On 04/24, I purchased 4 P235/40ZR18 Bridgestone Potenza Sport tires from Tire Rack. The tires have approx 15000 miles on them. I discovered the tires started to show approx 1/2 in cracks all around the tire where the tread transitions to the sidewall. This appears to be a safety issue because if the cracks worsen, the tread may separate from the tire. I have also spoken to Tire Rack were I`ll be filing a complaint.
The worst 2016 Volkswagen Golf R problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical2
- Engine2
- Fuel system2
- Transmission2
- Body1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical2
- Engine2
- Fuel system2
- Transmission2
- Body1
- Tires1
- Visibility1
- Wheels1
Recalls 4
Electrical system: body control module: software
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 22V831000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 22V543000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 16V464000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 16V337000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R
Defect investigations
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
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 could potentially allow fuel to flow directly into the EVAP system. Over time, the fuel could accumulate in, and cause a leak from, the charcoal canister filter element. ODI received consumer complaints of SJP failure leading to a fuel leak, refueling spit back, refueling shutoff, and/or fuel odor in vehicles previously repaired under recall 16V‑647. Additional complaints alleging SJP failure leading to the previously stated outcomes were received in vehicles outside the scope of recall 16V‑647, including MY 2016-2020 VW Golf and Audi A3 vehicles. VW issued recall 24V‑110 on February 14, 2024, to address issues with SJPs Versions 1.0 and 1.1. The recall remedy replaces the SJP Version 1.0 or 1.1 with an improved version, Version 2.0. Recall 24V‑110 covers certain MY 2015-2020 VW Golf (including Golf GTI), 2015-2020 Audi A3, and 2019-2020 VW Jetta GLI vehicles, including vehicle previously repaired under 16V‑647. Vehicle owners were notified of this recall in April 2024 and VW’s projected date for owner notification of recall remedy availability is August 2024. In view of the recall being conducted by VW, ODI is closing this Recall Query (RQ). The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to
RQ23007
Technical service bulletins for the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R 568
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This supporting FAQ is for the Turbocharger Limited Warranty Extension Class Action Settlement
- For applicable Settlement Class Vehicles, the New Vehicle Limited Warranty will be extended to cover 50%...
- These documents are for the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Limited Warranty Extension as part of the...
- Prevent Sporatic Misfire Faults.
- Checking engine oil level.
- Reprogramming Control Module process
- Engine missfire diagnostic aid
- Identifying and Mixing Volkswagen Engine Coolants
- Safety Related Inquiry and Reporting
- Suggested fuel additive
What 2016 Volkswagen Golf R owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - fuel system/gas tank - yes How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - smell of fuel in the car, can't fill up the tank without auto shut off Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Not yet
I'm not entirely sure what is wrong with the car but I was sitting in my car waiting for an appointment for about an hour. I backed out of my parking space and found that there was a large puddle of gas where I was parked. I moved back into the parking space and stopped the car. I found that there was a leak coming out of the rear passanger wheel well. I have pictures of the leak. This happened while sitting stationary in the car. No warning signals popped up but if the gas caught on fire my car would have been at risk. My little sister was in the car with me. it is available for inspection. Since the issue it has been sitting untouched at my mechanics.
Chrome trim around the shifter began peeling and exposed sharp edges. Sharp edges of raised trim are close to a storage cubby so there is a risk of touching them and being cut, something which has happened to me (driver). Issue has not been inspected by a dealer or manufacturer etc. No warning lamps or other symptoms were present. NOTE: This issue appears to be the same as one covered under the federal safety agency Service Action 34J7/34L9. I believe that the aforementioned service action should be expanded to cover 2015-2017 Golf R models, as the part exhibiting peeling chrome trim is shared with other 2015-2017 Golf models which are covered under that service action.
The shifter surround started peeling near the cubby storage hole below the climate control. The part that peeled up is so sharp that it sliced my hand open when grabbing for my phone. Apparently this is a super common problem causing some people to need to get stitches. I had to try to stop the bleeding while still keeping my hands on the steering wheel and shifting the shifter (my car is manual) as well. Not safe!
Trim around the shifter boot has delaminated, and when reaching into the storage compartment causes lacerations to the hand. Razor sharp Metal protrudes and cuts fingers and hands on all 2016 Golf R and GTI vehicles
I discovered a coolant leak after moving my car from my garage. Brought the car to the dealership and upon their testing the thermostat housing and water pump were determined to be defective. It appears volkswagen has modified the part to compensate for this design flaw. The car was stationary. If this problem continues the car could become stranded if it loses enough coolant and the engine overheats.
During normal driving conditions the cel turned on and the car indicated it was low on coolant. I topped of the reservoir and a couple of weeks later it had gone back down.
The backup camera intermittently fails to operate, displaying the message "parkpilot is currently not available." this happens when the vehicle is put into reverse and occurs at random. The vehicle has been brought to the dealer for repair numerous times over the years and they have failed to fix it every time. This is a recurring issue since initial purchase in 2016 and no solution has been found to date. They have performed software updates, worked on the head-unit, and replaced the backup camera, and nothing has solved this problem. My buy back request has been denied by vw. This problem effects only base model mk7 golf r's and there are numerous online forums with other owners reporting the same issue. This failure occurs on average once per day. The camera does not start working again until the car is off for an unknown length of time. There is no way for the driver to safely reset the system while in use to regain functionality. This makes backing up extremely unsafe and introduces large blind spots.
Rear view camera operation is intermittent. When parked and activating reverse, the display screen sometimes displays "park pilot currently not available" and the rear camera is disabled. This happens about one time in every 10 times the camera is used. It has happened many times in the 1 year, 5 months that I have owned the car. Backing up without a view to the back is very dangerous in many situations. The dealer has attempted to fix this problem six times with no success. A lemon law complaint (florida) has been made.
Compare the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R
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Questions about the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R
Is the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R reliable?
Owners have filed 12 complaints about the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R, 2.0 times a typical Golf R model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R?
Electrical system, with 2 complaints. Next is engine (2).
How many recalls does the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R have?
4 recalls, covering electrical system, air bags and latches/locks/linkages.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R electrical?
Yes, 1 recall: 22V831000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
VIN decoder
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