Complaints by model year
Each bar is one model year. The most recent years are still collecting complaints.
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026
New York safety inspections
Share of first inspections failed on safety, by model year. Older cars fail more as miles build up, so compare each year with the average car of the same year. Best against its own year: 2015.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections, initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Year by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 Golf R | 12 | 1 |
| 2023 Golf R | 6 | 3 |
| 2022 Golf R | 10 | 5 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 Golf R | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 Golf R | 6 | 2 |
| 2018 Golf R | 9 | 4 |
| 2017 Golf R | 15 | 0 |
| 2016 Golf R | 12 | 4 |
| 2015 Golf R | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 |
A model year gets its own page when it has enough data for at least three sections
Most common problems
- Service brakes15
- Electrical system15
- Forward collision avoidance13
- Unknown or other11
- Power train11
- Engine10
- Fuel/propulsion system7
- Wheels4
NHTSA ODI complaints, all model years
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 20 Golf R vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died, and 21 people died inside them. These are counts, not crash rates: a model with more cars on the road shows up more often, and people killed outside the vehicle are not counted here.
| Model year | Vehicles in fatal crashes | Deaths in the vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5 | 5 |
| 2018 | 3 | 5 |
| 2017 | 5 | 2 |
| 2016 | 3 | 3 |
| 2013 | 4 | 6 |
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain) · how we count
Crash-test ratings by year
NHTSA 5-star results for 12 model-year variants; 4 of 4 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Year | Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 2027 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R 4 DR ICE AWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2026 | 2026 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R 4 DR N/A AWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2025 | 2025 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2024 | 2024 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2023 | 2023 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2022 | 2022 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2019 | 2019 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | 13.4 % |
| 2018 | 2018 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | 13.4 % |
| 2017 | 2017 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | 13.4 % |
| 2016 | 2016 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | 13.4 % |
| 2015 | 2015 Volkswagen Golf R 4 DR AWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2013 | 2013 Volkswagen Golf R 2 DR AWD | — | 0.0 % |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption by year
Official Canadian test results for 11 model years, best variant per year. Combined consumption ranges from 9.1–10.8 L/100 km.
| Year | Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Golf R · Compact · Premium gasoline | 10.5 | 7.7 | 9.3 |
| 2025 | Golf R · Compact · Premium gasoline | 10.5 | 7.7 | 9.3 |
| 2024 | Golf R · Compact · Premium gasoline | 10.5 | 7.7 | 9.3 |
| 2023 | Golf R · Compact · Premium gasoline | 10.3 | 7.7 | 9.1 |
| 2022 | Golf R · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 10.3 | 7.7 | 9.1 |
| 2019 | Golf R · Compact · Premium gasoline | 10.2 | 7.9 | 9.2 |
| 2018 | Golf R · Compact · Premium gasoline | 10.6 | 8.0 | 9.4 |
| 2017 | Golf R · Compact · Premium gasoline | 10.4 | 7.9 | 9.3 |
| 2016 | Golf R · Compact · Premium gasoline | 10.4 | 7.9 | 9.3 |
| 2013 | Golf R · Compact · Premium gasoline | 12.3 | 8.9 | 10.8 |
| 2012 | Golf R · Compact · Premium gasoline | 12.3 | 8.9 | 10.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
MOT test results in Great Britain
4,936 Golf R cars took their annual MOT test in 2023; 90% passed first time, against 88% for all cars of the same ages. Older cars fail more often, so compare a year with the same year of other cars.
| First registered | Tests | Passed first time |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 260 | 92% |
| 2020 | 4,329 | 90% |
| 2019 | 347 | 91% |
Why they fail
Share of all first tests that ended in a fail because of each part of the car (one test can fail on several).
| Area | Golf R | All cars, same ages |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 5.6% | 4.8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.4% | 3.0% |
| Visibility | 1.2% | 2.8% |
| Brakes | 0.9% | 1.8% |
| Suspension | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.1% | 0.2% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests of cars only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
New registrations in Europe
55,992 new Volkswagen Golf R cars registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland between 2010 and 2020, from the European Environment Agency's CO₂ monitoring of every new car. In 2020 the largest markets were United Kingdom (6,573).
| Year | New cars | CO₂ g/km |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6,573 | 147 (WLTP) |
| 2019 | 10,294 | 171 (WLTP) |
| 2018 | 8,874 | 144 (WLTP) |
| 2017 | 8,858 | 149 (NEDC) |
| 2016 | 9,464 | — |
| 2015 | 7,267 | — |
| 2014 | 3,474 | — |
| 2013 | 113 | — |
| 2012 | 314 | — |
| 2011 | 231 | — |
| 2010 | 530 | — |
Averages are weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value (NEDC until the WLTP switch). European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Recalls
16 campaigns cover the Golf R; the latest 12 are below.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 GTI, Golf R, Audi A5, A6 Sportback E-Tron, S5, S6 Sportback E-Tron, 2026 Q4 Sportback E-Tron, and Q4 E-Tron vehicles. The torsion bar in one or both front seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Golf R, Golf GTI, 2024 Atlas, and 2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The rearview camera image may be delayed or deactivated after shifting into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The strut mount may be deformed, loosening the bolted connections to the suspension strut mounting.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Golf R vehicles. Incorrect front windshield wiper software was installed which may prevent the wipers from activating. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf R A8, Audi S3, RS3 Sedan, Q4 E-Tron SUV, A3 Sedan, and 2022-2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI, and ID4 vehicles. The rearview camera image may be blank or unresponsive when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear or when the park function is manually activated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The radiator may not have been attached correctly to the intercooler, which can result in a damaged coolant hose.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Audi TT Roadster, TT Coupe, S3 Sedan, R8 Coupe, A3 Sedan, A3 Etron, A3 Cabriolet, 2016 Golf Sportwagen, Golf R, Golf GTI, Golf A7, and E Golf vehicles. During air bag deployment, the front passenger air bag may explode or deploy improperly.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The touch switch for the sunroof may be too sensitive, allowing it to be inadvertently pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf GTI and Golf R vehicles. Certain driving situations, such as high acceleration driving maneuvers, may loosen the engine design cover.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R and Atlas, 2017 Golf Alltrack and E-Golf and 2016-2018 Passat vehicles. These internal use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
NHTSA recalls