2017 Volkswagen Golf Problems

High Complaint Volume

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2017 Volkswagen Golf.

20162018
Complaints
143
per 10K Sold
20.7
US Sales
68,978
Crashes
4
Fires
0
Injuries
6
Fatalities
Recalls
5

Worst 2017 Volkswagen Golf Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#151 complaints

Fuel System

Avg mileage:23,940 mi
#217 complaints

Engine Problems

Avg mileage:32,665 mi
#38 complaints

Electrical Faults

Avg mileage:12,000 mi
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2017 Volkswagen Golf.

Fuel System
51
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
23,940
Engine Problems
17
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
32,665
Electrical Faults
8
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
12,000
Body Structure
7
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
17,300
Airbags
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
2,500
Brakes
5
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
7,903
Transmission / Drivetrain
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Steering Defects
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Unintended Acceleration
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat-Related Issues
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Suspension Failures
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Sunroof/Moonroof
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Gasoline Fuel System
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Seat Belt Issues
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Wipers & Visibility
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Clockspring/Spiral Cassette
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electrical System:Software
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Headlight/Taillight Failures
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Forward-Collision Avoidance Issues
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Evaporative Emissions:Canister
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2017 Volkswagen Golf. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2017 Volkswagen Golf

5 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~356,591 vehicles.

24V110000Gasoline Fuel System
~261,257 affected

Volkswagen 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.

21V321000Uncategorized
~46 affected

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.

19V188000Suspension:rear:springs:coil Springs
~56,173 affected

Volkswagen 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.

18V464000Electrical System:ignition:anti-theft:control Module · Steering:column Locking:anti-theft Device
~33,168 affected

Volkswagen 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."

16V955000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module · Air Bags:side/window · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module · Seat Belts:pretensioner
~5,947 affected

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2017 Audi A7, A4, A6, Volkswagen Golf and Tiguan vehicles and 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles for driver frontal air bags, passenger frontal air bags or head air bags that may not deploy properly. Additionally, certain 2017 Audi Q7, A4 Sedan, A4 Allroad, and 2018 Audi Q5 vehicles are being recalled because the seat belt pretensioners may not activate properly.

Other Volkswagen Golf Years

2017 Volkswagen Golf — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2017 Volkswagen Golf reliable?
Verdict: High Complaint Volume. The 2017 Volkswagen Golf has 143 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash-related, and 5 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Fuel System with 51 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2017 Volkswagen Golf?
Top reported problems: Fuel System (51 complaints, avg 23,940 mi); Engine Problems (17 complaints, avg 32,665 mi); Electrical Faults (8 complaints, avg 12,000 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2017 Volkswagen Golf?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 21,786 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2017 Volkswagen Golf?
NHTSA complaints for the 2017 Volkswagen Golf include 4 crash-related reports, 0 fire reports, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2017 Volkswagen Golf have any recalls?
Yes — 5 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 356,591 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2017 Volkswagen Golf?
This year has a higher-than-normal complaint volume. It's not an automatic no, but focus inspection on the top reported issue (fuel system) and verify open recalls have been addressed.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Volkswagen Golf reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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