Problems · by component

2015 Volkswagen Golf R engine problems

25 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R cite engine, 20% of all 123 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
25
20% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Thermostat housing and water pump are leaking coolant. It is available for inspection. It can cause my engine to overheat and/or fail while being used. It has been confirmed by a dealership. It has not been inspected by the police, manufacturer, or insurance company. There have been occasional reports of low coolant, and the coolant drains significantly faster than expected especially in cold weather (e.g. needing to fill coolant every 7 days). It was first repaired in 2019, and has since failed again.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 9, 2023EngineODI 11549044
“While normally driving on the street, I noticed that the car started to overheat and could hear the radiator working to keep the heat level normal. I stopped and did not notice any leaks and added coolant to the car after I left it cool for about 3 hours. The problem went away but i still took it to the dealership and i was told it might be the head gasket of the engine or thermostat/waterpump, a $4000 repair. Was advised to just sell the car. VW should address this issue as it has been a long issue now”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 27, 2023EngineODI 11541025
“Loss of coolant due to cheap plastic housing leads to damage to the thermostat and water pump. Researching the forums on this issue has shown that it's a common problem with the vehicle that Volkswagen hasn't addressed.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 29, 2022EngineODI 11495289
“Driving 65 mph down highway vehicle shut off with no warning. Fault code shows defective injector #1. Vw tdi (post fix dieselgate). Dealer will not fix because I cleared the code to drive home. Irresponsible for vw to make a car that shuts down completely with no limp mode or short time to clear road.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 5, 2022Steering, Power train, EngineODI 11459772
“Coolant has leaked all over my driveway because of a thermostat housing and water pump fail. I am getting fixed for the second time $1800 dollar fix. Very common amongst other Volkswagen owners. This is not fair. If they know of this problem it should be dealt with. Now I am out $4000 in repairs and have a big stain in my brand new driveway. This is very unsafe if driving long distances as coolant leaks everywhere.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 10, 2022EngineODI 11446853
“THIS IS A SECOND REPAIR FOR A FAILED THERMOSTAT HOUSING/WATER PUMP ON THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TIME, JANUAARY 2019, THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING AND RELATED SEALS WERE REPLACED. THIS TIME THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING AND WATER PUMP WERE BOTH REPLACED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 21, 2020EngineODI 11310624

Showing 6 of 25 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.