6.0

fairly significant
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
13,307 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Volkswagen Golf fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2012 Volkswagen Golf Owner Comments

problem #7

Aug 152014

Golf 4-cyl Diesel

  • 32,378 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2012 VW Golf tdi (diesel) vehicle began losing power on acceleration from a stoplight and began clicking. Check engine and glow plug lights flashed. Power was reduced to 15% and limped to shoulder. Shut off engine and attempted restart. Engine turned over but no ignition. Towed to dealer who confirmed that high pressure fuel pump had failed. Dealer replaced high pressure fuel pump, tank pump, high pressure fuel lines, fuel rail with both sensors, all injectors, fuel return lines, fuel filter, and aux fuel pump. Tank and fuel lines were flushed and cleaned. All repairs done under VW 60K powertrain warranty.

- Glendale, CA, USA

problem #6

Mar 182013

Golf 4-cyl Diesel

  • 13,000 miles
Car purchased November 2011. August 29, 2012 (much <10,000 miles) reported rough shifting of automatic transmission to Volkswagen of alexandria. Told that experience was normal. Trusted mechanic and used vehicle. March 18, 2013--complete transmission failure while driving in a parking lot. Engine shut off while moving and abruptly brought car to a stop. This is the same problem that prompted recalls for this car in australia, china, and Japan. Brought into Volkswagen of alexandria and told problem was related to computer errors controlling transmission. July 10, 2013--(@15,000 miles) car loses reasonable amount of power, makes grinding noise, engine light appears. Blocks from Volkswagen of alexandria. Just able to make it in. Technicians report that a number of faults were reported and have contacted VW of America to advise what to do next. Ultimately they decide that the mechatronics unit (part of transmission) should be replaced but will not be available soon. Alexandria Volkswagen advises me to take the vehicle back into my posession and drive it as is until the part arrives. They claimed it to be just a noise issue. I object and have to point out the complaint about severe lack of power and previous complete engine/transmission failure (which they claimed to be unrelated). After complaint told I could rent a car. Finally able to complain my way into a loaner. I have read about this tactic for ways around lemon law liability. Was advised to report it here.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #5

May 092013

Golf 4-cyl Diesel

  • 7,200 miles
Fuel pump failure at 7200 miles (despite using diesel fuel) resulting in shards of metal in the fuel system and inability to drive car, had to be towed to dealer looking at the web, this is not the first time this has happened in a newer tdi engine.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #4

Nov 102012

Golf 4-cyl Diesel

  • 7,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The car is a 2012 VW Golf tdi, purchased around April of 2012. It had approximately 7500 miles at the time of the incident. I was on a short drive to the store and back (5 miles round trip from home). On the way back, I heard a metal grinding sound coming from the engine compartment and noticed a lack of power. I turned off the radio to confirm that the sound was coming from my new car and it was. At the next stop light, the car died and could not be restarted. I confirmed that I still had diesel fuel, and sure enough, I still had 1/4 tank. So I was not out of fuel. The engine would crank, but not start. Thankfully this happened at a stop light instead of on the hilly interstate I take to work 20 miles each day. Aside from hearing the metal grinding sound for approximately 30 seconds, I had no warning. The car had to be towed back to the dealer. The dealer took a few days to diagnose the problem as a faulty fuel pump. Apparently, the fuel pump malfunctioned and shot metal shards through my entire fuel system. It took the dealer well over a week to replace every component and the cost of labor and parts was over $10,000. Thankfully, VW covered the repair as being under warranty. A quick google search confirmed that hundreds of other VW diesel engines have had the same problem. Unfortunately, the dealer did not replace the fuel tank. Based on reports I have seen online, I can expect another failure any day. Please investigate this further and force VW to issue a recall. I have owned 5 Volkswagen in the past (own 2 right now) and love them, but I will never buy another one after this incident.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #3

Nov 262012

Golf

  • 11,000 miles
I was driving down the road had just shifted into 4th gear came up to a red light. I pressing in the clutch and started to slow down still in 4th gear. The red light turned green before I could slow down much at all. I released the clutch when I did this the engine and RPM increased. I was still in 4th gear and hardly accelerating but it felt as though I was in second gear. I kinda freaked and looked to make sure I was in 4th and I was.the car began to run normal so I just brushed it off. I came to another red light and made a complete stop. This is when the car began to shake and flash the orange coil looking light. It completely shut off and I was unable to restart the car. My brother came and helped me push it to the side of the road. It had to be towed to the dealership.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

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problem #2

Aug 182012

Golf 4-cyl Diesel

  • 15,550 miles
Fuel pump failure, random power cut out due to fault mode. System flashes a glow plug light instead of a check engine light not signaling a obvious failure.

- Cedar Park, TX, USA

problem #1

Aug 122012

Golf 4-cyl Diesel

  • 6,519 miles
At 6,519 miles, while about to enter the on-ramp of a local highway, the check engine light and glow plug indicator light began to flash. I was able to veer off the entrance ramp and continue down the down to the nearest safe parking lot area; as I pulled into the parking lot area, the vehicle shuddered and suddenly shut off. It would not re-start, and we had to arrange for a tow to a family members house through our insurance company. In the morning we had a tow to our dealer set up through Volkswagen roadside service, who would not cover the entire cost of the tow to our preferred dealer, so we paid the difference out of our own pocket. I was notified by the dealer that the fuel pump (commonly referred to as hpfp) basically imploded and sent metal throughout the entire fuel system, which now needs to be replaced. We own two Volkswagen diesel (tdi) vehicles; this one, a 2012 Golf tdi, and a 2010 jetta tdi. They are both filled up at the exact same pump from the exact same station about 99% of the time. At the time this incident occurred, the Golf had 281 miles on the current tank of diesel which was filled up on 08/03/2012. I filled up my jetta tdi at the same pump on 08/06/2012, currently have over 230 miles on that tank of diesel, and have not experienced any problems. We keep meticulous documentation of our diesel usage, cost, etc. With receipts and other logs, and can safely state that this was not due to a mistake on our part. Rather, this is a design failure and/or oversight on the part of both Volkswagen and Bosch, the hpfp manufacturer. I am a veteran member of the tdiclub VW diesel online community, and there is extensive information and documentation there of these repeated failures. Please visit the following threads for information; forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php"T=286380, forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php"T=299854.

- Miami, FL, USA

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