Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Volkswagen Golf submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I HAD JUST GOT ON THE FREEWAY ABOUT 5MINS. ON THE CAR SHUT DOWN AND THEN THERE WAS A BACK FIRE THEN I SEEN A SYMBOL OF A CAR WITH A KEY UNDER IT LIT IN THE DASHBOARD, THE CAR WOULD NOT START BACK UP I HAD IT TOWED TO THE HOUSE AND THEN THE CAR STARTED BUT NOW IT HAS A PUTTER NOISE I CHANGED THE SPARK PLUGS THE WIRES AND O2 SENSORS AND IT STILL HAS THE PUTTERING NOISE. *TR
2000 VW GOLF 2.0L ENGINE; DRIVING TO WORK ON FREEWAY (65-70MPH). HEARD "POP" AND A HISSING NOISE FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE. SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED OVER TO SHOULDER, SAW COOLANT LEAKING. ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, FOUND INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE TO VALVES AND PISTONS. CAUSE WAS A FAULTY WATER PUMP: VW USES A PLASTIC IMPELLER ON THE WATER PUMPS WHICH FREQUENTLY BREAK AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT VERY QUICKLY. AFTER THE DAMAGE, A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH ON VW FORUMS REVEALED NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM I HAD. THE END RESULT WAS THAT I HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, RADIATOR, TIMING BELT, WATER PUMP ($6000 REPAIR BILL). SADLY, VW PUT IN THE SAME TYPE OF WATER PUMP WITH THE PLASTIC IMPELLER, SO I HAVE LITTLE CONFIDENCE THAT IT WILL LAST LONGER THAN ANOTHER 60000 MILES. I WOULD HAVE CHANGED IT WITH THE TIMING BELT, BUT VW SAYS THE BELT IS NOT DUE TO BE REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE UNTIL 105,000 MILES (JUST OUTSIDE THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY, CONVENIENTLY!) CAR HAD ONLY 60,000 MILES ON IT, VW CLAIMS IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO AGE OF VEHICLE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. THE CONTACT HEARD A SINGLE KNOCKING SOUND UNDER THE HOOD WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE NOISE BECAME MORE FREQUENT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP. SHE WAS INFORMED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V280000 (SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER ARM). THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR TWO DAYS. THE CONTACT IS CURRENTLY WAITING FOR A CALL BACK FROM THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 79,500.
VEHICLE IS A 200 VW GOLF TDI. AT APPROX. 40K MILES ENGINE DEVELOPED EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILD UP IN THE EGR SYSTEM AND REQUIRED CLEANING. VW PERFORMED THIS SERVICE AT NO CHARGE. AT APPROX 60K MILE EXCESSIVE CARBOIN BUILD UP AGAIN NOTED. VW CONTENDS THAT THIS IS A MAINTENACVE PROBLE CAUSED BY EXZCESS SULFER IN THE FUEL. CUSTOMER REQUESTED VW TO PERFORM CLEANING AND PROVIDE PERMANENT REPAIR OR OTHER MITIGATION TO PREVCENT RE-OCCURANCE. CUSTOME BELIEVES THAT THE TDI ENGINE IN GOLF 200 MODELS WAS NOT PROPERLY DESIGNED OR TUNED FOR DISIEL FUEL IN USE AND THAT VW EITHER SHOULD PROVIDE CORRECTIVE ACTION OR PAY ON-GOING COSTS THAT WILL BE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN PROPOER ENGINE PERFORMANCE. VW IS NON-RESPONSIVE. VW CASE NUMMER IS 501-830-79. COMPLAINT INITIATED WITH VW ON 6/3/05.
RATTLING IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER/EXHAUST SYSTEM. *JB
OIL PAN ON MY 2000 VW GOLF IS MADE OF CAST ALUMINUM OR MAGNESIUM, VERY BRITTLE. BY DESIGN, THE CAR HAS MINIMAL GROUND CLEARANCE. A HOLE WAS PUNCHED IN THE OIL PAN BY CONTACT WITH THE ROADWAY ON PASSING OVER A SMALL BUMP. LED TO DISCHARGE OF ALL ENGINE OIL ONTO THE ROADWAY, POSING A HAZARD FOR OTHER MOTORISTS. WHILE VISITING THE VW SHOP FOR MAINTENANCE ON MY CAR, I HAVE HEARD THE SERVICE MANAGER DEALING WITH OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES. BELIEVE NHTSA SHOULD QUERY VW ABOUT RATE OF OIL PAN DAMAGE ON CARS WITH CAST ALUMINUM OIL PANS, AND IF STATISTICS WARRANT, REQUIRE VW MAKE AVAILABLE STURDIER OIL PANS, PERHAPS OF STEEL. I HAVE INSTALLED A STEEL SKIDPLATE ON MY VW (COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE, WHICH TELLS YOU SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT THE MARKETPLACE FEELS ABOUT THE ISSUE OF VW OIL PAN TOUGHNESS) TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE. I AM CONVINCED IT HAS SAVED MY ENGINE MANY TIMES OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS IN NORMAL DRIVING ON PAVED ROADS. *JB
CAR HAS 61000 MILES ON IT AND THE "WATER PUMP WENT WHICH TOOK OUT THE TIMING BELT" PER MY MECHANIC. I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED AND HAVE NO WARRENTY BECAUSE VW ONLY ALLOWS WARRANTY TO TRANSFER TO A FAMILY MEMBER WHO BUYS THE CAR. *AK
THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON NINE OCCASIONS BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *NM
OUR VOLKSWAGEN GOLF ( CUTS OUT ON US WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR MOST OF THE YEAR. WE HAVE TAKEN OUR CAR TO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALER AT LEAST 7 TIMES SO FAR AND THE CAR STILL CUTS OUT DESPITE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS BEING DONE. OUR DEALER HAS TOLD US THAT THEY ARE STILL NOT SURE WHY, AND AFTER THE LAST VISIT, THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD FIXED IT. HOWEVER, I WAS JST DRIVING ON THE 1-9 IN NEW JERSEY AT SPEED AND THE ENGINE CUT OUT ON ME. THERE WAS NO WHERE TO PULL OVER AND I HAD TO PUT MY WARNING LIGHTS ON AND LET THE CAR COME TO A STOP. I ALSO LOST MY STEARING ALTHOUGH THANKFULLY I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE. ALTHOUGH THE VOLKSWAGON DEALER IS TRYING ITS BEST TO REPAIR OUR CAR AND HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH VOLKSWAGON FOR HELP, THIS KEEPS HAPPENING. THIS HAS JUST HAPPENED AGAIN AND I AM WRITING WHILE I AM STILL ANGRY. SINCE COLLECTING THE CAR FROM THE DEALER LAST WEEK WE THOUGHT THE PROBLEM MAY HAVE BEEN SOLVED AS THE ENGINE DIDN'T CUT OUT ALL WEEK (BEFORE IT WAS NEARLY EVERYDAY), HOWEVER IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. THE THING THAT IS BOTHERING ME MOST AND UPSETTING ME IS THAT THIS RECURRING UNSOLVED PROBLEM IS POTENTIALLY THREATENING TO MY HUSBANDS AND MY LIFE- AS WELL AS OTHER ROAD USERS. IT IS EXTREMELY SCARY WHEN THE ENGINE CUTS OUT AT SPEED WHILE OTHER CARS ARE WHIZZING PAST YOU. I ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHY WE HAVE TO BE WARY EVERYTIME WE COLLECT THE CAR FROM THE DEALER, BECAUSE EVERYTIME THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED. *AK
THE ENGINE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY WHICH CAUSED SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *NLM
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY ENGINE LIGHT AND HEAVY VIBRATION FORCE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. DUE TO A FAULTY ENGINE COIL PACK. DEALER CHANGED THE FAULTY COIL PACK. AFTER COIL PACK WAS CHANGED VEHICLE SUFFERED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
CONSUMER STATES WHILE THE ENGINE DRIVING 60 MPH THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN CAUSING LOST OF POWER STEERING. MR
ENGINE OIL/FILTER HAS BEEN CHANGED TWICE, ORIG. MILEAGE 15500, OIL TOPPED OFF SEVEN TIMES. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .