Volkswagen bulletin Circular 34N4
What it saysIn certain vehicles equipped with a manual transmission, the shift knob could become detached during use. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Volkswagen filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 5, 2023, received Nov 6, 2023, about the electrical system. It names 2 model years (2022–2023). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationIn certain vehicles equipped with a manual transmission, the shift knob could become detached during use. If this happens, the shift knob can be replaced immediately and this issue does not affect the drivability of the vehicle. The gears can continue to be selected as normal.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circular 34N4 | Service bulletin | Oct 5, 2023 | 10243931 | PDF, 433 KB |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5H1-711-113-J | OYN GEARSHIFT | — | eBay Motors → |
| 5H1-711-113-H | QOV GEARSHIFT | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (9 pages), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Volkswagen’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
Find the switches/knobs/buttons for the 2023 Golf / GTI →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 143 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 31 of them name Electrical System — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
I have a 2023 VW GTI with a manual transmission. It has a feature called "Hill Hold Assist", where it enables the parking brake when you are uphill and at a stop, at a red traffic light, for example. The issue is the feature does not disengage the parking brake for about 3 seconds after you engage the gas to begin moving the car.
2023 Volkswagen Golf / GTI · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Nov 9, 2024 · ODI 11624393
Travel Assist is disabled which includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. It is worse when temperatures are warm outside.
2022 Volkswagen Golf / GTI · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Sep 24, 2024 · ODI 11616135
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the electrical system
Source: same model, same component group42 other manufacturer communications filed against the Volkswagen Golf / GTI under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Volkswagen list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM 05-2026 | Other | Aug 18, 2026 | This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided. |
| V2724012073810_7 | Service bulletin | Aug 13, 2026 | Battery Checking Procedure before replacement |
| 3G0.919.360.SE | Service bulletin | Jul 20, 2026 | MIB3 Recovery Solution |
| VOS-26-42 | Service bulletin | Jul 15, 2026 | This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A… |
| 5088 | Service bulletin | May 8, 2026 | Update Programming for Memory Seat Module |
| V9326022080670_1 | Service bulletin | Mar 16, 2026 | Flushing H.V. Battery before opening |
| V9323082071535_6 | Service bulletin | Mar 10, 2026 | Determine H.V. Battery Health & Remaining Capacity |
| VOS-26-15 | Service bulletin | Mar 6, 2026 | This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Volkswagen, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Volkswagen Circular 34N4 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the Circular 34N4 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Volkswagen warranty extension on file lists the ones Volkswagen has filed.
Which vehicles does Circular 34N4 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2023 Volkswagen Golf / GTI, 2022 Volkswagen Golf / GTI. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.