RoadVitals

1989 Volkswagen Golf Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
17
Latest Jul 6, 2004
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.
1
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Apr 23, 1995

What this page shows

Our database holds 17 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1989 Volkswagen Golf. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

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

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–17 of 17

Visibility
Filed Jul 6, 2004

HEATER CORE IS LEAKING FLUID ONTO THE FLOOR BOARDS. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY RESULT IN VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE. *AK *NM

NHTSA ID
10073901
Incident
May 18, 2004
Mileage
65,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Apr 10, 2002

CONSUMER IS CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY OF HER BELT RESTRAINTS. THEY ONLY CONSIST OF SHOULDER BELTS THAT DO NOT PROVIDE ANY RESTRAINT, NO LAP BELTS. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS UNSAFE. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE LOCAL VW DEALER SHIP TO NO AVAIL. *JG

NHTSA ID
785943
Incident
Mar 1, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Jun 19, 2001

I HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER OF THE 1989 VW GOLF. IT ONLY CAME WITH A SHOULDER-TYPE SEATBELT (NO LAPBELTS) FOR THE FRONT SEATS. I RECENTLY BROUGHT MY CAR IN THE THE GARAGE FOR THE YEARLY INSPECTION AND THE MAN SAID HE COULD NOT INSPECT THE CAR BECAUSE IT HAD NO LAP BELTS. MY QUESTION IS: DID VW FORGET TO INSTALL LAP BELTS IN MY CAR, OR IS MY CAR "OK" AS IS. IF CAR IS "OK" THEN CAN YOU SEND ME DOCUMENTATION TO SHOW MY MECHANIC THAT MY VW DID NOT REQUIRE LAPBELTS. THANK-YOU. *AK

NHTSA ID
747047
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 17, 2001

WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 20 DEGREES OR COLDER THROTTLE IS STICKING, CAUSING UNWANTED AND UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. ALSO, WHEN DEPRESSING CLUTCH, ENGINE REEVES UP. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. *AK

NHTSA ID
878340
Seat belts
Filed Sep 5, 2000

CONSUMER PURCHASED A USED VEHICLE WHICH HAD AN UNSAFE INCOMPLETE SEAT BELT (THE LAP BELT WAS MISSING), THE SALESMAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED WITHOUT A LAP BELT BUT AFTER ASKING VW DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MADE WITHOUT A LAP BELT. NLM

NHTSA ID
554342
Visibility
Filed Sep 4, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported

HEATER CORE EXPLODED THROUGH FLOOR OF CAR ON INTERSTATE 5, SENDING BOILING HOT WATER ONTO DRIVER'S RIGHT FOOT, SEVERELY BURNING FOOT AND FILLING CAR WITH DIRTY STEAM AND REDUCING VISION TO ZERO, CAUSING COLLISION WITH FREEWAY BARRIER WALL

NHTSA ID
730052
Incident
Aug 23, 2000
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Jul 11, 2000

PEDALS FRAME WAS NOT PROPERLY WELDED TO BODY FRAME CAUSING FRAME TO TWIST WHEN BRAKE OR CLUTCH PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED LEADING TO THE BREAKING OF THE FRAME.*AK

NHTSA ID
725285
Incident
May 15, 2000
Seat belts
Filed Jun 12, 2000
1 injury reported

THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER RESTRAINT FAILED RESULTING IN DRIVER'S INJURY ACCIDENT. YH

NHTSA ID
552581
Incident
May 20, 1998
Engine
Filed Feb 9, 1999

DEFECT REPORTED TO OWNER AFTER INSPECTION OF VEHICLE BY CERTIFIED MECHANIC. INSPECTION INDICATED THAT COOLANT LOSS WAS CAUSED BY A HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK THAT HAD RUSTED THROUGH FROM THE EXTERIOR OF THE BLOCK, INDICATING THAT THE BLOCK HAD BEEN CAST POORLY OR IMPROPERLY. VW CONTACTED AND FAILED TO SUGGEST A RESOLUTION SINCE CAR IS BEYOND PERIOD COVERED BY WARRANTY. CAR HAS HAD ONE ORIGINAL OWNER AND HAS ONLY 56,OOO ORIGINAL MILES. *AK

NHTSA ID
703102
Incident
Feb 4, 1999
BrakesHeating & air conditioningElectrical+4 more
Filed May 28, 1997

SHIFTER HANDLE FAILED.

NHTSA ID
516773
BrakesElectricalEngine+2 more
Filed Feb 26, 1997

MASTER CYLINDER FAILED.

NHTSA ID
515085
Incident
Oct 1, 1994
Interior & seats
Filed Dec 6, 1996

THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR DOOR SPRING RUSTED OUT AND BROKE DOOR LATCH FAILED. *AK THE EXPANSION SPRING IN THE DOOR LATCH RUSTED, BROKE, AND CAUSED THE WHOLE DOOR LATCH TO BECOME COMPLETELY INOPERABLE, CONSUMER STATES THE LOCATION OF THE LATCH IS IN A SPOT WHERE IT HAS ACCESS TO WATER, DIRT, AND COMPONENTS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO RUST. *SLC

NHTSA ID
805972
Incident
Dec 6, 1996
Brakes
Filed Nov 2, 1995

BRAKES FAILED. *SD

NHTSA ID
501324
Incident
Nov 2, 1995
Visibility
Filed Sep 1, 1995

HEATER CORE FAILED, CAUSING OVERHEATED WATER TO SPILL ON DRIVER'S LEGS, RESULTING IN INJURIES PRIOR TO RECALL (92V-050). *AK

NHTSA ID
483022
Incident
Jun 15, 1995
Visibility
Filed Jun 15, 1995
1 injury reported

HEATER CORE BURST, CAUSING BOILING/HOT WATER TO SPILL ON DRIVER'S LEGS, RESULTING IN AN INJURY, PRIOR TO RECALL (ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT). (92V-005). *AK

NHTSA ID
485100
Incident
Jun 15, 1995
Transmission
Filed Jun 5, 1995

INTERNAL TRANSMISSION SEAL HAS DETERIORATED, WHICH MAY CAUSE FLUID TO MIXHESITATE/SEIZE. TT

NHTSA ID
966263
Incident
Jun 5, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Apr 23, 1995

DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S RESTRAINT SYSTEM IS INEFFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED. *SKD

NHTSA ID
489527
Incident
Apr 23, 1995

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .