RoadVitals

2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest May 18, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, most frequently naming the driver assistance, body & structure and engine categories. 305 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Driver assistance342.9%
  • Body & structure228.6%
  • Engine114.3%
  • Visibility114.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Engine
Filed May 18, 2025

Volkswagen Wastegate Turbo Failure / design flaw and “wrongfully and intentionally” concealed a defect from consumers that could cause their vehicle’s engine turbocharger to fail prematurely at any time. Drivers have been unfairly forced to pay thousands out of pocket to repair and my estimate from a VW. dealer is: $4199.21 and I had to pay a $200 diagnostic fee. This is a major safety issue for the vehicle will lag and not accelerate. There is a class action lawsuit filed and settled but I cannot get Volkswagen to help me.

NHTSA ID
11661666
Incident
May 18, 2025
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 15, 2024

Second occurrence of this issue approximately two years apart, unresolved and unaddressed by manufacturer. Driving during evening on lit city street at night traveling in lane of traffic. In normal course of driving (~25 mph) vehicle applied full brakes with no advance notice in the middle of road. Forward Collision Assist had been activated by what appeared to be a patch of ice on the road ahead. Full braking while driving posed significant risk of rear collision due to automated full brake application without input or forewarning to the driver.

NHTSA ID
11565501
Incident
Jan 14, 2024
Filed Feb 22, 2023

We were driving on the highway when the sunroof exploded. There were 4 of us in the car and none of us recalls anything striking the sunroof. Glass exploded wverywhere.

NHTSA ID
11508588
Incident
Feb 22, 2023
Filed Jun 15, 2022

I was driving west on I-80 and my sunroof exploded/shattered. There was no rock to be found anywhere.

NHTSA ID
11469462
Incident
Jun 15, 2022
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 1, 2022

Had forward collision assist (turned on by default at engine start) turned on. When entering an intersection, vehicle stopped short to a full stop right in front of a metal plate on the road in the intersection. Had there been a vehicle behind me, the system may have needlessly caused a collision.

NHTSA ID
11459292
Incident
Mar 28, 2022
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 9, 2021

AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGES WITHOUT CAUSE OR WARNING. AT BOTH SLOW AND MODERATE SPEEDS WITH NO OBSTACLE IN FRONT OF CAR. RISK OF CAUSING A REAR-END ACCIDENT VERY HIGH. DEALERSHIP RAN DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND NOTHING. RECOMMENDS DISABLING SYSTEM IF ISSUE PERSISTS.

NHTSA ID
11395424
Incident
Feb 8, 2021
Mileage
29,000 mi
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Oct 21, 2019

WATER LEAK FROM THE PANORAMIC ROOF. HEADLINER AND A PILLAR IS WET AND WILL BE REPLACED. WINDSHIELD FOGGED AND HAD CONDENSATION.

NHTSA ID
11269976
Incident
Oct 20, 2019
Mileage
11,200 mi
Body & structure
Filed Oct 1, 2019

PANORAMIC MOONROOF LEAKING AROUND EDGES AND STAINING HEADLINER AND UPHOLESTRY

NHTSA ID
11265296
Incident
Oct 1, 2019
Mileage
37,500 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

VOS-26-42

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 - Hotfix 12-V battery test(s) – No battery diagnosis - Inconclusive test result.

V1718062017813_24

ENGINE

Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement

TT 13-20-01_3

ENGINE

Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start.

TT 10-18-02_2

ENGINE

Lubricating engine components before reassembly.

V6919012010479_17

AIR BAGS

Inquiries

V1719012012855_81

ENGINE

Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Volkswagen Golf Alltrack by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2019193046.7
2018Viewing800—
2017721039.7

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.