AI Damage2019 Volkswagen Golf R: common problems
Owners of the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about forward collision avoidance and electrical system. The maker issued 301 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
- involving a crash
- 1
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 301
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Forward collision avoidance 33% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 4 Backover prevention 17% of all complaints
- 5 Wheels 17% of all complaints
- 6 Electronic stability control 17% of all complaints
- Forward collision avoidance: 2 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 50.
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 18.
- Backover prevention: 1 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Wheels: 1 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 50 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| Backover prevention | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 89 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 63 |
| Engine | 0 | 0 | 45 |
| Powertrain | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Fuel system | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Visibility | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Air bags | 0 | 0 | 3 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
While turning (right hand turn) slowly into parking space, vehicle engine unexpectedly reved and accelerated causing vehicle to jump curb and strike fixed object (tree).
If adaptive cruise control sensor becomes dirty, it does not work, and there’s no option to use regular cruise control. This is a design flaw which VW rectified with new (2021+) models. VW should offer a software update to correct this defect, to allow a driver to toggle between ACC and traditional cruise control.
During annual state inspection on 7/8/22, tech found that the right rear wheel (19" VW Pretoria Gloss Black Alloy Wheels) was bent on both the inside and outside. Unsafe to drive. Wheel had to be replaced. Do not recall hitting any pothole or road hazard that might have caused this damage to the wheel.
The problem is with the vehicle's fuse system. The golf r came with no spare tire but an air pump, which needs to be powered by the 12v dc power of the vehicle. But when I use this original air pump, the fuse of the 12v dc power burns out. This happened for several times since I had the car in october, 2019.
Four times over the last week while driving 35 mph straight down a residential road, I experienced an unexpected engagement of the front collision warning, and one of those four times, 4 days ago, I additionally experienced an unexpected engagement of the front assist emergency braking which caused me alarm, as the…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,633 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 22% least complained about).
On average one model year of the Golf R has 21 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 6, below average.
What to check before buying
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Backover prevention. Rear camera and parking sensors after a rear impact.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Suggested fuel additive
- This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided
- Repair or Replace Information
- Replacement instruction
- Differences between a leak and seepage
- Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order
- This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during…
This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 - Hotfix 12-V battery…
- Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
- Inquiries
- Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards
- Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start
- Lubricating engine components before reassembly
NHTSA lists 301 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: forward collision avoidance, electrical system, service brakes. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (33%), smoke, burning smell, fire (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R?
NHTSA lists 301 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2019 Volkswagen Golf R from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2019 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.