Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2009 Volkswagen Golf, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Service brakes2
- Electrical system1
- Engine1
- Electronic stability control (esc)1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Engines
The most common engines in 2009 Volkswagen Golf cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (90 kW, 121 hp), 1.4 petrol (59 kW, 79 hp) and 1.4 petrol (118 kW, 158 hp), out of 12 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 petrol | 90 kW 121 hp | 8,730 |
| 1.4 petrol | 59 kW 79 hp | 2,427 |
| 1.4 petrol | 118 kW 158 hp | 1,950 |
| 1.6 petrol | 75 kW 101 hp | 921 |
| 2.0 petrol | 155 kW 208 hp | 718 |
| 1.9 diesel | 77 kW 103 hp | 329 |
| 2.0 diesel | 81 kW 109 hp | 290 |
| 1.8 petrol | 118 kW 158 hp | 249 |
| 2.0 petrol | 147 kW 197 hp | 155 |
| 2.0 diesel | 103 kW 138 hp | 150 |
| 1.6 diesel | 77 kW 103 hp | 98 |
| 1.4 petrol | 103 kW 138 hp | 50 |
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
16,304 first registered in 2009 are on Dutch roads; 53% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €27,305.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde8,523
- Band onvoldoende profiel6,885
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen4,095
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm4,007
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld3,949
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af2,836
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af2,231
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd2,229
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
38,503 cars built in 2009 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 4,600 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, 47,396 of these cars first registered in 2009 took their annual MOT test. 63% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2009 the figure was 59%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 16.9% | 16.4% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.9% | 18.7% |
| Brakes | 9.3% | 10.1% |
| Tyres | 7.9% | 7.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 5.0% | 5.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.7% | 5.4% |
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
3,560 of these cars first registered in 2009 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 233,000 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
2,919 2009 cars are on the New Zealand register; 81% arrived as used imports, 17% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2009 Volkswagen Golf.
| 2011355 3 Oct 2011 | Fuel System On certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0L TDI diesel engine, the fuel injection lines could crack. Diesel fuel leakage may ignite on a hot engine surface and ca… |
| 2010444 10 Dec 2010 | Fuel System On certain Golf, Golf wagon, Jetta and Rabbit equipped with a 2.5L Engine, a small plastic tab located on the windshield washer fluid reservoir may chafe agains… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2009 Volkswagen Golf.
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 2009 Volkswagen Golf: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11010024 | Lack of paint under roof |
| 11010022 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11010021 | Additional reporting |
| 11010011 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11008861 | Fluid requirements |
| 11008858 | A list of engine oil that meet Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards |
| 11008857 | How to perform the engine oil consumption measurement |
| 11008856 | Checking Engine Oil and correctly reading dip stick |
| 11008853 | How to manage software versions using VW diagnostic Tool |
| 11008852 | Recommended Gasoline Quality |
| 11008851 | Engine Misfire Diagnostic Aid |
| 11008850 | Fuel additive to help with misfire faults |
| 11008846 | Wind & Water Leak Checking |
| 11007398 | Battery testing |
| 11007393 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11005825 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11005820 | Engine Assembly Tip |
| 11005819 | Engine Replacement Tip |
| 11002875 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11001508 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253483 | Engine Exhaust Flap Limited Warranty Extension |
| 10253439 | Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program ? Gasoline Engines (Except Routan) - REVISED |
| 10253262 | VW Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253215 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253214 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Diesel Fuel Injector Line Leakage
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation