2022 Volkswagen Golf Owner Complaints

Infotainment center will randomly go into "component protection" mode, and the center console will become stuck in a loop of rebooting. While component protection is active, the following systems become unavailable: Backup camera, radio, climate controls, advanced driver assist systems, park assist system, drive mode button, cruise control Situations that have occurred to me personally: Climate control fan becomes stuck on high, radio stops functioning, radio power button does not respond, parking menu button does not respond, car drive mode button does not respond, advanced driver sensor assist button does not respond, climate control button does not respond. Attempt to resolve this issue through Volkswagen certified technicians 6+ times.

NHTSA ID

11583431

Incident

Jun 19, 2023

The vehicles built-in independent navigation system frequently loses its position. When the system loses its position, it displays an inaccurate vehicle position on the map, and does not provide correct driving guidance. The incorrect driving guidance can lead to a turn into a body of water, house, or other fixed structure. The issue has been reported to the manufacturer and the vehicle was inspected by their dealer. The dealer was able to observe the condition on a test drive. The manufacturer/dealer is placing the blame on cellular phone interference, even if the phone is not connected to the car. This does not equate as the built-in navigation system is a system that is independent of any cellular phone. The manufacturer is not willing to take any further action.

NHTSA ID

11578679

Incident

Feb 4, 2024

Travel Assist is disabled which includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while driving. Warning lights and warning sounds are designed to alert the driver to a potential safety issue so ignoring the lights and sounds is dangerous in the event it is a different caution/warning. However, also not ignoring it is dangerous because of the frequency of the warnings which causes the driver to look away from the road. After speaking with the maintenance department at my VW dealership, they indicated that this is a widely known problem that is remedied only with the replacement of the steering wheel. There are several other sensors that are triggered by the same issue I was told by the maintenance department. They are uncertain at this time if it impacts the airbag system which is another potential safety concern. The steering wheel can only be ordered after inspection by the maintenance department and there is shortage and/or back order of the part to fix the problem. I also drive my car quite often since it’s the car I use to commute to work and it is 70 miles each way (140 miles round trip) so there is no warranty anymore as I have exceeded mileage so they will not repair. This is a huge safety concern and very known issue with this model car.

NHTSA ID

11576559

Incident

Mar 11, 2024

Emergency SOS and Travel Assist will intermittently fault out sending a loud chime in the cabin warning me that said assist devices aren’t available. Sometimes the chimes will go off for minutes on end and be completely random. This persistent chime is distracting and also frightening as I think I’m about to get into an accident. Further, with the persistent chime, it will make the driver immune to the noise which could be dangerous if there actually is an emergency. Took the the VW dealership multiple times and they can’t figure out the issue. They’re going to try replacing the steering wheel to see if that rectifies the issue.

NHTSA ID

11569833

Incident

Dec 1, 2023

Travel Assist is disabled which includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while driving. Warning lights and warning sounds are designed to alert the driver to a potential safety issue so ignoring the lights and sounds is dangerous in the event it is a different caution/warning. However, also not ignoring it is dangerous because of the frequency of the warnings which causes the driver to look away from the road. After speaking with the maintenance department at my VW dealership, they indicated that this is a widely known problem that is remedied only with the replacement of the steering wheel. There are several other sensors that are triggered by the same issue I was told by the maintenance department. They are uncertain at this time if it impacts the airbag system which is another potential safety concern. The steering wheel can only be ordered after inspection by the maintenance department and there is shortage and/or back order of the part to fix the problem

NHTSA ID

11569645

Incident

Jan 29, 2024

All VW models of this model year suffer from this problem, as evidenced on many forum posts while researching this issue. The problem is that any time you turn the steering wheel even slightly, all safety features of the vehicle fail and notices of their failure are promptly displayed on the screen. My example has had this issue since the day I leased it and after 18 months of leasing the problem remains unresolved. VW states there is a part shortage, but I have two different dealerships trying to get me a new steering wheel and neither one has reported receipt of a replacement wheel. This is a SAFETY FEATURE. The vehicle is UNSAFE TO DRIVE. This impacts ALL VOLKSWAGEN AMERICA VEHICLES. VW should be forced to halt the sale of all vehicles until this problem is RESOLVED.

NHTSA ID

11564485

Incident

Jan 9, 2024

My 2022 VW GTI recently experienced a malfunction where the Parking Assist feature did not function. This feature appears to encompass the Rear Back-up Camera, Rear Parking Sensors, and Parking Collision Warning system. This failure coincided with the HVAC system control system portion of the infotainment system not booting up. A video can be seen here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11562643

Incident

Dec 4, 2023

I have errors popping up on my dashboard. It says “travel assist is currently not available “ or “emergency assist is currently not available “ . This does not happen every time I drive the vehicle but it happens quite frequently. When it happens It flashes and beeps constantly for a couple of minutes or even longer. Sometimes it beeps during the whole 30+ minutes trip. There is no way to turn it off. This is not just an annoyance but also a safety concern because it’s distracting. I brought my car to the dealership in September and after a couple of days they said that they’re not able to reproduce the problem. The problem still exists

NHTSA ID

11550737

Incident

Oct 18, 2023

“Travel assist” warning comes on frequently. System activates and deactivates multiple times even in short driving trips. System is responsible for lane departure, collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control etc. Can deactivate and reactivate without any known cause multiple times within even 1 minute. Was told by my dealer that it’s “normal” because it’s “high tech”

NHTSA ID

11532056

Incident

Jul 12, 2023

While driving suddenly falsely detects obstructions and auto brakes , the acc system entirely turns on and off while driving , same with forward collision and lane keep assist. The dangers I’m having of auto braking on false obstructions is unfit for driving daily and is causing a road hazard as it almost has made me have accidents.

NHTSA ID

11531206

Incident

May 21, 2023

The tire pressure monitoring system failed, the front right tire had ruptured and was completely flat for 4-5 blocks and the tire pressure monitoring system did not report to the driver that there was a loss of tire pressure. Yes this car is available for inspection upon request. This could have led the driver into an unsafe situation by not reporting a tire had failed. The issue will be confirmed by a dealership when I take the tire in for repair. Tire has not been inspected yet, I simply changed out the spare tire. No warning lights, errors, or system warnings. And this is point. There is a system on this car that will tall you if tire pressure has changed. It did not tell me tire pressure changed when the tire went completely flat and the car continued to drive. This to me is a failure of the TPMS. Please note this is my third report of safety system failures that can result in harm to the driver or others. I hope you are investigating VW with their newest software and sensor systems. They are highly unreliable and unsafe.

NHTSA ID

11530583

Incident

Jul 4, 2023

Backup camera upon backing up, fails from time to time. The camera will freeze (showing a still image), It can lag (showing a delayed image), It will sometime show no image at all (just a black screen). Available for inspection upon request, yes. It puts the driver and anyone behind the car at risk, by showing incorrect information to the driver about the position of the car in conjunction to its surroundings. The issue has not been confirmed at a dealership, But I have been documenting it. The dealership is aware the cameras are issues in these cars but doesn’t want to act until a specific recall is made available. Not a great solution since this issue puts people at risk. No warning of errors or awareness from the car that the system has failed.

NHTSA ID

11530014

Incident

Jul 1, 2023

The panoramic moonroof in my car exploded while I was driving home. It sounded like a shotgun went off inside my car and if the sun visor would have been open, glass would have fallen on me. The moonroof exploded outward, and I have pictures if needed. The car is a little over one year old and I have an appointment with the dealer in a week to see if it is covered under warranty.

NHTSA ID

11529661

Incident

Jun 27, 2023

The rear backup camera freezes intermittently. Intermittently the error codes flash that the VW intelligent drive safety features are not available. Car has emergency breaking has activated on an open road on two occasions with rapid slow down. Dealer examined the vehicle and found fault possibly in the touch controls of the steering wheel and the wheel must be replaced. Replacements are available and no eta. This started in January.

NHTSA ID

11528377

Incident

Mar 15, 2023

Shifter cracked under normal use. This leads to unsafe driving as the ability to shift gears is difficult. Shifter slides off rod when shifting

NHTSA ID

11527570

Incident

Jun 16, 2023

My GTI currently needs a new steering wheel per my dealership. However VW is unable to provide any new steering wheels or get me into a safe car. My car started having an issue around 2 months ago where I will get random cruise control, emergency braking and other safety related system errors. When this happens, it dings, disables anll buttons on the steering wheel and abruptly shuts off all safety features, including cruise control if it’s active. This poses a safety risk that could potentially cause accidents or worse. There are currently 8 GTIs waiting for a new steering wheel at my dealership, with more across the country at other dealerships waiting for a steering wheel.

NHTSA ID

11526043

Incident

Apr 24, 2023

Third time today I saw my radiator loose from passenger side and was rubbing on ac compressor pulley. Noticed gouge in elbow coming from lower coolant hose. I could lost all coolant on highway then lead to engine shutdown.

NHTSA ID

11525862

Incident

Jun 5, 2023

When shifting (6 speed manual) the shifter knob has come off the shaft multiple times and must be put back on when driving causing a safety issue. When shifting from 2-3 and 4-5 pressure on the shift knob causes it to sometimes turn counter clockwise and then the know pops of the shifting mechanism. I have to try and match up the knob with the shaft while driving and push it back and turn it clockwise. In the past, shifter knobs where screwed on and torqued tightly to keep them on. This one only requires a slight twist to come on and off the shaft.

NHTSA ID

11518283

Incident

Apr 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V823000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11515560

Incident

Apr 4, 2023

The shift knob on the gear selector of my manual transmission vehicle broke off while attempting to merge into traffic while shifting into 2nd gear at roughly 10mph, leaving me unable to select a gear. This put my safety and that of others at risk by temporarily preventing me from moving my vehicle as I was merging with traffic. In addition, this is the second time a factory shift knob has broken in this car. The first one broke and was repaired by a dealer approximately 6 months ago. The shift knob is still in my car, but I will try to replace it soon. This one has not been inspected by a 3rd party yet. There were no warnings or signs of damage prior to the knob breaking off.

NHTSA ID

11513479

Incident

Mar 23, 2023

Shift nob cracks and eventually detaches from shift rod which causes loss of ability to accelerate/shift. This appears to be a widespread issue based on consumer forums.

NHTSA ID

11512187

Incident

Mar 15, 2023

The shift knob for the manual transmission broke off the shift assembly while accelerating and merging onto the freeway. This is what happened the first time the knob broke off. It has happened 3 times due to the part being physically broken. My safety and the safety of others was at risk. When a car is moving at speed and no longer has the option to shift into a higher gear, you become stuck at a slower speed and this happens very suddenly. If you apply brake then the engine will loose RPM and stall out causing the car to loose control of acceleration suddenly and could result in lose of control. This is stated in the VW owners manual under how to drive a manual transmission. The issue has been confirmed by the local dealership and by VW corporate. The component has been inspected my VW dealership. The vehicle has zero warnings or ways to monitor this.

NHTSA ID

11507364

Incident

Jan 2, 2023

Travel Assist (ACC)light and emergency braking systems are turning off and on repeatedly and intermittently. This happened 5 or 6 times on my 15-minute drive to work a few weeks back. I heavily rely on these safety systems so the vehicle is much more unsafe when those systems are inactive, not to mention the annoyance or dinging when the system deactivates which takes my focus off the road. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer or independent service as of yet but I intend to do so with the dealer. The yellow system warning lamps are lit when these systems are inactive.

NHTSA ID

11505817

Incident

Jan 27, 2023

The shift knob pulls off the manual transmission shifter shaft under certain driving conditions, such as a fast shift. I believe that the shifter knob retainer clip is loose or broken. This is a safety problem. I first noticed it when I had to make a quick maneuver during a turn. Experiencing the shift knob pull off the shaft while I was downshifting was dangerous and distracting. I reported the issue to the service department at my local VW dealer. They were not aware of others having the same problem and asked me to bring in the car if I knew how to duplicate it. I can’t duplicate it in normal driving. The second time it happened I was braking for a traffic light while downshifting. I was able to push the knob back down without crashing, but it is very unnerving. No warning lights are triggered. I have not taken the car in to the dealer yet for an inspection. I don’t like the idea of trying to duplicate the problem like the dealer suggested. I want them to inspect the assembly and will probably give them an opportunity soon. I’m reporting this because I feel that VW should treat this issue with more urgency.

NHTSA ID

11505707

Incident

Jan 4, 2023

Travel assist (ACC)light pops up for any reason, that scares you at the beginning because when you are driving you think is something big and could be if you are driving and crash for put attention to the warning light. I tried to desactivate but the function says is unavailable, I did my homework to investigate a little bit more and there’s more cars like mine doing the same thing. The light goes away for days or hours but later come up again.

NHTSA ID

11499514

Incident

Nov 28, 2022