There are 3 owner-reported driver assist & adas complaints for the 2018 Volkswagen Golfin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Second occurrence of this issue approximately two years apart, unresolved and unaddressed by manufacturer. Driving during evening on lit city street at night traveling in lane of traffic. In normal course of driving (~25 mph) vehicle applied full brakes with no advance notice in the middle of road. Forward Collision Assist had been activated by what appeared to be a patch of ice on the road ahead. Full braking while driving posed significant risk of rear collision due to automated full brake application without input or forewarning to the driver.
Had forward collision assist (turned on by default at engine start) turned on. When entering an intersection, vehicle stopped short to a full stop right in front of a metal plate on the road in the intersection. Had there been a vehicle behind me, the system may have needlessly caused a collision.
AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGES WITHOUT CAUSE OR WARNING. AT BOTH SLOW AND MODERATE SPEEDS WITH NO OBSTACLE IN FRONT OF CAR. RISK OF CAUSING A REAR-END ACCIDENT VERY HIGH. DEALERSHIP RAN DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND NOTHING. RECOMMENDS DISABLING SYSTEM IF ISSUE PERSISTS.
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