45 of the
2,009 complaints filed about the Volkswagen Golf
are about the suspension —
2% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2015.
While driving at approx 65 mph on a highway, I heard a loud thunk from the left rear side of my 2015 VW Golf and the car swerved a little bit. I was thankfully able to control the car and get myself to safety. A family member looked under the car and the broken coil spring was clearly visible, with a very sharp end at the point it broke, right next to the tire... could have been a disaster. I had the car towed to a local VW dealership where they confirmed the broken spring and replaced both rear coil springs.There was no warning about this issue in the form of symptoms, messages, or warning lights; it just happened suddenly. I've read that there was a recall for precisely this issue in 2019 (see NHTSA 19V188000), but apparently my VIN was (erroneously) not part of that recall.
NHTSA complaint #11757149 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The right rear coil spring on my 2015 Volkswagen Golf fractured suddenly while the vehicle was completely stationary in a parking lot. There was no collision, pothole impact, curb strike, road hazard, or other external event that could reasonably explain the failure. The incident was captured on dash cam video. The failed component is the right rear suspension coil spring. I will retain the broken component and make it available for inspection upon request, although the vehicle must be repaired immediately because it is my primary means of transportation. Volkswagen has previously acknowledged potential manufacturing and material defects involving rear axle coil springs in technical service bulletin/campaign 42J5, which states that certain rear axle coil springs may not have met factory specifications due to defective materials or production process issues. This failure created a significant safety concern because a fractured coil spring can shift position, puncture a tire, damage suspension or brake components, or cause instability and loss of vehicle control if the failure occurs while driving at speed. In this case, the spring failed while the car was parked and stationary, but the same spontaneous failure could have occurred during highway driving. The defect has been confirmed by both an independent repair shop and a Volkswagen specialist, and I have written repair estimates documenting the broken spring. The vehicle and component have not been inspected by Volkswagen because the dealership required approximately $200 solely for diagnostic inspection despite the visible and documented mechanical failure. There were no warning lights, dashboard messages, noises, drivability symptoms, or other indications of impending failure prior to the incident. The spring failed without warning. I contacted Volkswagen/dealership personnel seeking goodwill assistance due to the known spring defect issue and the unusual circumstances of the failure, but was denied.
NHTSA complaint #11739492 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sirs: I am reporting TWO issues: One: My car should have been included in the recall campaign for rear coil spring fracture that other 2015 Golfs have experienced. I had to pay to replace fractured rear coil springs myself, last year. Two: Volkswagen has made it impossible for me to get ANY recall performed, including the suction fuel pump recall. After I filed a 1 star review for the utter failure of the Ithaca NY VW dealer to repair my brakes in late October 2021, the service manager retaliated. He called and assailed me with four letter language. Afterward, I made an appointment with another local VW dealer AT RANDOM, and one I had never done business with. Before I could identify myself or my VIN number this second dealer proceded to accuse me of being a deadbeat who does not pay his bills. He said if I came to his shop, I would pay in advance for any servicing. I would have to agree to surrender my car for an indeterminate time, and pay to strip it of all aftermarket parts at my expense, before even proceeding with diagnosis. It was apparent to me that the service manager had badmouthed me to ALL the local dealerships. I am in effect, blacklisted. I complained to Volkswagen corporation about this treatment in writing. I sent them proof of payment. They refused to help me. There is so much hostility coming from VW dealers, that I don't feel I can trust them to do safety recalls. I don't deserve this. I've always been polite and paid my bills immediately. The Ithaca dealer was paid for their diagnosis, even though they lied to me about the problem and never fixed the brakes. I want VW to provide the parts and servicing information for the suction pump recall. I will find an independent mechanic to do the repairs.
NHTSA complaint #11707246 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
-rear coil springs snapped -if coil completely falls out there will be no suspension, creating a greater chance of accident -yes confirmed by mavis discount tire -inspected by me and mavis discount tire -no warning
NHTSA complaint #11578065 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Golf. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the stick shift was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed rear axle and coil springs. The contact was informed that the rear axle and coil springs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11577150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was coming back from work and was driving on the highway at around 80 mph. All of a sudden, literally out of nowhere, the car started shaking violently, and the steering wheel was shaking super fast violently (vibrating) and was very heavy and hard to move. Also, the D started flashing. I was struggling to control the car. I noticed that the Abs light, steering light, suspension light for DCC, and a whole bunch of other lights except the engine light. The car was in custom mode. Sport steering and sport Suspension, Normal for powertrain. All windows and sunroof were fully open, and music was playing. When all this occurred, I could hear outside the car something that sounded like metal tinging or metal contact. idk. This was while the car was still moving. When I pulled over, all the lights went away. I turned off the car for a few minutes and turned it back on. The lights did not come back, and it drove like nothing ever happened. The car is currently at VW Dealership awaiting a response from VW helpline (VTA) as of 1/17/24. I have been doing research on this issue and I have found multiple VW GTI/R owners who are currently and/or have experienced this issue. A Golf R (Model year 2018) owner with about 19.5k miles said "The real problem was the electric power assist motor, the part that controls how heavy the steering is when you change modes. But it can't be serviced. So the whole thing has to be swapped. It needed the entire power steering rack assembly replaced". He took this to a VW dealership and was covered under warranty. I strongly believe VW needs to release a recall for this as it is very dangerous to happen while driving especially at highway speeds like it did to me and many others.
NHTSA complaint #11565903 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driving on thruway at 65 when the left rear coil spring broke. There was a loud bang and pieces of the spring exited out onto the highway where several vehicles ran over them before they bounced off the road.
NHTSA complaint #11532637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Left rear coil spring failed and is not available for inspection. The car was difficult to control when the spring failed which put driver safety at risk. The car was brought to an independent service center and confirmed that the failure was a left rear coil spring which required replacing both the left and right rear coil springs. The component was not inspected by the manufacturer. There were no warning signs or symptoms of the problem prior to failure. The car suddenly start making a loud noise in the rear left section of the vehicle while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11515691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While accelerating from a traffic light, loud bang from left rear corner of car. Investigation found left rear coil spring had broken at the lower bas of the spring where it contacts the lower control arm
NHTSA complaint #11510372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Front suspension creaking noise. Front suspension creaking noise during suspension cycles (going over speed bumps or entering on an inclined surface) due to I believe Coil Spring not formed correctly and rubs against the perch of the strut or other issues/manufacturer defects with the front suspension. See also technical bulletin for 2012-2019 Passat stating similar issues: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10155776-9999.pdf I had originally reported a creaking noise to the dealer service center while my vehicle was still under warranty. The dealer claimed it was not able to recreate the sound, which I believe to be a false statement as it is very easy to recreate as it occurs every time I pull into my driveway or go over a speed bump. I stated this at the time however I suspect they didn’t want to replace under warranty or take ownership of the defect / recall. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I have not sought a second opinion from an independent service center yet. I believe this poses a safety concern for both myself and many others. It continues to creak because VW refuses to admit there is a problem. Please help, thank you!
NHTSA complaint #11505083 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
GTI has an overly squeaky front suspension. Suspension is 100% stock and unmodified. Searching online yields many Golf owners experiencing the same issues (in the USA and worldwide). People say to lube up the suspension with grease, but this could cause a safety issue if it gets on the brakes. Volkswagen claims this is normal, but I've owned nine Volkswagen vehicles and this is the first one that's ever had this issue. This sound has been ongoing since the vehicle had 10,000 miles on the odo; the vehicle now has 60,000 miles.
NHTSA complaint #11491552 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving car on highway heard a loud boom from rear right side. Stopped car and inspected, but no obvious damage. Resumed driving, and began hearing a repeated squeaking noise and some body lean in corners. Took vehicle to tire shop, where they removed right rear tire and found the right rear spring had snapped at the mounting location near the top of the spring. The attached photo of the spring suggests the mount may have been defective. Dealer confirmed spring damage and is now replacing both rear springs. However, no coverage of the damaged part even though multiple 2016 VW Golf’s have been recalled for rear spring issues.
NHTSA complaint #11484279 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Golf. The contact stated that he noticed that the vehicle had been sitting lower than normal while parked. The contact did an inspection of the vehicle and noticed that the rear coil spring on the driver’s side had fractured. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The contact stated that the coil spring needed to be replaced. The contact ordered the part to perform the repair himself. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
NHTSA complaint #11482218 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Right rear coil spring fractured while vehicle was being driven at low speed on city streets. There was no obvious precipitating event. Upper part of spring was lost, lower part is available for inspection. Part has been ordered from local dealer but is currently unavailable, due to prior recall on similar models (19V188000). Report will be filed with VW Customer Service. Dealer unable to estimate when part will become available. Car is currently undrivable. Please extend recall to include my VIN. Recall 19V188000 Summary 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.
NHTSA complaint #11474855 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's girlfriend owns a 2015 Volkswagen Golf. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving approximately 45 MPH, she heard a loud popping sound coming from the passenger’s side rear of the vehicle after rolling over a small bump on the roadway. The vehicle made a loud clanking noise, and the rear end felt loose and unstable every time the vehicle rolled over bumps on the roadway. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a tire repair facility. The vehicle was diagnosed and the mechanic determined that there was a failure in the passenger’s side rear coil spring; however, the repair parts were on national back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V188000 (Suspension). The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
NHTSA complaint #11469677 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving the rear driver-side coil snapped and cause the car to veer across a lane. The car was driveable but this almost caused an accident. We had the broken coil inspected by an independent repair shop. Apparently, there is a recall for this exact issue on Volkswagens of this model and year but I'll specific vehicle is not covered under the recall. There was no warning prior to failure.
NHTSA complaint #11460386 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rear driver side coil spring failure, the component is available for inspection Broken spring turned sideways and had a very sharp edge at fracture and was rubbing on the wheel and tire with potential to puncture tire resulting in loss of control. Vehicle handling was severely compromised making it difficult to maneuver. Failure of spring was confirmed by independent service center No warning lamps or warnings prior to spring failure NHSTA has recalls on this same vehicle and year but VIN was not included in recall
NHTSA complaint #11452061 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Broken rear spring, impacting handling and preventing safe operation of the vehicle. I discovered this after noting handling issues and clunking noises from the rear of the vehicle. There were no warning lamps
NHTSA complaint #11418487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.