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Volkswagen · Compact car

2018 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

ElectricGas
Compact Cars
13 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
35 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls5 critical10
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA75
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
EV rangebest configuration, EPA125 mi
Fuel economybest combined, EPA29 mpg
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Active NHTSA advisory: do not drive. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2018 Volkswagen Golf / GTI is sold in the U.S. as a electric and gas compact car with 13 EPA-rated configurations. Its longest-range version, the e-Golf, is EPA-rated at 125 miles with 119 MPGe combined efficiency. NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for this model year, 5 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 75 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombRangekWh/100miCharge (240V)Annual fuel*
e-GolfElectricFWD100 kW AC PMSM126111119 MPGe125 mi28.45.3 h$650
GolfGasFWD1.8L 4-cyl turbo253429———$2,150
Golf SportWagenGasFWD1.8L 4-cyl turbo253429———$2,150
GTIGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo253328———$2,250
GolfGasFWD1.8L 4-cyl turbo243328———$2,250
Golf SportWagenGasFWD1.8L 4-cyl turbo243328———$2,250
GTIGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo243227———$2,300
Golf AlltrackGasAWD1.8L 4-cyl turbo223025———$2,500
Golf RGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222925———$3,100
Golf SportWagen 4motionGasAWD1.8L 4-cyl turbo223125———$2,500
Golf AlltrackGasAWD1.8L 4-cyl turbo213024———$2,600
Golf RGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo212924———$3,250
Golf SportWagen 4motionGasAWD1.8L 4-cyl turbo222924———$2,600

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39871, 39856, 39857, 39609, 39832, 39833, 39610, 39577, 38913, 39934.

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Recalls (10)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Fuel System, Gasoline

VW: 20UF/AUDI:20YF
261,257 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a problem with a suction jet pump seal inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system and possibly leak out of the charcoal canister.RiskA fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.FixDealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are VW: 20UF/Audi: 20YF. Vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-647 will need to have the new remedy completed. This recall expands and re
NHTSA campaign 24V110000reported Feb 14, 2024Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Unknown Or Other

01F1
46 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.RiskVehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.FixVolkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.
NHTSA campaign 21V321000reported May 5, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Unknown Or Other

01E9
23 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R and Atlas, 2017 Golf Alltrack and E-Golf and 2016-2018 Passat vehicles. These internal use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.RiskVehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.FixVolkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. The recall began October 6, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01E9.
NHTSA campaign 20V561000reported Sep 16, 2020Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Equipment

01E7
2 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling two 2018 Golf GTI vehicles. The VIN printed on the Federal Certification label may not match the actual VIN on the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."RiskIf the stamped vehicle identification number (VIN) does not match the VIN on the Vehicle Certification Label, owners may be unable to tell if their vehicle is under an important safety recall, possibly exposing them to an increased risk of a crash, fire or injury.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a correct certification label, free of charge. This recall began July 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01E7.
NHTSA campaign 20V372000reported Jun 24, 2020Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Steering

37M2
679,027 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."RiskRemoving the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.
NHTSA campaign 19V615000reported Aug 22, 2019Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Suspension

42J5
56,173 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.RiskIf a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J5.
NHTSA campaign 19V188000reported Mar 6, 2019Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Fuel System, Gasoline

20Bi
516 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R vehicles. The fuel hose quick connector may detach from the fuel supply line in the engine bay, resulting in a fuel leak.RiskA fuel leak in the engine compartment can increase the risk of a fire.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will secure the fuel line connection, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 11, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20Bi.
NHTSA campaign 18V864000reported Dec 5, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Seats

VW 72H8 / Audi 72H9
169 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf and Golf R vehicles, and Audi A3 Sedan and RS3 vehicles. The rear seat frame head restraint guide sleeves may be incorrectly welded to the seat frame.RiskIf the guide sleeves are incorrectly welded, in the event of a crash, the rear seat head restraints may have reduced stability, increasing the risk of injury.FixVolkswagen and Audi will notify their owners, and dealers will inspect the guide sleeves for incorrect welds, replacing the rear seat frame, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 28, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72H8 (VW) and 72H9(Audi).
NHTSA campaign 18V803000reported Nov 14, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Steering

37L5
33,168 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Volkswagen Golf and Golf Sportwagen vehicles. The build of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition while the vehicle shift lever is not in "Park." As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."RiskRemoving the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.FixVolkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37L5.
NHTSA campaign 18V464000reported Jul 11, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

47N8, 47N9, 47N6
Do not drive10,225 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.RiskA reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.
NHTSA campaign 18V369000reported Jun 1, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

NHTSA defect investigations

Fuel System, Gasoline — Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647) closed

On December 12, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ23-007 to investigate the remedy repair effectiveness and scope of Volkswagen (VW) recall 16V-647. Recall 16V-647 was issued on September 2, 2016, for a defective suction jet pump (SJP) inside the fuel tank. Failure of the SJP could lead to a fuel leak from the vehicle. This recall covered certain model year (MY) 2015-2016 Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3 passenger car vehicles. The recall remedy repair replaced SJP Version 1.0 with an improved version, Version 1.1. The SJP is designed to purge fuel from the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system. VW’s recall filing stated the SJP may have been damaged during assembly, which

Opened Dec 12, 2023 · closed Jul 1, 2024 · action RQ23007

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
75complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 8 injuries · 2 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2018: 7 · 2019: 20 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 9 · 2022: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2024: 9 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 5

Most-cited components

Power Train14
Unspecified13
Fuel/Propulsion System11
Service Brakes11
Structure9
Engine7

What owners describe

“Vehicle brought in for Recall 20UF (fuel tank suction pump fire risk) on 04/15/2026. Upon pickup after approximately one week of dealer service, a strong chemical odor was present in the cabin that did not exist prior to service. Odor persists despite cabin air filter replacement with activated charcoal filter, profess…”May 31, 2026 · Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA owner report
“Took my car into VW in Johnson City TN because my millage has been dropping drastically. Went from about 420 miles to a tank, down to less than 300. There is hesitation and jerking when I accelerate as well as a gasoline odor in the cab of the vehicle after refueling. Service manager said there was no code thrown and w…”May 26, 2026 · Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA owner report
“SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION OF ODI COMPLAINT NUMBER 11740201. I am submitting critical supplemental information to my active safety complaint regarding a 2018 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen (1.8T engine). My primary safety issues are a severe drop in fuel efficiency (cut completely in half), heavy vehicle hesitation/jerking d…”May 26, 2026 · Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆13%
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆13%
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆13%
SW FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆13%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Golf / GTI model years

A

2026 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

0 recalls · 3 complaints

A

2025 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

1 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2024 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

2 recalls · 40 complaints

D

2023 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

5 recalls · 23 complaints

F

2022 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

6 recalls · 119 complaints

A

2021 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

2 recalls · 11 complaints

D

2020 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

3 recalls · 14 complaints

F

2019 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

7 recalls · 283 complaints

F

2017 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

7 recalls · 298 complaints

F

2016 Volkswagen Golf / GTI

14 recalls · 237 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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