2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen Problems

PTC auxiliary heater core connection point failure . It was reported that the wrong type of metal was used for the main electrical connection point for this part causing significant over heating further leading to melting and burning plastic. This then introduces potentially dangerous fumes into the vehicle cabin via the HVAC system. If unaddressed this would likely cause fire damage. The problem has been reproduced by multiple vehicle owners and happens during cold conditions as it supplies heat to the cabin prior to the engine hitting optimal operating temperatures. No warning messages or codes are thrown as a result of this issue. It is a hazard and could cause harm to operators of the vehicles affected.

In the last year, my car has experienced multiple instances of the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) warning light, check engine light, and a flashing glow plug light on the dashboard. Despite multiple visits and repairs at Sheehy Volkswagen of Springfield, these issues persist, particularly in sub-freezing temperatures. Upon independent inspection of the engine compartment, I found multiple exposed wires, broken wires, and poorly repaired broken wires. The most significant concerns are as follows: Repeated DPF Issues: Over the last three years, the DPF warning and related issues have recurred each winter. Initial attempts to rectify the issue included a DPF regeneration procedure, which temporarily cleared the fault codes but did not address the underlying problem. The DPF was finally replaced in mid-2024, yet the same problems manifested with a brand new component just months later. Extended Repair Time: Sheehy Volkswagen of Springfield had my vehicle for a total of six months (Dec-23 to May-24), during which they were unable to diagnose or fix the problem despite escalating the case to Volkswagen HQ (Business Case Numbers: BT1167682 and BT1177805). This delay is unacceptable. Poor Customer Service: Throughout this period, customer service was unsatisfactory. I was frequently passed between customer service representatives, none of whom were sufficiently informed about the ongoing repairs. Incorrect Diagnosis and Repairs: After replacing the DPF, ECM, temperature sensor, and wiring harnesses, the issue persisted. It was eventually suggested that a wiring problem might be to blame, yet no comprehensive solution was provided. Incompetence and Safety Concerns: Upon retrieving my vehicle, I noticed white smoke emanating from the engine compartment, which I discovered was due to the coolant reservoir being overfilled. Additionally, an independent inspection revealed exposed and poorly repaired wires, posing a serious safety hazard.

Clock spring failure at 10 years 1400000 miles causing airbag light to come on. Airbag in steering wheel presumably doesn't work properly. The car has been looked at by a dealership who quickly confirmed clock spring failure, but falls outside of VW warranty replacement for this vehicle. There was no warning prior to failure of the clock spring.

The contact's partner owns a 2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, he observed that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact also heard an abnormal soft clicking sound in the cabin while turning the steering wheel to the left or to the right. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V483000 (Air Bags); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was unknown.

Engine fire due to exhaust equipment malfunction, if it was not attended to or noticed quickly it could lead to loss of control of vehicle, causing injury or death to occupants or other motorists. This occurred after having a recall completed.

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen. The contact stated that while her son was stopped at a gas station, he shifted the gear shift lever to park and the hazard warning lights illuminated; however, none of the four door latches would lock as needed. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the gear shifter assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the camshaft module and variable valve timing (VVT) gears needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,900.

Engine fire due to exhaust equipment malfunction, if it was not attended to or noticed quickly it could lead to loss of control of vehicle, causing injury or death to occupants or other motorists. This occurred after having a recall completed.

While operating my 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, the ignition key becomes stuck in the steering column and does not release as designed. This appears related to known steering column defects and recalls (NHTSA Campaign 18V464000 / 19V615000). My dealer states my VIN is not covered, but this is a known issue for my model year. This creates a safety hazard as it may prevent the vehicle from being shut off or parked securely.

The emissions modification calibration by Volkswagen causes the coolant to be exposed to elevated temperatures due to higher exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) use to control emissions. These elevated higher temperatures degrade the coolant faster than designed and lead to precipitates falling out of solution in the factory filled G13 coolant. This causes buildup and deposits to form throughout the cooling system, particularly in the heater core which can block proper coolant flow & lead to coolant system failure, specifically of hoses associated with the heater core. When these fail the engine can over heat, and stop which causes loss of steering, propulsion and braking abilities. There is a similar problem on 2012 models with the TDI engine, which has been addressed but the 2015 models are being stranded on the roads creating a safety hazard to the drivers of the vehicles and other motorists on the road.

WHEN STATIONARY, DRIVER'S FRONT DOOR HANDLE STICKS OR JAMS, MAKING ENTRY OR EXIT DIFFICULT AT TIMES. WE HAVE HAD THIS REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE, BUT IS APPARENTLY REOCCURRING. THIS HINDERS ENTRY & EXIT AND COULD VERY WELL MAKE QUICK ENTRY OR EXIT MORE PROBLEMATIC IN URGENT OR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. ONE SUCH URGENT SITUATION IS TRYING TO GET INTO OR OUT OF OUR VEHICLE WHEN PARKED ALONG A BUSY CITY STREET BEFORE TRAFFIC ARRIVES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT SPECIFIC PART IS INVOLVED, OUTSIDE THAT THE DOOR HANDLE APPEARS TO BE THE ISSUE. THIS APPEARS TO HAPPEN IN ANY WEATHER.

GEARSHIFT SURROUND HAS FOIL PLATING OVER PLASTIC. PLATING FLAKES OFF AT ENTRY POINT TO STORAGE CUBBY CAUSING RAZOR CUTS IN HAND AND FINGERS. THIS CAN HAPPEN WHETHER DRIVING OR STATIONARY. *TR

Rear spring broke just like VW Campaign Code: 42J2 / 42J3 / 42J5, but I am being told my VIN isn't covered.

Both rear coil springs failed. One broke at the top and bottom and one broke at the bottom. The incident date is the date that it was found. I don’t know how long they have been this way.

As I was leaving work yesterday, I noticed that the Air Bag indicator was showing on the dash. It was not showing when I drove it to work. I also noticed that my Cruise Control is no longer working.

Ever since I purchased the car new, the backup camera goes blank above 5 mph. It is a major annoyance and safety issue to suddenly have to change my rear viewing options. When cold, the car fast idles at 6 or more mph in reverse with the camera offering no assistance. Complaints to the dealership yielded the answer that the factory had no fix. Now I see Honda recall 23V046 about the same condition that I'm experiencing and that appropriately Honda is fixing their problem. Can VW be invited to fix my problem (its problem)? I understand that my son's Toyota camera blanks above 30 mph, more than reasonable.

The emissions modification calibration by Volkswagen causes the coolant to be exposed to elevated temperatures due to higher exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) use to control emissions. These elevated higher temperatures degrade the coolant faster than designed and lead to precipitates falling out of solution in the factory filled G13 coolant. This causes buildup and deposits to form throughout the cooling system, particularly in the heater core which can block proper coolant flow & lead to coolant system failure, specifically of hoses associated with the heater core. When these fail the engine can over heat, and stop which causes loss of steering, propulsion and braking abilities. There is a similar problem on 2012 models with the TDI engine, which has been addressed but the 2015 models are being stranded on the roads creating a safety hazard to the drivers of the vehicles and other motorists on the road.

TODAY WITH ONLY 16000 MILES THE POWER BRAKES STOPPED WORKING AND REQUIRED THAT I USE THE EBRAKE AND USE BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING I SUSPECT THERE IS A BRAKE BOOSTER PROBLEM

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started to run rough. The contact shifted the vehicle into park(P) when she reached her destination and smelled an odor of gasoline. The contact observed that gasoline was leaking out of the fuel tank under the wheel well. The contact stated that the driveway was wet from the gasoline. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had attempted earlier in the day to fuel the vehicle and was unable to fill the fuel tank. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel tank, fuel pump seal, fuel tank hardware, passenger’s side rear trailing arm bolts, heat shield nuts, purge valve, and evap canister needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact related the failure to a recall repair performed on the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V647000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

A defect that meets the definition of a nonconformity in Washington State, and that is covered under warranty, caused the vehicle to stall while driving and caused the vehicle to not accelerate when the accelerator was pressed. My safety was put at risk when this happened on a 50 mph road because vehicles behind me expected my vehicle in front of them to accelerate in a predictable way with the flow of traffic. Another time, a stall happened as I turned onto a highway. I had come to a stop, waited for the traffic light, and then turned right and pressed the accelerator as I normally would to get up to 50 mph. A flashing glow plug light came on, and the car immediately had zero propulsion, and so I turned the steering wheel to roll to the side of the road and turned on my hazard lights. I was fortunate that I was not rear-ended. On another occasion, I came off of the interstate as normal, but when I tried to drive over the overpass at a slight incline, the vehicle was unable to accelerate to 20 mph, and would only go about 5 mph no matter how much the accelerator was pressed. This happened multiple times, but not all of the time, and it was unpredictable when it would happen. It was dangerous to me because I could not time traffic circles with confidence that I would be able to press the accelerator and get up to speed without being struck from the left, or turn out onto busy roads with confidence I wouldn't be t-boned, or merge with traffic on the highway. The mileage on the vehicle at the first attempt to diagnose/repair the defect was 63935 on 10/11/2019 when a VW dealership diagnosed and replaced two glow plugs under warranty. Several more times it was warr. repaired. In November 2021, after the vehicle was repaired and failed on the dealership test drive, an engineer from Volkswagen inspected the vehicle, it was further repaired and released to me. A couple of months later, the vehicle stalled on a highway and a flashing glow plug light came on.

GEARSHIFT SURROUND HAS FOIL PLATING OVER PLASTIC. PLATING FLAKES OFF AT ENTRY POINT TO STORAGE CUBBY CAUSING RAZOR CUTS IN HAND AND FINGERS. THIS CAN HAPPEN WHETHER DRIVING OR STATIONARY. *TR

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen. The contact stated that while her son was stopped at a gas station, he shifted the gear shift lever to park and the hazard warning lights illuminated; however, none of the four door latches would lock as needed. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the gear shifter assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF SPORTWAGEN. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE CONTACT NOTICED AN INCH OF WATER INSIDE THE SUN ROOF. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NORTH PENN VOLKSWAGEN (LOCATED AT 165 BETHLEHEM PIKE, COLMAR, PA 18915, (215) 822-1361) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRAIN HOSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.