Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
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Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I am facing an issue with my car where it tends to roll back even when it's in park, regardless of whether the engine is on or off. The only time it remains stationary is when I apply the brakes and engage the emergency brake. This situation poses a safety concern for me and my family, and I would like to find a solution to ensure our vehicle stays securely in place when parked.
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle and shifting to the park, the contact turned off the vehicle and the vehicle rolled backward. The driver depressed the brake pedal and activated the parking brake to stop the vehicle from rolling. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 170,000.
WITH LESS THAN 17,000 MILES AND WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF HAVING A 3YR/30K SERVICE PERFORMED, CAR SUDDENLY LOCKED UP ON HIGHWAY WHILE TRAVELING OVER 60MPH. DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PULL TO SHOULDER. IN PROCESS ALSO LOCKED UP BREAKS. AFTER 15 MINUTES , FOUND THAT BY HOLDING POWER BUTTON WAS ABLE TO GET WHEELS UNLOCK SO THAT I COULD IDLE TO A SAFER SPOT. DEALERSHIP DISCOVERED REAL DIFFERENTIAL LEAKING AND HAD FAILED. DEALERSHIPS WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE TRAVEL ASSISTANCE/COMPENSATION (RENTAL) OR RETURN OF CAR TO MY AREA EVEN THOUGH I WAS OVER 150-200 MILES FROM HOME, CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW WITH EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND PART DELIVERY AND REPAIR TOOK 10 DAYS/7 BUSINESS DAYS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF ALLTRACK. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED DURING A RAINSTORM, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. UPON RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO COASTAL VOLKSWAGEN (1 SATURN DRIVE, HANOVER, MA 02339, (781) 871-4600. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD CHECK TO SEE IF THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY WOULD COVER THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000.
THE SUBJECT VEHICLE, VIN: [XXX] A 2018 GOLF ALLTRACK SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING DOWNSHIFTED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAUSING RAPID DECELERATION. THIS OCCURRED ON A TWO-LANE RURAL HIGHWAY AND AT ABOUT 60 MPH DOWN TO 40 MPH. THE YELLOW "!" ILLUMINATED WITH A MESSAGE LIKE "TRANS ERROR, REV UNAVAILABLE, SEE DEALER". WHILE I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROADWAY SAFELY, THE TWO VEHICLES BEHIND WERE CAUGHT OFF-GUARD BY THE SUDDEN AND RAPID DECELERATION. I CONFIRMED THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT OPERATE IN REVERSE AND THE PADDLE SHIFTERS WERE ALSO NOT ABLE TO CHANGE GEARS. MAXIMUM ROAD SPEED WAS 41 MPH @ 9100 RPM, SO UNSAFE TO CONTINUE. THERE WAS NO DEALER IN THE AREA, SO I CYCLED THE KEY OFF THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE AND OBTAIN SERVICE. THE DEALER REPORTED THERE WAS AN "INTERNAL PART FAILURE" OF THE TRANSMISSION. HAD THIS CONDITION PRESENTED IN A HIGH TRAFFIC OR ADVERSE WEATHER SITUATION, IT WOULD HAVE LIKELY RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
THIS IS THE SECOND RECORDED INSTANCE OF THIS ISSUE. A SIMILAR INCIDENT OCCURRED ON JULY 27. WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 45MPH ON AN INCLINE THE VEHICLE ENGINE SUDDENLY INCREASED TO 3000RPM AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STOPPED RESPONDING. HAD TO APPLY BRAKES AND PULL OVER TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. ONCE VEHICLE REACHED 0MPH IT IDLED AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEGAN FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AGAIN. TOOK THE VW DEALER SERVICE CENTER THE NEXT DAY. ONCE AGAIN THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM CODES. SERVICE CENTER TRIED TO RETURN VEHICLE AGAIN BUT WE PERSISRED. MECHANIC OFFERED TO TEST DRIVE FOR A FEW DAYS TO SEE IF HE COULD RECREATE THE ISSUE BUT IT DID NOT REOCCUR. CONTACTED VW CORPORATE AND REGION CASE MANAGER INFORMED US THAT THEIR TECHNICAL TEAM WOULD WORK WITH THE SERVICE CENTER. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK THEY STILL CONTINUE TO CLAIM THEY CAN FIND NO PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE TO REPAIR.
TRAVELING ALONG A SLIGHTLY HILLY ROAD AT 35MPH WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SPIKED TO 3000RPM AND THE CAR'S ACCELERATOR PEDAL STOPPED FUNCTIONING. HAD TO APPLY BRAKES AND PULL TO THE SIDE. ONCE CAR REACHED 0MPH IT IDLED AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEGAN FUNCTIONING AGAIN. TOOK TO VW DEALER SERVICE CENTER NEXT DAY. THEY REPORTED THAT THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM CODES. THEY CHANGED OIL, ROATATED TIRES AND RETURNED THE CAR. PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED AND REOCCURED ON AUGUST 8.
VEHICLE IS A 2017 VW GOLF ALLTRACK S WITH A 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION; LESS THAN 2 WEEKS OLD WITH ~400 MILES ON ODOMETER AND A LITTLE OVER 1/4 TANK OF 87-OCTANE GASOLINE. ISSUE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 10PM ON AUGUST 25TH, 2017. VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING AWAY FROM A RED LIGHT AT A HIGHWAY INTERSECTION CROSSING ON A SLIGHT DOWNHILL GRADE. MANUAL TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTED FROM 1ST INTO 2ND GEAR DURING ACCELERATION, AND THE VEHICLE PROMPTLY LOST ENGINE POWER, POWER STEERING AND BRAKES NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. MY WIFE COASTED THE VEHICLE ACROSS THE INTERSECTION AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH THE HELP OF PASSING MOTORISTS WHO WERE KIND ENOUGH TO STOP AND HELP. THE "ENGINE" LIGHT AND "EPC" LIGHT WERE BOTH ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. DURING THE 45 MINUTE WAIT FOR A TOW TRUCK, MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE WOULD TURN OVER AND SOMETIMES "CATCH", BUT WOULD NOT START OR IDLE. HEADLIGHTS, BLINKERS, WIPERS, ETC. REMAINED FUNCTIONAL THROUGHOUT THE ORDEAL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE VW DEALERSHIP AND REMAINS THERE FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THERE IS NO IDENTIFICATION OF A CAUSE FOR THIS ISSUE AT THE MOMENT. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THIS ISSUE IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN FOR MY FAMILY AND MOTORISTS AROUND US: A NEW VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY LOOSING POWER AND ALL CONTROL FEATURES IS ENTIRELY UNACCEPTABLE, AND COULD VERY EASILY LEAD TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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