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2010 Volkswagen GolfProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 70 owner complaints about the 2010 Volkswagen Golf, most often about the fuel system, diesel. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-913 the manufacturer reports only 43% of affected cars repaired.

2010 Volkswagen Golf
51
CarFlaw IndexSolid year5% below the Golf median · #10 of 27 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 43%Owner complaints703 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage19kFuel system, diesel, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 26, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2010 Volkswagen Golf has problems

70 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Fuel system, diesel220
Air bags111
Fuel/propulsion system100
Engine and engine cooling90
Power train71
Engine70
Electrical system50
Electronic stability control (ESC)40
Seat belts30
11 other systems171

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2010 Volkswagen Golf recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

56%repaired · 2019 Q4

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 18V-148 · Mar 6, 2018 · 363,713 vehicles · 204,423 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

43%repaired · 2018 Q2

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Recall 16V-913 · Dec 20, 2016 · 135,683 vehicles · 57,891 repaired

Risk. A loss of vehicle control can increase the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

59%repaired · 2018 Q2

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 16V-078 · Feb 10, 2016 · 659,493 vehicles · 385,916 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Fuel system, diesel

Recall 11V-490 · Oct 3, 2011 · 168,275 vehicles

Risk. DUE TO THE RESONANCE CONDITION, INJECTOR LINE NUMBER 2 COULD DEVELOP SMALL CRACKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO FUEL LEAKAGE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Volkswagen.

Mileage at failure

When do fuel system, diesel problems start?

19kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 20 fuel system, diesel complaints. 95% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
13under 30k miles19under 100k miles1100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2010 vs. every other Golf year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Golf median. How we score

'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2010 Volkswagen Golf safety ratings

2010 Volkswagen Golf 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2010 Volkswagen Golf, and the recalls they led to.

  1. High-Pressure Fuel Pump FailureEA11003 · closed Mar 27, 2015
    No recall
  2. Clockspring failureEA18003 · closed Nov 6, 2026
    No recall
  3. High Pressure Fuel Pump Failure (HPFP)PE10034 · closed Feb 8, 2011
    No recall
  4. Diesel Fuel Injector Line LeakagePE11023 · closed Dec 2, 2011
    Led to recall 11V-490
In owners' words

What Golf owners report

Recent fuel system, diesel complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

2010 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FUEL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED IN JULY 2013, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER, FOR A DIAGNOSES, THEY INFORMED HER, THE FUEL SYSTEM HAD COMPLETELY MALFUNCTIONED AND SENT METAL…
Complaint 10618555 · Aug 4, 2014
HAD JUST REFUELED VEHICLE A DAY PRIOR WHEN ON LUNCH BREAK VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING. UPON ENTERING A HEAVILY CONGESTED INTERSECTION THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STALLED CAUSING STEERING, BRAKING AND CONTROL TO BE COMPROMISED. STARTED VEHICLE TO MOVE OUT OF HEAVY TRAFFIC AND DROVE DIRECTLY TO…
Complaint 10583653 · Apr 19, 2014 · 114,000 miles
THERE WERE THREE SEPARATE STALLING INCIDENTS WITHIN 1 YEAR (9/2012-6/2013). AFTER EACH INCIDENT, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP FOR EVALUATION. THE VEHICLE WAS WITHIN THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY DURING THIS TIME, AND NO PROBLEMS WERE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED BY THE TECHNICIANS. FINALLY,…
Complaint 10559285 · Jan 9, 2014

Own a 2010 Golf?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.