Problems · NHTSA complaints
2019 Volkswagen Golf problems
Owners filed 82 complaints about the 2019 Volkswagen Golf with NHTSA between Apr 2019 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is engine (37).
Complaints
82
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine37
- Power train17
- Electrical system11
- Fuel/propulsion system9
- Forward collision avoidance4
- Service brakes4
- Air bags3
- Visibility/wiper3
- Vehicle speed control3
- Structure3
- Suspension2
- Steering2
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Visibility1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
39
8
6
4
15
5
3
2
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 39 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 15 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 | 2 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Engine
37 reports1 crash
“When I take my foot off the brake to accelerate, the car jerks backward and shudders. It feels as though it’s about to stall. When pressing the gas pedal, the car also has delayed acceleration. Both of these issues create dangerous driving conditions. The car hesitates when accelerating from a stopped position, nearly causing me to be rear-ended at traffic lights on multiple occasions. I’ve also experienced a couple of close calls while making right turns on red, as the car hesitates and won’t accelerate immediately. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle. Have had the car to one independent mechanic, the sister dealership of where it was purchased from, and two VW dealerships. They have acknowledged an issue as they have replaced the motor mounts and mounting plate. It did not resolve the issue. The car does operate as designed. There are no fault codes or engine lights so they have advised me to continue driving until it gets worse. It is unsafe to drive since there is an issue with accelerating. The service team at Mossy VW replicated the backward jerking motion during a test drive and confirmed that the vehicle is exhibiting a delayed throttle response. While…”
Power train
17 reports
“The transmission lurches and studders at stops with roughly 60K miles on it. The dealer believes it to be the mechatronic unit. I am put at risk because the car begins to move, stops, and then begins again moving. Cars behind me may believe I am accelerating from a stop and rear end me. There are no warning lamps, messages, or anything whatsoever, the issue generates no codes for dealer techs to diagnose.”
Electrical system
11 reports2 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2019 VW Golf. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V604000(Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced the failure. The VIN tool confirms parts not available.”
Fuel/propulsion system
9 reports
“This has been an open recall for 5 years and the manufacturer will not fix it. This could lead to vehicle fires and injuries.. It is not acceptable that Volkswagen can just ignore these safety recalls!”
Forward collision avoidance
4 reports
“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.”
Service brakes
4 reports1 crash
“Purchased vehicle brand new from Seacoast VW in Greenland, NH in March of 2020. In February of 2022 with just 12804 miles on this vehicle I had them check a problem with noisy rear brakes. I was informed that the rear brakes were delaminating and needed replacement for around $800. As this was beyond the 12 month warranty that this charge was not to be covered. After much negotiation I agreed to pay 20% of the parts & labor charge and they would pick up the remaining 80% as a one time goodwill because I was a loyal VW customer. The excuse that was given to me at that time is that I didn't drive enough miles & rust on the rotor caused the delamination. Jump forward to April 2024 I again was told my rear brakes were delaminating and would not pass the NH state safety inspection. The service consultant was very surprised that they had already replaced the rear brakes in 2022! I was again told this was because I did not drive enough. I then called VW Customer Care phone number that the dealer provided to see if VW would provide some financial relief. The woman who answered the phone was very polite and understood my frustration that brakes would fail after only…”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.