2022 Volkswagen Golf: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 114 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, engine, and electrical. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2022- Owner complaints
- 114
- Recalls
- 6
- Crashes reported
- 0
- 1 injury
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2022 Volkswagen Golf: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/3
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Which Golf is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2022 Volkswagen Golf. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | AWD | 26 mpg |
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Golf that averages well under the EPA 26 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Radiator loosens, coolant hose fails
95–6,900 miles
Manual shift knob cracks, detaches
100–4,000 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2022 Volkswagen Golf, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Transmission24No crashes
The manual shift knob cracks at its plastic base, works loose, or pulls straight off the shifter shaft during gear changes. When that happens, the driver cannot select a gear. Reports describe this while merging onto highways, on entrance ramps, and in city traffic, with near misses from the sudden loss of drive. Cracks can show up as early as 100 miles, and some knobs fail again after a dealer replacement. Several owners describe waits for parts. A few filings here describe the radiator coming loose and a coolant line bursting.
Engine24No crashes
The radiator comes loose from its mounting clips, often the upper clip on the passenger side, and shifts toward the engine. The lower coolant hose then rubs on the serpentine belt or a pulley, wears through, and dumps all the coolant. Drivers get a low coolant warning, sometimes with other lights, and some cars overheat or need a tow. Most failures come very early, from less than 200 miles to about 6,900 miles. Repairs often take weeks because hoses are back ordered, and some cars fail again after the fix.
Most reports here repeat the loose radiator problem. The radiator comes free, the lower hose or its plastic connector rubs on a belt or pulley, and coolant pours out, setting off overheating or low coolant warnings. One filing raises a fire risk from a melted connector, and owners report waiting 1 to 4 months for parts. A separate report describes crank walk at about 51,068 miles: the engine shut down suddenly and metal shavings turned up in the oil pan. One shift knob failure is also filed here.
Electrical15No crashes
Driver-assist warnings appear with no real cause. The car flags Travel Assist, adaptive cruise, lane keep, and emergency assist as unavailable while the cluster flashes and chimes over and over, sometimes for a whole trip. Some cars brake automatically for obstructions that are not there. The infotainment unit can get stuck in a reboot loop that takes out the backup camera, climate controls, radio, and steering wheel buttons. Backup camera blackouts and GPS position loss also appear. Dealer software updates and steering wheel replacements often do not last.
Automatic emergency braking12No crashes
False "Travel Assist is currently not available" and SOS warnings flash across the instrument cluster with repeated loud chimes, at any speed and sometimes for an entire drive. In some cars the features keep working while the warning shows. In others, adaptive cruise disengages without warning, causing close calls with traffic ahead and behind. Turning the steering wheel can set off the faults. Dealers often cannot reproduce or fix the problem, and replacement steering wheels are hard to get. Some owners report going more than a year without a fix.
Steering9No crashes
A steering wheel fault knocks out Travel Assist, adaptive cruise, lane keep assist, park distance control, and rear traffic alert, with flashing warnings and repeated chimes from engine start onward. When the fault hits, the steering wheel buttons can stop responding and active cruise control shuts off abruptly. One report describes the wheel turning toward oncoming traffic as the systems dropped out. Dealers often call for a new steering wheel, but replacements are scarce. Errors can come back after a new wheel and software changes, and some owners say cold weather makes it worse.
Lane keeping5No crashes
Travel Assist and related safety systems switch off and on repeatedly, sometimes several times within a minute. Yellow warning lamps and chimes come with each switch and pull attention from the road. Messages also flag maneuver braking, rear traffic alert, and park distance control as unavailable. Emergency braking has kicked in on an open road with a rapid slowdown. A dealer traced one case to the steering wheel touch controls, but the replacement had no delivery date. The backup camera freezes at times, and a cracked shift knob is also reported.
Backup camera5No crashes
The backup camera fails to come on in reverse. Parking sensors, rear cross traffic alert, and adaptive cruise drop out at the same time and then recover at the same time. One failure happened along with the climate control screen failing to boot. A dealer confirmed the fault on two cars from the same owner, and the first was repurchased as a lemon. Another filing is about a repair held up by unavailable parts, not an actual failure.
Wheels and tires2No crashes
The tire pressure system misses or downplays real tire damage. In one case a flat front tire set off no warning at all. In another, the damage alert vanished after about 10 seconds and left only the tire icon lit. An owner also could not figure out how to remove the damaged wheel to fit the spare, which could leave a driver stranded on a remote road.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints Golf owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
The shift knob on my 2022 VW Golf GTI cracked and broke off while driving at 500 miles. Was very scary as I couldn’t shift while driving at about 40 mph.
Filed with NHTSA, August 2022
After hearing reports that some 2022 VW GTIs were suffer total coolant loss due to a loose radiator I checked my own new GTI. I found that my GTI’s radiator was unsecured at the top on the passenger side and it could freely move back and forth approximately 1.25 inches. This could allow the radiator, shroud and fan to contact moving parts in the engine bay. Might be duplicate report, I tried earlier and got an error message.
Filed with NHTSA, May 2022
Factory radiator came loose while driving causing the radiator to fall towards engine block. Lower radiator hose was cut by the crank or ac pulley causing all the coolant drain out. Dealer is replacing the radiator hose, but is not addressing the radiator falling out of place. Car had 6,900 miles when the fault happened. The car not been in an accident or been modified in any way.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2022
Radiator was loose from the factory where it clips to intercooler allowing movement of radiator within engine bay. Lower radiator hose then hit crank pulley from movement in radiator causing loss of coolant. Dealer replacing radiator hose, radiator and intercooler. Factory defect, happened with less than 200 miles on the car.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2022
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.
Filed with NHTSA, December 2022
Travel assistance failure are constant and the emergency braking system engages occasionally which can be a detriment to the occupants. The constant chiming and notifications are a distraction and the car has to be stopped and turned off in hopes of the system resetting properly. Dealerships do not know of any updates and Volkswagen has updated these issues in Europe but still to this date has not acknowledged these issues in USA
Filed with NHTSA, July 2023
The "Travel Assist is currently not available" warning and chime constantly comes on. The chime and constant alerts are extremely distracting and from looking it up online it appears other drivers are experiencing the same issue. It happens randomly and cleaning the sensors has not solved the issue.
Filed with NHTSA, May 2024
The Travel Assist and SOS are not available error chime is a problem that many drivers experience with VW. For my most recent drive, the error chimed and distracted me for the whole duration of my trip and it causes unnecessary stress when driving
Filed with NHTSA, May 2025
How the 2022 compares with other Golf years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2022 ranks second for owner complaints among 7 Golf years, about 2.4 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Transmission246
- Engine245
- Electrical154
- Automatic emergency braking122
- Steering90
- Lane keeping50
Where the 2022 fits in the Golf's history
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2022 is the first model year of the Golf's eighth generation (2022–2023). First years of a redesign often carry teething problems that Volkswagen fixes in later years, so the checks above matter more than usual.
Volkswagen updated the Golf for 2024, so a 2022 does not have those changes.
What changed for 2024 (not on a 2022)
- Updates to styling and technology.
Should you avoid the first year of a redesign? See the 45-car study.
Recalls to confirm (6)
Recall repairs are free at any Volkswagen dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
25V103000Backup cameraFeb 2025
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Golf GTI vehicles. A software error may delay or deactivate the rearview camera image, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the camera control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91SB.
24V480000Backup cameraJun 2024
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Golf R, Golf GTI, 2024 Atlas, and 2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The rearview camera image may be delayed or deactivated after shifting into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: A rearview camera with a delayed or deactivated image reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2024, and July 16, 2024. Owners may contact VW customer service at 1-800-893-5298. VW's number for this recall is 91US.
22V823000Backup cameraNov 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf R A8, Audi S3, RS3 Sedan, Q4 E-Tron SUV, A3 Sedan, and 2022-2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI, and ID4 vehicles. The rearview camera image may be blank or unresponsive when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear or when the park function is manually activated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed to Audi owners February 14, 2023. Volkswagen owners will receive an owner notification letter once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Volkswagen) 91EK and (Audi) 91EL.
22V707000EngineSep 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The radiator may not have been attached correctly to the intercooler, which can result in a damaged coolant hose.
Risk: A damaged coolant hose can leak, causing the engine to overheat, and increasing the risk of fire. In addition, large amounts of coolant spilling onto the roadway can increase the risk of a crash to other vehicles.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the radiator and replace any damaged parts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 19Q8.
22V542000Wipers and visibilityJul 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The touch switch for the sunroof may be too sensitive, allowing it to be inadvertently pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems.".
Risk: A sunroof switch that is inadvertently pressed can result in unintended auto-closure of the sunroof, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the roof module switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 23, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 60F6.
22V163000EngineMar 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf GTI and Golf R vehicles. Certain driving situations, such as high acceleration driving maneuvers, may loosen the engine design cover.
Risk: A loose engine design cover may contact hot surfaces in the engine compartment and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will remove the engine design cover, free of charge. Once parts become available, Volkswagen will provide a free updated engine design cover under a separate Service Action. Owner notification letters were mailed by March 29, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 10H5.
Also looking at these instead of a Golf?
Cars shoppers compare with the Volkswagen Golf, with their own 2022 checklists.
2022 owner complaints, side by side
- Subaru WRX23
- Mazda 326
- Nissan Sentra72
- 2022 Volkswagen Golf114
- Toyota Corolla120
- Hyundai Elantra139
- Honda Civic935
