RoadVitals

2013 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen

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.
1
Latest Oct 17, 2019
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 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2013 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen, most frequently naming the body & structure, driver assistance and electrical categories. 254 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

  • Body & structure133.3%
  • Driver assistance133.3%
  • Electrical133.3%

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

Body & structureDriver assistanceElectrical
Filed Oct 17, 2019
Crash reported

RECALL 37M2 - MY 2013 VW JETTA SPORTWAGON/AUTOMATIC, W/KEY - IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. HOWEVER - THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR - ONLY 4 WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT IT! (CERTIFIED, FROM A VW DEALER) MY VW WAS PARKED AT THE TOP OF A DRIVEWAY (THE HOUSE AND DRIVEWAY IS ON A HILL - BUT THE TOP OF THE DRIVEWAY IS FLAT - WHERE THE CAR WAS PARKED) 15 MINUTES LATER IT STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS, WENT DOWN A HILL, AND CRASHED INTO A TREE AND WAS COMPLETELY TOTALED. THE CAR WAS IN PARK - THE KEY CAME OUT AND THE CAR MADE NO BEEPING NOISE. THE GARAGE WHO EXAMINED THE VW, SAID THAT IT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN ALL THE WAY IN PARK - NOTHING ELSE COULD BE FOUND AS TO THE REASON. (NO SHEARED GEARS, ETC) A CAR BEING "TOTALED" INCREASES MY INSURANCE - I HAD TO COPAY, AND BUY A NEW CAR. I HAVE THE CLAIM PAPERS AT HOME IN A FILE - IF THOSE ARE NEEDED.

NHTSA ID
11269086
Incident
May 6, 2019
Mileage
9,888 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

V171901201285565

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards

V171901201285562

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.

V171901201285560

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.

V941901201152119

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Update model year applicability to include 2023.

V271901201189422

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Battery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger. Updated to include additional model year applicability.

VIN4APIN20220131

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS; SUSPENSION:FRONT

Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states blower stays on Any TDI within the vehicle/MY range

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 Sportwagen by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2020000—
2019951—
2018125165.2
2017384157.3
2016513155.1
2015593161.1
2014000—
2013Viewing100—

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.