1999 Volkswagen Golf

Problems owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1999 Volkswagen Golf, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.

• Engine and engine cooling16
• Fuel system, gasoline10
• Electrical system9
• Visibility6
• Unknown or other5
• Exterior lighting5
• Seat belts4
• Power train4
• Suspension2
• Visibility/wiper2

NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported

Compared with other years

NHTSA ODI complaints by model year

New York safety inspections

At its first New York inspection the 1999 Volkswagen Golf failed the safety check 1.33% of the time — 24% less often than the average 1999 passenger car (1.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 155,187 miles.

NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count

Engines

The most common engines in 1999 Volkswagen Golf cars on Dutch roads are the 1.6 petrol (74 kW, 99 hp), 1.4 petrol (55 kW, 74 hp) and 2.0 petrol (85 kW, 114 hp), out of 12 versions with at least 20 cars.

RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars

In the Netherlands

3,004 first registered in 1999 are on Dutch roads; 12% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €26,115.

Most common APK defects

• Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen1,396
• Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde1,267
• Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect928
• Band onvoldoende profiel777
• Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm662
• Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld590
• Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse446
• Waarschuwingsinrichting antiblokkeersysteem geeft defect aan404

Colours

RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording

In the United Kingdom

1,798 cars built in 1999 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 5,748 more were declared off the road (SORN).

Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0

MOT test results in Great Britain

In 2023, 3,325 of these cars first registered in 1999 took their annual MOT test. 56% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1999 the figure was 63%.

DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail

In Finland

1,001 of these cars first registered in 1999 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 257,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.

Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0

In New Zealand

293 1999 cars are on the New Zealand register; 72% arrived as used imports, 21% were sold new in New Zealand.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0

Fuel consumption

Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 10.1–10.7 L/100 km (about 22–23 mpg US), CO₂ 232–246 g/km.

Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada

Recalls in Canada

2 Transport Canada recalls for the 1999 Volkswagen Golf.

Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada

Recalls

Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words

Service bulletins

What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 1999 Volkswagen Golf: known faults, fixes and updates.

NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation