off with nothing in front of my car.

NHTSA complaint #11584895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2019 Volkswagen Golf Matthews, NC

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

When driving over train tracks the automatic emergency brakes engaged and the forward collision detection beeping alarm sounded. This has happened over 5 times since I have owned the car. Many times the forward collision alarm will go off without engaging the brakes, seemingly without cause. Only when passing over train tracks do the emergency brakes bring the vehicle to a stop or to an extreme slowdown. I have a video of the incident if you would like it, but no way to upload on this website. You can hear the emergency brake and alarm going off with nothing in front of my car.

NHTSA complaint #11584895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf Appleton, WI

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Infotainment center will randomly go into "component protection" mode, and the center console will become stuck in a loop of rebooting. While component protection is active, the following systems become unavailable: Backup camera, radio, climate controls, advanced driver assist systems, park assist system, drive mode button, cruise control Situations that have occurred to me personally: Climate control fan becomes stuck on high, radio stops functioning, radio power button does not respond, parking menu button does not respond, car drive mode button does not respond, advanced driver sensor assist button does not respond, climate control button does not respond. Attempt to resolve this issue through Volkswagen certified technicians 6+ times.

NHTSA complaint #11583431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf Manteca, CA

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

Travel Assist is disabled which includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while driving. Warning lights and warning sounds are designed to alert the driver to a potential safety issue so ignoring the lights and sounds is dangerous in the event it is a different caution/warning. However, also not ignoring it is dangerous because of the frequency of the warnings which causes the driver to look away from the road. After speaking with the maintenance department at my VW dealership, they indicated that this is a widely known problem that is remedied only with the replacement of the steering wheel. There are several other sensors that are triggered by the same issue I was told by the maintenance department. They are uncertain at this time if it impacts the airbag system which is another potential safety concern. The steering wheel can only be ordered after inspection by the maintenance department and there is shortage and/or back order of the part to fix the problem. I also drive my car quite often since it’s the car I use to commute to work and it is 70 miles each way (140 miles round trip) so there is no warranty anymore as I have exceeded mileage so they will not repair. This is a huge safety concern and very known issue with this model car.

NHTSA complaint #11576559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf Kissimmee, FL

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

Emergency SOS and Travel Assist will intermittently fault out sending a loud chime in the cabin warning me that said assist devices aren’t available. Sometimes the chimes will go off for minutes on end and be completely random. This persistent chime is distracting and also frightening as I think I’m about to get into an accident. Further, with the persistent chime, it will make the driver immune to the noise which could be dangerous if there actually is an emergency. Took the the VW dealership multiple times and they can’t figure out the issue. They’re going to try replacing the steering wheel to see if that rectifies the issue.

NHTSA complaint #11569833 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf Kissimmee, FL

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Emergency SOS and Travel Assist will intermittently fault out sending a loud chime in the cabin warning me that said assist devices aren’t available. Sometimes the chimes will go off for minutes on end and be completely random. This persistent chime is distracting and also frightening as I think I’m about to get into an accident. Further, with the persistent chime, it will make the driver immune to the noise which could be dangerous if there actually is an emergency. Took the the VW dealership multiple times and they can’t figure out the issue. They’re going to try replacing the steering wheel to see if that rectifies the issue.

NHTSA complaint #11569833 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf Kissimmee, FL

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

Emergency SOS and Travel Assist will intermittently fault out sending a loud chime in the cabin warning me that said assist devices aren’t available. Sometimes the chimes will go off for minutes on end and be completely random. This persistent chime is distracting and also frightening as I think I’m about to get into an accident. Further, with the persistent chime, it will make the driver immune to the noise which could be dangerous if there actually is an emergency. Took the the VW dealership multiple times and they can’t figure out the issue. They’re going to try replacing the steering wheel to see if that rectifies the issue.

NHTSA complaint #11569833 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf Delmar, NY

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

Travel Assist is disabled which includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while driving. Warning lights and warning sounds are designed to alert the driver to a potential safety issue so ignoring the lights and sounds is dangerous in the event it is a different caution/warning. However, also not ignoring it is dangerous because of the frequency of the warnings which causes the driver to look away from the road. After speaking with the maintenance department at my VW dealership, they indicated that this is a widely known problem that is remedied only with the replacement of the steering wheel. There are several other sensors that are triggered by the same issue I was told by the maintenance department. They are uncertain at this time if it impacts the airbag system which is another potential safety concern. The steering wheel can only be ordered after inspection by the maintenance department and there is shortage and/or back order of the part to fix the problem

NHTSA complaint #11569645 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf College Station, TX

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

All VW models of this model year suffer from this problem, as evidenced on many forum posts while researching this issue. The problem is that any time you turn the steering wheel even slightly, all safety features of the vehicle fail and notices of their failure are promptly displayed on the screen. My example has had this issue since the day I leased it and after 18 months of leasing the problem remains unresolved. VW states there is a part shortage, but I have two different dealerships trying to get me a new steering wheel and neither one has reported receipt of a replacement wheel. This is a SAFETY FEATURE. The vehicle is UNSAFE TO DRIVE. This impacts ALL VOLKSWAGEN AMERICA VEHICLES. VW should be forced to halt the sale of all vehicles until this problem is RESOLVED.

NHTSA complaint #11564485 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf College Station, TX

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

All VW models of this model year suffer from this problem, as evidenced on many forum posts while researching this issue. The problem is that any time you turn the steering wheel even slightly, all safety features of the vehicle fail and notices of their failure are promptly displayed on the screen. My example has had this issue since the day I leased it and after 18 months of leasing the problem remains unresolved. VW states there is a part shortage, but I have two different dealerships trying to get me a new steering wheel and neither one has reported receipt of a replacement wheel. This is a SAFETY FEATURE. The vehicle is UNSAFE TO DRIVE. This impacts ALL VOLKSWAGEN AMERICA VEHICLES. VW should be forced to halt the sale of all vehicles until this problem is RESOLVED.

NHTSA complaint #11564485 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf College Station, TX

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

All VW models of this model year suffer from this problem, as evidenced on many forum posts while researching this issue. The problem is that any time you turn the steering wheel even slightly, all safety features of the vehicle fail and notices of their failure are promptly displayed on the screen. My example has had this issue since the day I leased it and after 18 months of leasing the problem remains unresolved. VW states there is a part shortage, but I have two different dealerships trying to get me a new steering wheel and neither one has reported receipt of a replacement wheel. This is a SAFETY FEATURE. The vehicle is UNSAFE TO DRIVE. This impacts ALL VOLKSWAGEN AMERICA VEHICLES. VW should be forced to halt the sale of all vehicles until this problem is RESOLVED.

NHTSA complaint #11564485 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf Bethesda, MD

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

My 2022 VW GTI recently experienced a malfunction where the Parking Assist feature did not function. This feature appears to encompass the Rear Back-up Camera, Rear Parking Sensors, and Parking Collision Warning system. This failure coincided with the HVAC system control system portion of the infotainment system not booting up. A video can be seen here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11562643 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Volkswagen Golf Tampa, FL

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Infotainment system fails to start/load. Infotainment screen provides multiple error messages such and “component protection active” and/ or “you can activate this function at dealer” and subsequently becomes inoperable, including multiple safety related features: Back up/ rear view camera freezes image or does not turn on at all. Autonomous emergency braking (front assist) fail light comes on. Park distance control fail light comes on. Have been to the VW dealer on two different occasions for these issues specifically and the systems and problems not resolved. They reset/ updated the infotainment system at 1st visit. System failed again/ unresolved. Took back to dealer and they called VW corporate for help. Picked up from 2nd visit and systems promptly failed again. Online search suggests common, unresolved problem. Thank you for aiding consumers in resolving these safety issues

NHTSA complaint #11559395 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Volkswagen Golf Tampa, FL

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Infotainment system fails to start/load. Infotainment screen provides multiple error messages such and “component protection active” and/ or “you can activate this function at dealer” and subsequently becomes inoperable, including multiple safety related features: Back up/ rear view camera freezes image or does not turn on at all. Autonomous emergency braking (front assist) fail light comes on. Park distance control fail light comes on. Have been to the VW dealer on two different occasions for these issues specifically and the systems and problems not resolved. They reset/ updated the infotainment system at 1st visit. System failed again/ unresolved. Took back to dealer and they called VW corporate for help. Picked up from 2nd visit and systems promptly failed again. Online search suggests common, unresolved problem. Thank you for aiding consumers in resolving these safety issues

NHTSA complaint #11559395 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf Justice, IL

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

I have errors popping up on my dashboard. It says “travel assist is currently not available “ or “emergency assist is currently not available “ . This does not happen every time I drive the vehicle but it happens quite frequently. When it happens It flashes and beeps constantly for a couple of minutes or even longer. Sometimes it beeps during the whole 30+ minutes trip. There is no way to turn it off. This is not just an annoyance but also a safety concern because it’s distracting. I brought my car to the dealership in September and after a couple of days they said that they’re not able to reproduce the problem. The problem still exists

NHTSA complaint #11550737 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Volkswagen Golf Justice, IL

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

I have errors popping up on my dashboard. It says “travel assist is currently not available “ or “emergency assist is currently not available “ . This does not happen every time I drive the vehicle but it happens quite frequently. When it happens It flashes and beeps constantly for a couple of minutes or even longer. Sometimes it beeps during the whole 30+ minutes trip. There is no way to turn it off. This is not just an annoyance but also a safety concern because it’s distracting. I brought my car to the dealership in September and after a couple of days they said that they’re not able to reproduce the problem. The problem still exists

NHTSA complaint #11550737 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Volkswagen Golf Port Jervis, NY

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Having consistent issues with safety features and infotainment system that locks up with errors. Since new my VW Gti has been experiencing drivers' assistants' issues. At times the backup camera does not work. At times the the whole infotainment system will have various different errors that prevent any of the safety features to be turned on. The errors don't easily go away unless turning off the car and trying to restart it all.

NHTSA complaint #11547917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 Volkswagen Golf Glendale, AZ

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

My clock spring has failed three times now the first few times I had it fixed at the dealership but my warranty is now no longer valid once since I bought it from the dealership and it has failed again saying my airbags deployed and none of my features on my steering wheel work at all not even my paddle shifters and nor does my horn. And this has happened every time all those things have not worked when it is gone faulty.

NHTSA complaint #11546976 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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