Volkswagen Golf R recalls and safety
16 recalls · crash ratings 2016-2019 · 80 owner complaints
16
recalls
16
recalls
The Volkswagen Golf R has 16 recalls covering 406,373 vehicles as reported; model year 2016 is covered by the most (6). The 2019 Volkswagen Golf R earned 5 of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Owners filed 10 safety complaints in the 12 months to Sep 2026; electrical system is named most over all years.
Updated Oct 11, 2026 · recalls to Oct 6, 2026
Recalls
16
Most for 2016: 6
Units affected
406K
As reported
Overall stars
5 of 5
Model year 2019
Complaints, 12 mo
10
+66.7% vs 12 months before
Do-not-drive
0
None
By model year
Which model years are covered by the most recalls, and which get the most complaints
Recalls by model year
How many recalls cover each model year. Hover a year for the count.
Crash test star ratings
4 rated versions, model years 2016 to 2019
Overall stars by model year
The best and lowest overall rating of the versions tested each year (5 is best).
| Year | Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4 DR · AWD | 13.4% risk | |||
| 2018 | 4 DR · AWD | 13.4% risk | |||
| 2017 | 4 DR · AWD | 13.4% risk | |||
| 2016 | 4 DR · AWD | 13.4% risk |
5 stars is the best. Ratings before model year 2011 used older tests.
Owner complaints
Safety complaints about the Volkswagen Golf R, by the month they were received
Complaints per month
10 in the 12 months to Sep 2026.
Components named most
- Electrical system15
- Service brakes15
- Forward collision avoidance13
- Power train11
- Unknown or other11
- Engine10
- Fuel/propulsion system7
- Complaints
- 80
- Crashes reported
- 1
- Fires reported
- 0
- People injured
- 4
Counts only, as reported by owners and not verified.
Parts recalled
Recalls of the Volkswagen Golf R by component
- Back over prevention2 · 87K units
- Unknown or other2 · 69 units
- Air bags1 · 1,216 units
- Electrical system1 · 5 units
- Engine1 · 4,269 units
- Engine and engine cooling1 · 8,038 units
- Equipment1 · 11 units
- Fuel system, gasoline1 · 516 units
Volkswagen Golf R recalls
Newest first
Related pages
Questions and answers
Is the 2026 Volkswagen Golf R recalled?
Yes: 1 recall covers the 2026 Volkswagen Golf R. Check the recall pages below for what is wrong and the free fix; a dealer can tell if a single vehicle still needs the repair.
How many recalls does the Volkswagen Golf R have?
16 recalls cover the Volkswagen Golf R, for 406,373 vehicles as reported. The most common problem is back over prevention (2 recalls).
What is the safety rating of the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R?
5 of 5 stars overall (4 DR): frontal crash 4, side crash 5 and rollover 4 stars, with a 13.4% chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
What do owners complain about most on the Volkswagen Golf R?
Electrical system: named in 15 of the 80 safety complaints about the Volkswagen Golf R, then service brakes (15). One complaint can name several components.
A recall means the maker found a safety problem and offers a free fix; it does not mean every unit has the problem. Units affected are as reported by the company. Popular models sell more and so have more recalls and complaints. Official public data, updated daily. Models are written as published, so a few versions of one model can be listed under slightly different names.