Coscienzios

Model years to avoid

Volkswagen Golf

What it says about you

Opinion

The default sensible European hatchback for fifty years. You bought the answer, not the question.

Not measured, not from the data, and offered in fun. Everything below this is not.

20 model years on record, 1,714 complaints filed.

The years to look at closely: 2022 (shift knob), 2019 (stall), 2017 (pump), 2016 (pump), 2015 (spring), 2011 (neutral). Everything else drew a normal number of complaints for this model.

Every year

  1. 2024 nothing on record 28 complaints
  2. 2023 0 recalls 17 complaints
  3. 2022 shift knob 108 complaints
  4. 2021 1 recall 18 complaints
  5. 2020 2 recalls 14 complaints
  6. 2019 stall 142 complaints
  7. 2018 6 recalls 70 complaints
  8. 2017 pump 418 complaints
  9. 2016 pump 232 complaints
  10. 2015 spring 349 complaints
  11. 2014 5 recalls 11 complaints
  12. 2013 5 recalls 43 complaints
  13. 2012 6 recalls 48 complaints
  14. 2011 neutral 110 complaints
  15. 2010 4 recalls 69 complaints
  16. 2009 0 recalls 3 complaints
  17. 2008 0 recalls 1 complaints
  18. 2007 0 recalls 2 complaints
  19. 2006 3 recalls 12 complaints
  20. 2005 4 recalls 19 complaints

What does a Volkswagen Golf say about you?

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Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints — compared against itself rather than against other cars, so popularity and age do not decide the answer.