Volkswagen Golf R Recalls (2016-2025)
The Volkswagen Golf R has been the subject of 16 recall campaigns on record with NHTSA across the 2016 to 2025 model years. They cluster mostly around the back over prevention, unknown or other, and seat belts.
The Volkswagen Golf R scores 93 out of 100 (grade A), one of the cleaner recall records among the vehicles we track. That score reflects how serious the recalls are rather than how many. 44% involve a critical safety system, none carried a do-not-drive warning, and 19% were issued in the last three years. How the score works.
Those 16 campaigns span 7 model years of the Volkswagen Golf R. The single largest affected 296,044 vehicles, over tires. A recall repair is free at a franchised dealer and most never expire, so an older open recall is still worth fixing. Beyond recalls, you can also see the most common Golf R problems owners report and its crash-test safety ratings.
The full record is below, grouped first by model year and then listed in detail. Each entry gives the defect NHTSA describes, the safety risk it creates, the manufacturer's remedy, the number of vehicles in that campaign, and the dates. A recall covers a whole production run, so a campaign listed for the Volkswagen Golf R may not apply to your exact vehicle, and one you have already had repaired will still appear in the history. To see what is actually open and unfixed on a specific car, check its 17-digit VIN.
Volkswagen Golf R recalls by model year
Recall activity by model year. Select a year to jump to its recalls below. Older years often carry more recalls simply because defects surface over time.
Volkswagen Golf R recalls by affected system
Which vehicle systems the recalls touch, using NHTSA's component groups. Select a system to see how it is recalled across every make and model.
Recalls by model year
2025 Volkswagen Golf R Recalls
1 recall affects the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R, involving the seat belts.
2024 Volkswagen Golf R Recalls
1 recall affects the 2024 Volkswagen Golf R, involving the back over prevention.
2023 Volkswagen Golf R Recalls
3 recalls affect the 2023 Volkswagen Golf R, involving the back over prevention, suspension, and engine and engine cooling.
2022 Volkswagen Golf R Recalls
5 recalls affect the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R, involving the back over prevention, engine and engine cooling, and visibility.
2019 Volkswagen Golf R Recalls
2 recalls affect the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R, involving the tires and unknown or other.
2018 Volkswagen Golf R Recalls
4 recalls affect the 2018 Volkswagen Golf R, involving the unknown or other, fuel system, and seats.
2016 Volkswagen Golf R Recalls
4 recalls affect the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R, involving the electrical system, visibility/wiper, and air bags.
Every Volkswagen Golf R recall in detail
Select any recall to read the full defect, risk, and remedy text. Do Not Drive and Park Outside warnings stay visible without opening anything.
Seat Belts
- Affected years
- 2025 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 1,042
- Reported
- Sep 24, 2025
- Owners notified
- Oct 31, 2025
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 GTI, Golf R, Audi A5, A6 Sportback E-Tron, S5, S6 Sportback E-Tron, 2026 Q4 Sportback E-Tron, and Q4 E-Tron vehicles. The torsion bar in one or both front seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production.
Risk: In a crash, a damaged torsion bar in a retractor could fail. If this happens, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace one or both front seat belts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 30, 2025, and October 31, 2025. Owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834 or Volkswagen at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's number for this recall is 69UM; Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 694T. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 26, 2025.
NHTSA campaign number 25V638000.
Back Over Prevention
- Affected years
- 2022-2024 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 84,432
- Reported
- Jun 27, 2024
- Owners notified
- Jul 15, 2024
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Golf R, Golf GTI, 2024 Atlas, and 2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The rearview camera image may be delayed or deactivated after shifting into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview camera with a delayed or deactivated image reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2024, and July 16, 2024. Owners may contact VW customer service at 1-800-893-5298. VW's number for this recall is 91US.
NHTSA campaign number 24V480000.
Suspension
- Affected years
- 2023 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 59
- Reported
- Jun 21, 2023
- Owners notified
- Jul 6, 2023
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The strut mount may be deformed, loosening the bolted connections to the suspension strut mounting.
Risk: Loose suspension connections can cause steering instability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the right and/or left suspension strut mountings, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40T3.
NHTSA campaign number 23V437000.
Electrical System
- Affected years
- 2016 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 5
- Reported
- Nov 9, 2022
- Owners notified
- Dec 15, 2022
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Golf R vehicles. Incorrect front windshield wiper software was installed which may prevent the wipers from activating. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."
Risk: Windshield wipers that cannot be activated may lead to reduced visibility for the driver and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 15, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91EN.
NHTSA campaign number 22V831000.
Back Over Prevention
- Affected years
- 2022 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 2,607
- Reported
- Nov 2, 2022
- Owners notified
- Feb 14, 2023
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf R A8, Audi S3, RS3 Sedan, Q4 E-Tron SUV, A3 Sedan, and 2022-2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI, and ID4 vehicles. The rearview camera image may be blank or unresponsive when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear or when the park function is manually activated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed to Audi owners February 14, 2023. Volkswagen owners will receive an owner notification letter once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Volkswagen) 91EK and (Audi) 91EL.
NHTSA campaign number 22V823000.
Tires
- Affected years
- 2019 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 296,044
- Reported
- Oct 31, 2022
- Owners notified
- Nov 18, 2022
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Risk: An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audis customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
NHTSA campaign number 22V815000.
Engine And Engine Cooling
- Affected years
- 2022-2023 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 8,038
- Reported
- Sep 21, 2022
- Owners notified
- Nov 15, 2022
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The radiator may not have been attached correctly to the intercooler, which can result in a damaged coolant hose.
Risk: A damaged coolant hose can leak, causing the engine to overheat, and increasing the risk of fire. In addition, large amounts of coolant spilling onto the roadway can increase the risk of a crash to other vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the radiator and replace any damaged parts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 19Q8.
NHTSA campaign number 22V707000.
Air Bags
- Affected years
- 2016 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 1,216
- Reported
- Jul 27, 2022
- Owners notified
- Dec 16, 2022
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Audi TT Roadster, TT Coupe, S3 Sedan, R8 Coupe, A3 Sedan, A3 Etron, A3 Cabriolet, 2016 Golf Sportwagen, Golf R, Golf GTI, Golf A7, and E Golf vehicles. During air bag deployment, the front passenger air bag may explode or deploy improperly.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking occupants, resulting in serious injury or death. An improper air bag deployment may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front-passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69DY and 61C1.
NHTSA campaign number 22V543000.
Visibility
- Affected years
- 2022 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 2,238
- Reported
- Jul 27, 2022
- Owners notified
- Sep 22, 2022
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The touch switch for the sunroof may be too sensitive, allowing it to be inadvertently pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
Risk: A sunroof switch that is inadvertently pressed can result in unintended auto-closure of the sunroof, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the roof module switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 23, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 60F6.
NHTSA campaign number 22V542000.
Engine
- Affected years
- 2022 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 4,269
- Reported
- Mar 16, 2022
- Owners notified
- Mar 29, 2022
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf GTI and Golf R vehicles. Certain driving situations, such as high acceleration driving maneuvers, may loosen the engine design cover.
Risk: A loose engine design cover may contact hot surfaces in the engine compartment and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the engine design cover, free of charge. Once parts become available, Volkswagen will provide a free updated engine design cover under a separate Service Action. Owner notification letters were mailed by March 29, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 10H5.
NHTSA campaign number 22V163000.
Unknown Or Other
- Affected years
- 2018-2019 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 46
- Reported
- May 5, 2021
- Owners notified
- May 20, 2021
Defect: Volkswagen 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.
Risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
Remedy: Volkswagen 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 number 21V321000.
Unknown Or Other
- Affected years
- 2018 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 23
- Reported
- Sep 16, 2020
- Owners notified
- Oct 6, 2020
Defect: Volkswagen 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.
Risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
Remedy: Volkswagen 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 number 20V561000.
Fuel System
- Affected years
- 2018 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 516
- Reported
- Dec 5, 2018
- Owners notified
- Jan 11, 2019
Defect: Volkswagen 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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the engine compartment can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Volkswagen 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 number 18V864000.
Seats
- Affected years
- 2018 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 169
- Reported
- Nov 14, 2018
- Owners notified
- Dec 28, 2018
Defect: Volkswagen 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.
Risk: If 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.
Remedy: Volkswagen 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 number 18V803000.
Latches/Locks/Linkages
- Affected years
- 2016 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 5,658
- Reported
- Jun 24, 2016
- Owners notified
- Aug 22, 2016
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 CC vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016, to February 3, 2016, Golf R and Tiguan vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to January 28, 2016, and e-Golf vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to January 11, 2016. Vibrations, such as those created by opening and closing a vehicle door, may cause the rear child door locks to disengage, allowing a child to open a rear door while inside the vehicle.
Risk: If an unrestrained child unexpectedly opens a door, they may fall from the vehicle increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the child lock(s), free of charge. The recall began on August 22, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 58C9.
NHTSA campaign number 16V464000.
Equipment
- Affected years
- 2016 Volkswagen Golf R
- Vehicles in this recall
- 11
- Reported
- May 23, 2016
- Owners notified
- Jul 19, 2016
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Golf R vehicles manufactured March 17, 2016 to March 23, 2016. The affected vehicles may be equipped with a Federal Certification Label that lists an incorrect rear axle weight limit. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
Risk: The listed weight limit is low enough that the vehicle owner may ignore the weight limits and overload the vehicle and exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected certification label, free of charge. The recall began July 2016. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01B5.
NHTSA campaign number 16V337000.
Common questions about Volkswagen Golf R recalls
- Does the Volkswagen Golf R have any recalls?
- Yes. NHTSA has 16 recall campaigns on record for the Volkswagen Golf R across the 2016 to 2025 model years. The most common areas are the back over prevention, unknown or other, and seat belts.
- How many times has the Volkswagen Golf R been recalled?
- The Volkswagen Golf R has 16 recall campaigns from the 2016 to 2025 model years. A single campaign often covers several model years at once, so the number of recalls is not the same as the number of years affected.
- What is the most serious Volkswagen Golf R recall?
- The most serious recall on record involves the tires, affecting 296,044 vehicles. An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
- Which Volkswagen Golf R model year has the most recalls?
- The 2022 Volkswagen Golf R has the most, with 5 recall campaigns on record. Older model years often pick up more recalls over time, since defects can surface years after a car is built.
- How do I check if my Volkswagen Golf R has an open recall?
- Enter your 17-digit VIN on the recall check page. It returns the recalls tied to your exact vehicle straight from NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer, with no expiration on most safety recalls.
Recall data comes from NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. For how it is sourced and how the safety score is built, see the methodology and data sources. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.