2013 Volkswagen Golf: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 5 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
43
Complaints
5
Recalls
2
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
1
Injuries
51.2
Severity index
Severity index 51.2 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 145 2013 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2013 Volkswagen Golf ranks 98 of 145 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 32% of its model-year peers. See the full 2013 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 14 | 32.6% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 11 | 25.6% |
| AIR BAGS | 9 | 20.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 7 | 16.3% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 5 | 11.6% |
| STEERING | 5 | 11.6% |
| SUSPENSION | 4 | 9.3% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 | 7.0% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 14 of 43 complaints (32.6%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 2 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V329000 | 16/05/2018 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal |
| 18V148000 | 06/03/2018 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the |
| 16V078000 | 10/02/2016 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of |
| 15V483000 | 04/08/2015 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock |
| 19V862000 | 04/12/2019 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.