2013 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2013 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- 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.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .