There are 5 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2010 Volkswagen Golfin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I call my call Inspector Gadget because it shifts on it's own. I could be braking and it leaps forward as if I put it in 4th or 5th gear. I heard of gears "slipping" but it is the reverse - it's rev's on it's own and speed increases. I was told it might be the manifold but I can't get that confirmed from auto mechanic and it won't pass smog now.
THE GOLF IS THE TDI DIESEL VERSION. IS EQUIPPED WITH A DSG STYLE AUTO TRANSMISSION. THE SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS BECAME VERY ROUGH AND AND VEHICLE SPEED SURGED UP AND DOWN WHILE IN GEAR. CLUNKING NOISES FROM ENGINE/TRANNY COMPARTMENT. SPEED HARD TO MAINTAIN. HAS BEEN IN VW DEALER SHOP TWICE NOW FOR ATTEMPTED REPAIRS. FIRST REPAIRS ENTAILED REPLACEMENT OF "MECHATRONIC" UNIT. WAS REASONABLY SUCCESSFUL FOR ABOUT 500 MILES AND THEN FAILED IN SAME FASHION AGAIN. *TR
2010 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF TDI 6 SPEED MANUAL: CLUTCH AND IGNITION SWITCH ISSUE. VEHICLE IS CLEARLY ONE OF THE EASIEST CARS TO STALL. OWNER HAS BEEN DRIVING FOR 27 YEARS, PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED DRIVER AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND DRIVEN NUMEROUS MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES IN DEMANDING SITUATIONS. THIS VEHICLE HAS VERY LONG CLUTCH TRAVEL BUT AN EXTREMELY SHORT ENGAGEMENT. CAR NOTORIOUSLY STALLS VERY EASILY BECAUSE OF THIS. VEHICLE IS DESIGNED WITH AN APPARENT BUILT IN 750 RPM STALL METER...IE CAR WILL NOT REMAIN RUNNING IF IN GEAR AND AT OR BELOW 750 RPM'S. SECONDLY, DUE TO THE STALLING OF THE ENGINE, THE NEXT INFERIOR DESIGN ISSUE IS THAT VW IGNITIONS REQUIRE YOU TO COMPLETELY MANUALLY CYCLE OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH (AS WHEN THE CAR IS STALLED) THEN RECYCLE THE IGNITION SWITCH TO RESTART THE MOTOR. THEREFORE, WHEN YOU STALL THE CAR, AS EASILY AS IT HAPPENS, SUCH AS MOVING OUT INTO AN INTERSECTION FROM A STOP SIGN, YOU MUST RAPIDLY TURN IGNITION SWITCH COUNTER CLOCKWISE, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY CLOCKWISE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT IS LEAVING YOU DISABLED WHERE ANOTHER VEHICLE COULD EASILY COLLIDE WITH YOU. VW APPARENTLY FEELS THIS TYPE OF IGNITION "SAFETY" IS NECESSARY TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF DAMAGING AN IGNITION IF ONE WERE TO ATTEMPT TO TURN OVER AN ALREADY RUNNING ENGINE, WHEN ONE FORGOT IT WAS RUNNING. IF THIS IS SUCH A GREAT DESIGN WHY DON'T OTHER CAR MANUFACTURES ALSO USE THIS FEATURE? AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANYONE SEVERELY DAMAGING AN IGNITION BY TURNING OVER AN IGNITION ON AN ALREADY RUNNING ENGINE. *TR
2010 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF TDI 6 SPEED MANUAL STALLS EXTREMELY OFTEN. I HAVE PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN GTI WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE CLUTCH ENGAGEMENT. 2010 GOLF HAS CURRENTLY 12.000 MILES ON IT AND THE PROBLEM DOESN'T GO AWAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHEN YOU ARE ABOUT TO TAKE OFF AND CLEAR THE INTERSECTION. THEREFORE I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. AS PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS STATE, APPARENTLY THE CARS IMMEDIATELY STALLS AS SOON AS YOU FALL BELOW 750RPM. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT EVERYTHING IS NORMAL AND THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT! I HAVE TO ENTER AN APPROXIMATE INCIDENT DATE BUT IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. THEREFORE THE DATE IS SOMEWHAT USELESS. *TR
ON A HIGHWAY THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING WHILE I WAS IN CRUISE CONTROL. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE ENGINE CAME TO LIFE. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY DEALER WHO SAID THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM THAT THEY COULD FIND. THE CAR IS A 2 MONTH OLD VW GOLF TDI. *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 25, 2026