The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Golf. The contact stated that the vehicle jumped the curb while driving, but he was able to regain control. The driver turned off the vehicle and restarted it. Recently, while reversing out of a parking spot and placing the vehicle into drive, there was sudden acceleration, and he crashed into a fence in front of the dumpsters. The brake pedal was applied, but the vehicle continued to accelerate. The contact's neighbor was jumping up and down in front of my vehicle, waving his arms; the driver was able to stop approximately six feet in front of his neighbor. The vehicle was turned off. While reversing, the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a parked Jeep, causing damage to the driver's side front and rear doors. There was no police report filed, air bag deployment, fire, or injuries. Additionally, the EPC has been turning on. The engine was chugging. The vehicle was restarted, and the light cleared. On one occasion, the EPC light stayed on, and cylinder number 5 had stopped firing. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. Additionally, the contact wanted to send the complaint copy to the insurance company and manufacturer to obtain the EDR to provide to the police and insurance company for his claim approval. The failure mileage was approximately 114,500.
2015 Volkswagen Golf engine problems
28 complaints (21% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 17,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 28
- of this car's complaints
- 21%
- typical mileage
- 17,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Exhaust system: emission control1
- Engine: engine control module (ecu/ECM)1
- Engine: diesel1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Volkswagen Golf engine problems in other years
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.
- Risk
- If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑822‑8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.
Recall number 15V705000 · Recall details
What 2015 Volkswagen Golf owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Thermostat housing and water pump are leaking coolant. It is available for inspection. It can cause my engine to overheat and/or fail while being used. It has been confirmed by a dealership. It has not been inspected by the police, manufacturer, or insurance company. There have been occasional reports of low coolant, and the coolant drains significantly faster than expected especially in cold weather (e.g. needing to fill coolant every 7 days). It was first repaired in 2019, and has since failed again.
While normally driving on the street, I noticed that the car started to overheat and could hear the radiator working to keep the heat level normal. I stopped and did not notice any leaks and added coolant to the car after I left it cool for about 3 hours. The problem went away but i still took it to the dealership and i was told it might be the head gasket of the engine or thermostat/waterpump, a $4000 repair. Was advised to just sell the car. VW should address this issue as it has been a long issue now
The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Golf. The contact noticed that the fuel pump would frequent stop while fueling the vehicle. The contact then stated that while his vehicle was being driven by a valet, fuel began to pour out of the fuel tank while on an incline. The valet attendant managed to drive the vehicle down a decline which stopped the leak. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle home. The vehicle was then driven to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The dealer informed the contact that the suction pump, seal, and emission filter needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V647000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
Loss of coolant due to cheap plastic housing leads to damage to the thermostat and water pump. Researching the forums on this issue has shown that it's a common problem with the vehicle that Volkswagen hasn't addressed.
Water Pump and Thermostat leaking.
Driving 65 mph down highway vehicle shut off with no warning. Fault code shows defective injector #1. Vw tdi (post fix dieselgate). Dealer will not fix because I cleared the code to drive home. Irresponsible for vw to make a car that shuts down completely with no limp mode or short time to clear road.
Coolant has leaked all over my driveway because of a thermostat housing and water pump fail. I am getting fixed for the second time $1800 dollar fix. Very common amongst other Volkswagen owners. This is not fair. If they know of this problem it should be dealt with. Now I am out $4000 in repairs and have a big stain in my brand new driveway. This is very unsafe if driving long distances as coolant leaks everywhere.
Thermostat elbow leaking
This is a second repair for a failed thermostat housing/water pump on this vehicle. The first time, januaary 2019, the thermostat housing and related seals were replaced. This time the thermostat housing and water pump were both replaced.
Questions about the 2015 Volkswagen Golf engine
Does the 2015 Volkswagen Golf have engine problems?
Owners have filed 28 complaints about the engine of the 2015 Volkswagen Golf, 21% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2015 Volkswagen Golf engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 17,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2015 Volkswagen Golf engine?
Yes, 1 recall: 15V705000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Volkswagen Golf have bad engine?
The Volkswagen Golf model years with the most engine complaints are 2019 (35 complaints), 2015 (28 complaints) and 2011 (26 complaints).
Other 2015 Volkswagen Golf problems
Fuel system 22Airbags 21Electrical 18Suspension 15Transmission 14Body 10Brakes 8Acceleration 7Steering 7Wheels 5Visibility 2Driver assistance 1Lights 1Seats 1
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2015 Volkswagen Golf?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history