The High-pressure Fuel pump failed during a routine drive at approximately 1500 RPMs. This caused an immediate loss of power while in traffic. Manage to limp the car to the nearest gas station in which the car finally died and would not start. Had to call for a tow truck. This immediate loss of power could have cause myself and my daughter to get into an accident. Luckily, we were not on a major highway doing 65+ MPH, which could have been a lot worse. The vehicle flashed a MIL light or flashing glow plug light at the time of the incident. The car did not show any signs of possible failure beforehand. This same issue has been recalled by Fiat-Chrysler on their Heavy-Duty Ram pickup trucks with 6.7L Cummins due to catastrophic failure of the CP4 fuel pump.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11546719 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Fuse F16 (30A) in the engine fuse plate, melted instead of breaking - causing half of the cars lights to stop functioning including turn signals and brake lights. Cannot be fixed with replacing the fuse as it was never tripped but instead the whole fuse plate needs to be replaced. No warning lights preceded the event, all lights went out while driving. VW dealership requires a new plate to be put in with no explanation of what caused the melt and no guarantee that it won’t happen again. Multiple online forums suggest a similar finding, and even other models have tickets for recalls (same problem, same part) but not the 2011 Golf TDI.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11496080 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

MY BRAND NEW 2011 VW GOLF TDI MANUAL CAR STALLS AT LAUNCH MUCH TOO EASILY. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS FOR 40 YEARS AND HAVE FOUND IT MUCH WORSE THAN THE MAZDA MIATA WHICH WAS POOR. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THIS MODEL, AS CONFIRMED BY MY TEST DRIVE, MAGAZINE REVIEWS, AND THE SALESPERSON. IT MAY BE DO TO THE "HILL CLIMBING" FEATURE WHICH LOCKS THE BRAKES UPON STOPPING SO THAT YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME THE BRAKES TO MOVE. I AM SCARED A CAR WILL HIT ME FROM BEHIND. *TR

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #10406281 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

THERE IS A VERY AUDIBLE "CLUNKING" SOUND THAT COMES FROM THE FRONT UNDERBODY OF THE VEHICLE. IT MOSTLY OCCURS WHEN MAKING LEFT HAND TURNS AT LOWER SPEEDS (1-25MPH) OR WHEN THERE IS A CHANGE IN ELEVATION (A BUMP).

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #10779518 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF. WITHIN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE, THE HORN FAILED TO WORK. THE DEALER (ANTHONY CARVONI VOLKSWAGEN, 12 MERIDEN PL, MELVILLEE, NY, 516-848-7315) DIAGNOSED THAT THE HORN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND STATED THAT IT WAS NOT RELATED TO THE AIR BAG BEING ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO THE HORN. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE HORN AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN OF WHAT AIR BAG RECALL REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11140999 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

I BELIEVE MY CAR (2011 VW GOLF 2-DOOR 2.5) HAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT - IMPROPER WELDING, MISSING STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS, ETC. - ON THE BODY IN THE AREA BENEATH THE REAR SEAT CUSHION. I THINK THAT THE DEFECT AFFECTS SAFETY. // I NOTICED IN MAY, 2011, THAT THE MID AND LEFT AREA OF THE REAR SEAT CUSHION MAKES CREAKING SOUND WHEN IT IS PRESSED. I COMPARED OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MODEL (A 2011 VW GOLF 2-DOOR TDI AND A 2010 VW GOLF 4-DOOR 2.5) WITH MINE. THE OTHER VEHICLES DID NO MAKE THE CREAKING SOUND. // ON JULY 26, 2011, THE SERVICE MANGER JOHN AT THE VW DEALER IN DANVERS, MA, SHOWED ME THAT THE METAL BODY BENEATH THE SEAT CUSHION MADE THE CREAKING SOUND BY PRESSING THE AREA OF THE METAL BODY WHILE THE SEAT CUSHION WAS LIFTED UP. HOWEVER, HE DID NOT TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM SAYING THAT THE HE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. // I THINK THAT THE DEFECT ON MY CAR'S BODY IN THE AREA BENEATH THE REAR SEAT CUSHION AFFECTS VEHICLE SAFETY IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS. IN CASE OF COLLISION, MY CAR'S BODY WILL NOT PROPERLY PROTECT THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. IN CASE OF EXPLOSION OF THE FUEL TANK WHICH IS RIGHT BELOW THE AREA OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT, MY CAR'S BODY WILL NOT PROPERLY PROTECT PASSENGERS FROM THE EXPLOSION. // LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT A DIFFERENT SYMPTOM THAT MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE DEFECT ON THE BODY BENEATH THE REAR SEAT CUSHION. MY CAR FREQUENTLY MAKES CREAKING AND KNOCKING SOUND FROM AROUND THE DOORS WHEN THE ROAD IS SLIGHTLY UNEVEN OR WHEN I SUDDENLY LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL. THE VW DEALER IN WELLESLEY, MA, TRIED TO FIX IT MANY TIMES BUT FAILED. PERHAPS, THE DEFECT ON THE BODY BENEATH THE REAR SEAT CUSHION MAKES MY CAR'S BODY FLEX MUCH MORE THAN IT WAS DESIGNED, AND CAUSES THE CREAKING AND KNOCKING SOUND FROM AROUND THE DOORS. *TR

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #10415496 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

I WAS RIDING AS THE PASSENGER IN MY VEHICLE. MY FOOT WAS BURNT BY AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT THAT WAS DANGLING DOWN UNDERNEATH THE GLOVE BOX. IT WAS THE BLOWER RESISTOR. THE BLOWER RESISTOR MELTED THROUGH PLASTIC, THEN THE BLOWER RESISTOR WAS HANGING BY WIRES WHEN IT BURNT MY FOOT. *CC *TR

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11327322 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov