There are 6 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2005 Volkswagen Golfin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I GOT IN THE CAR THIS MORNING TO HEAD TO WORK, I REACHED BACK TO PULL THE SEAT BELT FORWARD AND AROUND MY LAP. NEXT THING I KNEW THE BELT WAS FULLY EXTENDED AND WOULD NOT RETRACT AT ALL. I HAD NO TENSION LEFT IN THE SEAT BELT AND IT HUNG OVER ME COMPLETELY EXTENDED. NOW I AM DRIVING WITH THIS COMPLETELY LOOSE SEAT BELT AROUND ME, AND NO PROTECTION IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT.
I MOVE MY PASSENGER SEAT BACK AND FOR NO REASON THE AIRBAG CAME ON, IT WOULD NOT RESET.
TAKATA RECALL - I WAS IN ACCIDENT ON 5/24/16 AND THE FRONT OF MY CAR WAS ALL DAMAGED BUT THE AIRBAG DID NOT INFLATE CAUSING ME TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL
MULTIPLE AIRBAG FAILURES 01218 - SIDE AIRBAG IGNITER; PASSENGER SIDE (N200) 001 - UPPER LIMIT EXCEEDED - INTERMITTENT - MIL ON 01217 - SIDE AIRBAG IGNITER; DRIVER SIDE (N199) 001 - UPPER LIMIT EXCEEDED - INTERMITTENT - MIL ON THE DTC'S SEEM TO BE GENERATED DURING COLD WEATHER PERIODS WHEN THE SEATS ARE MOVED. THIS HAPPENS AT LEAST 1 - 2 TIMES PER YEAR. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN MOVING WHEN THESE CODES WERE GENERATED. DEALER HAS COMPLETED THE TSB FOR THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG WIRING, BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. PASSENGER SEAT DOES NOT HAVE A TSB FOR THE AIRBAG WIRING. DEALER REQUIRES THAT THE CODE BE CLEARED AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR $100 PER INCIDENT. PROBLEMATIC AIRBAGS ARE DISABLED UNTIL THE FAULT CODE IS CLEARED FROM THE SYSTEM. BOTH CODES HAVE APPEARED MULTIPLE TIMES, AT LEAST 4, ON THIS SAME VEHICLE AND THIS PROBLEM IS ALSO FOUND ON MULTIPLE VW MODELS. *TR
THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS TURNED ON FOR THE SECOND TIME, REDERING THE AIRBAGS USELESS. I HAVE HAD THE AIRBAGS REPLACED ONCE WITHIN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF BECAUSE OF THE SAME ISSUE. I WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT AND I NEVER HIT ANYTHING TO CAUSE THE SENSOR TO TRIGGER. THIS SEEMS TO BE A FAULTY PART THAT HAS PROBLEMS WITH RELIABILITY NOW AND THE BAGS DO NOT DEPLOY WHEN THEY ARE NEEDED. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE CAR IS NOW 3 MONTHS OR 4,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. I AM TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT THE BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY NOW. I HAVE DONE NOTHING OUTSIDE THE REALM OF NORMAL DRIVING. WHEN THE PARTS WERE REPLACED THE FIRST TIME, THE DEALERSHIP KEPT THE OLD PARTS. I HAVE NOT TAKEN THIS ONE IN YET AS I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR THE COST OF THIS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR AT THIS TIME. *TR
2005 VW GOLF GLS. 77,661 MILES. WARRANTY ONLY COVERS 50,000. COULD NOT AFFORD $3,300 FOR EXTENDED WARRANTY. NO REPAIRS UNTIL NOW. PASSENGER SEAT INFREQUENTLY USED. "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. A FEW MINUTES LATER "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WENT OUT AND THE "AIRBAG INDICATOR" LIGHT CAME ON. DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME $99.50 FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST. RESULT:WIRING CHASSIS TO PASSENGER SIDE HAD VERY HIGH RESISTANCE READING AND REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED FOR THE CHASSIS AND AIRBAG (650.00). NEEDED CAR INSPECTION THIS MONTH. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE ERROR MAY BE UNTRUE. THEY ERASED THE ERROR AND STATED THAT IF THE INDICATOR DID NOT REAPPEAR, THEN THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM. IF IT DID, THEN THE REPAIR WAS MANDATORY TO PASS STATE INSPECTION AND PROVIDE ACCEPTABLE SAFETY FOR PASSENGER. DRIVING HOME FROM DEALERSHIP LIGHT DID NOT APPEAR SO I HAD STATE INSPECTION. PASSED STATE INSPECTION. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND VW AND ASKED FOR REIMBURSEMENT SINCE THIS WAS A FAULTY ERROR. DEALERSHIP AND VW CUSTOMER CARE WOULD NOT REFUND THE DIAGNOSTIC COST OR ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. NOW I AM WONDERING IF THE ERROR IS LEGITIMATE AND ALSO IF MY AIRBAG SYSTEM HAS AN ERROR. IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT, WILL I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYING PROPERLY OR AT ALL? *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026