Volkswagen · Golf · 2021
1
Recall
5
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2021 Volkswagen Golf has 1 recall and 5 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: electrical system,air bags,service brakes (1 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 28, 2026
The 2021 Volkswagen Golf page works best as a research starting point. Complaint totals show how much owner-reported activity exists, while recalls and investigations help show whether any of that activity turned into formal safety action.
Because this is a newer-era vehicle page, it usually helps to compare this year against nearby model years before deciding whether a complaint pattern looks isolated or persistent. On this page, the most prominent complaint area is electrical system,air bags,service brakes with 1 reported complaint.
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
If you are researching a used vehicle, start with the complaint categories, compare them against the recall list, and then check nearby model years to see whether the same issue profile repeats. That usually produces a better buying or research signal than treating the raw complaint total as a standalone safety ranking.
Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
13.4% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan LWB, Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas FL and Arteon vehicles. The rear view camera could malfunction during an ignition cycle, leading to a black screen or infotainment system freeze. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Status
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91BB/91BC.
I was almost rear ended because Hill hold assist did not disengage quickly. I’ve driven manual transmission for over 40 years and find this hill hold dangerous!
The last few months my schedule changed and I'm driving in the dark now. The auto dimming mirror does not function as expected, it is too slow in response to prevent glare and blinding from vehicles behind me. By the time the mirror decides to dim I'm already blinded from the g...
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Headlight lens assembly of both headlights is cracking excessively. Upon review of online forums, this is happening frequently to many consumers. This impacts headlight output and looks to be manufacturing defect. Recently reported to dealer who indicated they have seen many of...
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Faulty door wiring harness leading driver side blinkers to stop working, windows randomly rolling down, rear collision detector errors, engine start/stop errors.
red power steering system light turned on and flashed/beeped 3X. steering wheel locked up and I could not turn. I was on the freeway in the far right lane and managed to force push the steering wheel to the right and slowly merge over to the shoulder. Volks in Kearny Mesa confir...
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Showing 5 recent complaints from 5 total
View Full Complaint LogThe strongest comparison flow is usually: exact vehicle-year page, then nearby years of the same model, then other 2021 Volkswagen models. That sequence helps separate one-off year spikes from broader make-wide patterns.
The 2021 Volkswagen Golf has 1 recall recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 5 owner-reported complaints for the 2021 Volkswagen Golf.
The 2021 Volkswagen Golf received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2021 Volkswagen Golf are electrical system,air bags,service brakes (1 reports), unknown or other (1 reports), steering,electrical system (1 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 1 recall on record for the 2021 Volkswagen Golf. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.