8.0

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
5,152 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.

2016 Volkswagen Golf engine problems

engine problem

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2016 Volkswagen Golf Owner Comments

problem #16

Apr 012024

Golf

  • miles

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

I have had this car since 2021, when I first bought it they had to keep it for another week due to a coolant break error" Had to fix it but later on I had to put tons of money into the car almost more money than it-??s worth. And I-??ve had a engine light on religiously for the entirety of the car, however my cars engine lights flash at times when I am driving and it gets hard to accelerate and reeks of gas- I-??ve given up on dealerships because they have done everything else but what I have asked them to do and I still leave and the engine light turns on after. I did some research and learned my car has a recall since 2/14/2024 and I-??ve had no update on my vehicles recall or if it-??s repairable. My car will refuse to start at times and I-??ve told this dealership this car will most likely kill me since I-??ve put so much money into it for nothing to be fixed? And if it-??s been this recall error what do I do" Please help me bought from Allen web Mitsubishi. All the symptoms are there but I-??m scared

- Happy Valley, OR, USA

problem #15

Nov 232023

Golf

  • miles
Gff test plan on stored engine light. Recommend replacing thermostat housing causing the check engine light. Recommned replace thermostat housing. Seep/slight cooling leak. Advised to watch coolant levels until fixed.

- Stonyplain, AL, USA

problem #14

Jun 292023

Golf

  • miles
Thermostat and Gasket repair quoted by VW dealership. The coolant is leaking according to their inspection. Car could malfunction unexpectedly and leave me stranded as a road hazard Many more claims in this thread. They quote $1,600 to repair. https://www.reddit.com/r/GolfGTI/comments/drna5m/mk775_thermostat_housing_issue_and_coolant_loss/

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #13

May 262023

Golf

  • miles

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

Dealer found thermostat housing leak and recommended housing and pump replacement at a cost of over $2K. Thermostat is housing leak could cause loss of coolant which could strand you in the middle of the road. There were no warning lamps active. This appears to be a common issue with these vehicles. The thermostat should not be having problems like this at this mileage. The component has not been inspected by insurance, manufacturer, or police, only the dealer.

- Chillicothe, IL, USA

problem #12

Feb 272023

Golf

  • miles
The vehicle overheated during normal driving. The car advised the driver to stop immediately. The car was inspected later the same day by a VW dealer service department that determined the water pump and thermostat housing required replacement. Estimated cost is $1400.

- Chapel Hill, NC, USA

problem #11

Jul 032022

Golf

  • miles
The car had a few hiccup on the freeway. Eventually the car had a strong gas smell, did not allow to add/fill up gas and was leaking gas at the back of the car. The car could have caught fire without us knowing. The problem was reproduced and known to the dealers. The second dealer Hewlett had seen another 3 cars with same issue as my car! Please see all invoices showing the parts and issues with car. suction pump in the fuel tank, fuel pump gasket, purge valve, evap canister, N80 valve. There is a recall for same issue but my car was never recalled! Recall 16V647000 Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Volkswagen Golf, Golf SportWagen, GTI, Audi A3 sedan and A3 Cabriolet vehicles. Due to a problem with the suction pump inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system. Recall 16V647000 Consequence As fuel accumulates in the EVAP system, it may leak out through the charcoal canister filter element. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire. Recall 16V647000 Solution Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. The recall began November 2016. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298, Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 20Y6 and 20Y5.

- Liberty Hill, TX, USA

problem #10

Jun 012022

Golf

  • miles

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

EPC light comes on whenever turbo is engages, loss of power (no turbo). EPC light goes off when car is restarted, back on after a few minutes of driving. Error codes indicate turbo issues. Vehicle has 40K odometer mikes. Chat forums have numerous similar reports from other owners. Seems to be a known turbo issue with early MK7 GTIs

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #9

Feb 162022

Golf

  • miles
At 49,086, our 2016 Volkswagen Golf developed a leak in the thermostat assembly housing. The Volkswagen dealership, Elk Grove Volkswagen in Elk Grove, CA, strongly recommended the replacement of the thermostat assembly housing which included replacement of the thermostat assembly housing, the thermostat itself, a gasket, the replacement of the coolant. Failure to do so would result in the engine overheating and potential damage to the engine. Looking quickly online, I found several forums which discussed this specific problem: https://www.vwvortex.com/threads/thermostat-housing-leaking-again-after-recall-done-in-2018.9458318/ https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/failed-thermostat-housing-coolant-loss-info-gathering.368847/ A low coolant warning light was on, however there were no visable leaks underneath the car. The following is a ibetter description of the problem, taken from the golfmk7 website: -??Coolant will slowly seep out of a weep hole on the underside of the thermostat housing. It doesn't seem to be enough to ever leave a puddle but slight residue may be seen under the thermostat housing and possibly on the oil pan. The loss of coolant often trips the low coolant warning if the level isn't maintained. Depending on the size of the leak, the coolant drop can either be gradual or catastrophic. Loss of coolant has also been linked to the water pump failing. Furthermore, the accessory bracket gasket can leak hot oil down onto the thermostat housing (even after repair) which can cause failure.-?? The service was completed today, 02/16/2022.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #8

Jul 072021

Golf

  • miles
The thermostat housing and water pump are leaking due to a known manufacturing defect. I had the water pump and thermostat housing replaced around 65,000 miles from an independent Volkswagen mechanic. He informed me that it appears the water pump had been replaced prior to my ownership of the vehicle. (41,000 miles). Again, I have to replace the thermostat housing and water pump, for a leak. The failure causes a leak in the pressurized cooling system. The leak is small while parked so there is no noticeable puddle but as the system warms up, the leak happens faster. Because of this issue, I have had multiple warning messages while driving, low coolant level, check engine light, and EPC (Electronic Power Control, which disables activate cruise control and front collision detection systems). On multiple occasions, I was stranded waiting on help because of the failure. As stated, this is a known issue from the manufacturer, as they have had at least 7 revisions to the part. The manufacturer is currently on revision -??M-??, I am only aware of revisions -??F, G, H, J, K, L-?? and the current revision -??M-??. As previously stated, this is the second time I personally have had to pay out of pocket for this repair.

- Marion, OH, USA

problem #7

Mar 042021

Golf

  • 24,000 miles
2016 VW Golf gti MK7 engine coolant began to slowly leak from thermostat housing seal at 25,000 miles. Dealer replaced housing with rev M part just before my warranty expired. Has this every 25K mile problem been resolved yet?

- Athens, OH, USA

problem #6

Mar 082019

Golf

  • 37,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Golf gti. The contact stated that the check engine warning indicator illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was a fuel leak. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 37,000.

- Mahwah, NJ, USA

problem #5

Jun 022018

Golf

  • 17,000 miles
Consuming oil

- Lexington, KY, USA

problem #4

Nov 012016

Golf

  • miles
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Golf. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V647000 (fuel system, engine and engine cooling). The parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the vehicle did not receive adequate fuel mileage and that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The local dealer (ourisman Volkswagen of bethesda located at 7001 arlington rd, bethesda, Maryland 20814) was contacted and informed the contact that they had not received parts from the manufacturer and that the contact was placed on a waiting list. The manufacturer was making Florida and puerto rico a priority first. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #3

Aug 202016

Golf

  • 2,658 miles
Engine misfired and cause the car to stutter with loss of performance. This happened to me when making a left hand turn nearly causing an accident because the car was not moving at the normal speed due to loss of performance. This is the 3rd time the engine has misfired since I bought the car. It has less than 2,800 miles on it.

- West Long Branch, NJ, USA

problem #2

Jun 282016

Golf

  • 800 miles
Sudden violent shaking while driving. They replaced all four fuel injectors, second time happened a month later. Shaking while driving. They cannot fix. Miles just under 2000 on second occurrence.

- Cardiff, CA, USA

problem #1

Dec 162015

Golf

  • 975 miles
Safety issue - 2016 egolf would not move after a routine traffic stop with "main charging failed" error. During a normal commute after 3, 4 miles of driving 30 - 40 mph, car wouldn't move after a routine traffic stop right after a traffic light. This is evening 6pm rush hour traffic, car just stopped in the middle of the road. While rest of the systems seem to be functioning, the car ignition is on, pressing accelerator pedal doesn't do anything with "electrical error, stop" message on the dash. After getting stuck in a lane for an hour in rush hour traffic, got the car towed to nearby VW dealer. Dealer informed that the main charging module that charges battery failed, which needs to be replaced with new part form germany. It could take up to two weeks. Safety issue - the fact that car just stops while driving even though the battery has plenty of charge left poses a serious and significant safety risk. A serious accident is just waiting to happen.I was told that the design protects drivers against getting stranded after battery is discharged, since the charging module failed. This seems totally illogical that the design is trying to protect you from stranded when battery runs out, so it rather stop in the middle of the road to get the module fixed before you can drive it to a safe place. There are quite a few incidents reported like this, so VW has a serious safety issue to fix on 2016 egolf immediately. Maybe it requires a design fix to let drivers drive to a dealer to get the faulty part to be fixed, instead of stranding in the middle of the road.

- Saratoga, CA, USA

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