Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Volkswagen Golf, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Fuel system, diesel22
- Air bags11
- Fuel/propulsion system10
- Engine and engine cooling9
- Engine7
- Power train7
- Electrical system5
- Electronic stability control (esc)4
- Seat belts3
- Seats3
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
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2010 Volkswagen Golf failed the safety check 1.65% of the time — 34% less often than the average 2010 passenger car (2.50%). Median odometer at inspection: 115,452 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2010
465,324 new Volkswagen Golf cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2010; the largest markets were Germany (195,222), the United Kingdom (57,442), Italy (47,703).
- Average mass
- 1,372 kg
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 55% · Petrol 44% · LPG 1.2%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2010 Volkswagen Golf cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (90 kW, 121 hp), 1.2 petrol (77 kW, 103 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 | 6,329 |
| 1.2 petrol | 77 kW 103 hp | 5,154 |
| 1.4 petrol | 118 kW 158 hp | 1,357 |
| 1.4 petrol | 59 kW 79 hp | 900 |
| 2.0 petrol | 155 kW 208 hp | 811 |
| 1.6 diesel | 77 kW 103 hp | 748 |
| 1.2 petrol | 63 kW 84 hp | 240 |
| 2.0 petrol | 199 kW 267 hp | 188 |
| 2.0 diesel | 103 kW 138 hp | 144 |
| 2.0 diesel | 125 kW 168 hp | 139 |
| 1.6 petrol | 75 kW 101 hp | 116 |
| 2.0 diesel | 81 kW 109 hp | 58 |
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
16,377 first registered in 2010 are on Dutch roads; 42% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €26,816.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde8,839
- Band onvoldoende profiel6,730
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen5,200
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld3,859
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm3,773
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af3,413
- Schijf-, trommelrem loopt niet vrij2,032
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd1,898
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
41,507 cars built in 2010 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 3,871 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, 47,745 of these cars first registered in 2010 took their annual MOT test. 63% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2010 the figure was 60%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 18.0% | 15.5% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.0% | 17.8% |
| Brakes | 9.9% | 9.6% |
| Tyres | 7.6% | 7.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Visibility | 4.0% | 6.0% |
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
5,078 of these cars first registered in 2010 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 229,000 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
3,600 2010 cars are on the New Zealand register; 80% arrived as used imports, 19% 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 4 variants: combined 7.3–10.2 L/100 km (about 23–32 mpg US), CO₂ 196–235 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golf TDI (modified) · Compact · Diesel | 8.3 | 6.1 | 7.3 |
| Golf TDI (modified) · Compact · Diesel | 8.1 | 6.4 | 7.4 |
| Golf · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.5 | 8.2 | 9.5 |
| Golf · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.8 | 8.3 | 10.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
| 2018111 6 Mar 2018 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 2016629 14 Dec 2016 | Brakes On certain vehicles, a fault within the antilock brake system (ABS) may cause the module to fail during ABS and/or electronic stability control (ESC) activation… |
| 2016064 9 Feb 2016 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the driver frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inf… |
| 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
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 inflator to explode.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.
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 the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL 2009-2012 JETTA AND JETTA SPORTWAGEN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2008 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 AUDI A3 VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH A 2.0L TDI COMMON RAIL DIESEL ENGINE/CLEAN DIESEL ENGINE. THE FUEL INJECTION PULSES COULD COINCIDE WITH THE NATURAL FREQUENCY OF THE INJECTOR LINE #2, IN SPECIFIC LOAD AND RPM CONDITIONS. THIS RESONANCE CREATES ADDITIONAL STRESS IN THE FUEL LINE.
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 2010 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 |
| 10253491 | Secondary Air Pressure Sensor Limited Warranty Extension |
| 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 |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
Diesel Fuel Injector Line Leakage
High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure
High Pressure Fuel Pump Failure (HPFP)
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation