2021 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 7 complaints · 1 recalls
Most-reported system: SERVICE BRAKES (2 complaints · 28.6%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 0
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 0
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2020 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution SERVICE BRAKES appears in 2 of 7 owner complaints (28.6%) in this vehicle snapshot. SERVICE BRAKES: 2 complaints, 28.6% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 28.6% EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 1 complaints, 14.3% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 14.3% POWER TRAIN: 1 complaints, 14.3% of reports POWER TRAIN 1 · 14.3% SEAT BELTS: 1 complaints, 14.3% of reports SEAT BELTS 1 · 14.3% STEERING: 1 complaints, 14.3% of reports STEERING 1 · 14.3% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 1 complaints, 14.3% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 · 14.3% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
SERVICE BRAKES 2 28.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 14.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 1 14.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SEAT BELTS 1 14.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 1 14.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 14.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2022; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2020. 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Nov 2020 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 20V716000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V716000
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 2
2024-Q3 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 20V716000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (1)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V716000

    Report date
    Component:
    BACK OVER PREVENTION
    Consequence:
    A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91BB/91BC.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 7 complaints · page 1 of 1

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources