NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2022 Volkswagen Golf. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Travel Assist is disabled which includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while driving. Warning lights and warning sounds are designed to alert the driver to a potential safety issue so ignoring the lights and sounds is dangerous in the event it is a different caution/warning. However, also not ignoring it is dangerous because of the frequency of the warnings which causes the driver to look away from the road. After speaking with the maintenance department at my VW dealership, they indicated that this is a widely known problem that is remedied only with the replacement of the steering wheel. There are several other sensors that are triggered by the same issue I was told by the maintenance department. They are uncertain at this time if it impacts the airbag system which is another potential safety concern. The steering wheel can only be ordered after inspection by the maintenance department and there is shortage and/or back order of the part to fix the problem. I also drive my car quite often since it’s the car I use to commute to work and it is 70 miles each way (140 miles round trip) so there is no warranty anymore as I have exceeded mileage so they will not repair. This is a huge safety concern and very known issue with this model car.
The vehicles built-in independent navigation system frequently loses its position. When the system loses its position, it displays an inaccurate vehicle position on the map, and does not provide correct driving guidance. The incorrect driving guidance can lead to a turn into a body of water, house, or other fixed structure. The issue has been reported to the manufacturer and the vehicle was inspected by their dealer. The dealer was able to observe the condition on a test drive. The manufacturer/dealer is placing the blame on cellular phone interference, even if the phone is not connected to the car. This does not equate as the built-in navigation system is a system that is independent of any cellular phone. The manufacturer is not willing to take any further action.
Travel Assist is disabled which includes Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep Assist. The warning lights flash on and off, sometimes multiple times a second, sounding a loud beeping each time. It is triggered at engine start and persists through all speeds. I have experienced it 0-70 mph. The flashing lights and associated rapid beeping indicating the failure is extremely distracting while driving. Warning lights and warning sounds are designed to alert the driver to a potential safety issue so ignoring the lights and sounds is dangerous in the event it is a different caution/warning. However, also not ignoring it is dangerous because of the frequency of the warnings which causes the driver to look away from the road. After speaking with the maintenance department at my VW dealership, they indicated that this is a widely known problem that is remedied only with the replacement of the steering wheel. There are several other sensors that are triggered by the same issue I was told by the maintenance department. They are uncertain at this time if it impacts the airbag system which is another potential safety concern. The steering wheel can only be ordered after inspection by the maintenance department and there is shortage and/or back order of the part to fix the problem
All VW models of this model year suffer from this problem, as evidenced on many forum posts while researching this issue. The problem is that any time you turn the steering wheel even slightly, all safety features of the vehicle fail and notices of their failure are promptly displayed on the screen. My example has had this issue since the day I leased it and after 18 months of leasing the problem remains unresolved. VW states there is a part shortage, but I have two different dealerships trying to get me a new steering wheel and neither one has reported receipt of a replacement wheel. This is a SAFETY FEATURE. The vehicle is UNSAFE TO DRIVE. This impacts ALL VOLKSWAGEN AMERICA VEHICLES. VW should be forced to halt the sale of all vehicles until this problem is RESOLVED.
My 2022 VW GTI recently experienced a malfunction where the Parking Assist feature did not function. This feature appears to encompass the Rear Back-up Camera, Rear Parking Sensors, and Parking Collision Warning system. This failure coincided with the HVAC system control system portion of the infotainment system not booting up. A video can be seen here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Emergency SOS and Travel Assist will intermittently fault out sending a loud chime in the cabin warning me that said assist devices aren’t available. Sometimes the chimes will go off for minutes on end and be completely random. This persistent chime is distracting and also frightening as I think I’m about to get into an accident. Further, with the persistent chime, it will make the driver immune to the noise which could be dangerous if there actually is an emergency. Took the the VW dealership multiple times and they can’t figure out the issue. They’re going to try replacing the steering wheel to see if that rectifies the issue.
I have errors popping up on my dashboard. It says “travel assist is currently not available “ or “emergency assist is currently not available “ . This does not happen every time I drive the vehicle but it happens quite frequently. When it happens It flashes and beeps constantly for a couple of minutes or even longer. Sometimes it beeps during the whole 30+ minutes trip. There is no way to turn it off. This is not just an annoyance but also a safety concern because it’s distracting. I brought my car to the dealership in September and after a couple of days they said that they’re not able to reproduce the problem. The problem still exists
“Travel assist” warning comes on frequently. System activates and deactivates multiple times even in short driving trips. System is responsible for lane departure, collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control etc. Can deactivate and reactivate without any known cause multiple times within even 1 minute. Was told by my dealer that it’s “normal” because it’s “high tech”
The tire pressure monitoring system failed, the front right tire had ruptured and was completely flat for 4-5 blocks and the tire pressure monitoring system did not report to the driver that there was a loss of tire pressure. Yes this car is available for inspection upon request. This could have led the driver into an unsafe situation by not reporting a tire had failed. The issue will be confirmed by a dealership when I take the tire in for repair. Tire has not been inspected yet, I simply changed out the spare tire. No warning lights, errors, or system warnings. And this is point. There is a system on this car that will tall you if tire pressure has changed. It did not tell me tire pressure changed when the tire went completely flat and the car continued to drive. This to me is a failure of the TPMS. Please note this is my third report of safety system failures that can result in harm to the driver or others. I hope you are investigating VW with their newest software and sensor systems. They are highly unreliable and unsafe.
Backup camera upon backing up, fails from time to time. The camera will freeze (showing a still image), It can lag (showing a delayed image), It will sometime show no image at all (just a black screen). Available for inspection upon request, yes. It puts the driver and anyone behind the car at risk, by showing incorrect information to the driver about the position of the car in conjunction to its surroundings. The issue has not been confirmed at a dealership, But I have been documenting it. The dealership is aware the cameras are issues in these cars but doesn’t want to act until a specific recall is made available. Not a great solution since this issue puts people at risk. No warning of errors or awareness from the car that the system has failed.
The panoramic moonroof in my car exploded while I was driving home. It sounded like a shotgun went off inside my car and if the sun visor would have been open, glass would have fallen on me. The moonroof exploded outward, and I have pictures if needed. The car is a little over one year old and I have an appointment with the dealer in a week to see if it is covered under warranty.
Infotainment center will randomly go into "component protection" mode, and the center console will become stuck in a loop of rebooting. While component protection is active, the following systems become unavailable: Backup camera, radio, climate controls, advanced driver assist systems, park assist system, drive mode button, cruise control Situations that have occurred to me personally: Climate control fan becomes stuck on high, radio stops functioning, radio power button does not respond, parking menu button does not respond, car drive mode button does not respond, advanced driver sensor assist button does not respond, climate control button does not respond. Attempt to resolve this issue through Volkswagen certified technicians 6+ times.
Shifter cracked under normal use. This leads to unsafe driving as the ability to shift gears is difficult. Shifter slides off rod when shifting
Third time today I saw my radiator loose from passenger side and was rubbing on ac compressor pulley. Noticed gouge in elbow coming from lower coolant hose. I could lost all coolant on highway then lead to engine shutdown.
While driving suddenly falsely detects obstructions and auto brakes , the acc system entirely turns on and off while driving , same with forward collision and lane keep assist. The dangers I’m having of auto braking on false obstructions is unfit for driving daily and is causing a road hazard as it almost has made me have accidents.
My GTI currently needs a new steering wheel per my dealership. However VW is unable to provide any new steering wheels or get me into a safe car. My car started having an issue around 2 months ago where I will get random cruise control, emergency braking and other safety related system errors. When this happens, it dings, disables anll buttons on the steering wheel and abruptly shuts off all safety features, including cruise control if it’s active. This poses a safety risk that could potentially cause accidents or worse. There are currently 8 GTIs waiting for a new steering wheel at my dealership, with more across the country at other dealerships waiting for a steering wheel.
When shifting (6 speed manual) the shifter knob has come off the shaft multiple times and must be put back on when driving causing a safety issue. When shifting from 2-3 and 4-5 pressure on the shift knob causes it to sometimes turn counter clockwise and then the know pops of the shifting mechanism. I have to try and match up the knob with the shaft while driving and push it back and turn it clockwise. In the past, shifter knobs where screwed on and torqued tightly to keep them on. This one only requires a slight twist to come on and off the shaft.
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V823000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The shift knob on the gear selector of my manual transmission vehicle broke off while attempting to merge into traffic while shifting into 2nd gear at roughly 10mph, leaving me unable to select a gear. This put my safety and that of others at risk by temporarily preventing me from moving my vehicle as I was merging with traffic. In addition, this is the second time a factory shift knob has broken in this car. The first one broke and was repaired by a dealer approximately 6 months ago. The shift knob is still in my car, but I will try to replace it soon. This one has not been inspected by a 3rd party yet. There were no warnings or signs of damage prior to the knob breaking off.
The rear backup camera freezes intermittently. Intermittently the error codes flash that the VW intelligent drive safety features are not available. Car has emergency breaking has activated on an open road on two occasions with rapid slow down. Dealer examined the vehicle and found fault possibly in the touch controls of the steering wheel and the wheel must be replaced. Replacements are available and no eta. This started in January.
Shift nob cracks and eventually detaches from shift rod which causes loss of ability to accelerate/shift. This appears to be a widespread issue based on consumer forums.
Travel Assist (ACC)light and emergency braking systems are turning off and on repeatedly and intermittently. This happened 5 or 6 times on my 15-minute drive to work a few weeks back. I heavily rely on these safety systems so the vehicle is much more unsafe when those systems are inactive, not to mention the annoyance or dinging when the system deactivates which takes my focus off the road. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer or independent service as of yet but I intend to do so with the dealer. The yellow system warning lamps are lit when these systems are inactive.
The shift knob pulls off the manual transmission shifter shaft under certain driving conditions, such as a fast shift. I believe that the shifter knob retainer clip is loose or broken. This is a safety problem. I first noticed it when I had to make a quick maneuver during a turn. Experiencing the shift knob pull off the shaft while I was downshifting was dangerous and distracting. I reported the issue to the service department at my local VW dealer. They were not aware of others having the same problem and asked me to bring in the car if I knew how to duplicate it. I can’t duplicate it in normal driving. The second time it happened I was braking for a traffic light while downshifting. I was able to push the knob back down without crashing, but it is very unnerving. No warning lights are triggered. I have not taken the car in to the dealer yet for an inspection. I don’t like the idea of trying to duplicate the problem like the dealer suggested. I want them to inspect the assembly and will probably give them an opportunity soon. I’m reporting this because I feel that VW should treat this issue with more urgency.
The shift knob for the manual transmission broke off the shift assembly while accelerating and merging onto the freeway. This is what happened the first time the knob broke off. It has happened 3 times due to the part being physically broken. My safety and the safety of others was at risk. When a car is moving at speed and no longer has the option to shift into a higher gear, you become stuck at a slower speed and this happens very suddenly. If you apply brake then the engine will loose RPM and stall out causing the car to loose control of acceleration suddenly and could result in lose of control. This is stated in the VW owners manual under how to drive a manual transmission. The issue has been confirmed by the local dealership and by VW corporate. The component has been inspected my VW dealership. The vehicle has zero warnings or ways to monitor this.
Electronic issues with the infotainment screen that have caused the backup camera to fail to work on multiple occasions. The parking sensors also don't always work properly.
The car constantly says the travel and emergency assist do not work. It’s constantly dinging. I bought the car with the expectation of having these safety features. Many if not all of these generation of GTI have this issue and VW has no fix.
The gear shifter knob came loose during shifts while driving, detaching from the shaft inside of the leather shifter boot, making it difficult or impossible to select a gear.
My 2022 Golf GTI SE is part of the recall with NHTSA ID of 22V707 (Radiator and Coolant Hose). The issue is the radiator comes loose causing a hose and housing to make contact with the accessory belt eventually causing a leak. In my particular instance, I caught the problem early. My radiator had become loose (wasn't loose on previous checks) but hadn't dislodged to the point of causing damage. Per this recall, there's no "fix" for my issue as only the house/housing/pulley/belt are fixed if required. This leaves me waiting on on Volkswagen to issue an ACTUAL fix for the underlying problem (radiator mounting) rather than a fix for only the symptoms. At this point, I'm unable to drive my car for fear of failure and potential engine damage.
The shift knob slid right off the top while shifting into 2nd gear. I had to push it back on to shift into third gear while driving in traffic. I could have lost control of the vehicle if I had not acted quicky.
Travel assist (ACC)light pops up for any reason, that scares you at the beginning because when you are driving you think is something big and could be if you are driving and crash for put attention to the warning light. I tried to desactivate but the function says is unavailable, I did my homework to investigate a little bit more and there’s more cars like mine doing the same thing. The light goes away for days or hours but later come up again.
Poor quality of the shifter knob component and installation from the factory for the 6-speed manual transmission variant of the 2022 VW GTI. The shifter knob can come loose and pop out of the metal shaft while shifting gears in the drive. The poor quality of the knob develops a crack in the corner of the component which can cause the knob to detach from the transmission over time and make the car undrivable. Since taking delivery of the car from the dealership, the shifter knob appears to not be installed properly as the component can feel loose and pop out of the metal shaft and get detached from the transmission. This incident of the shift knob popping out occurred a few times while driving. As changing gears with the shifter knob is a crucial aspect of driving the car, the current component poses a serious quality and safety issue for the car that was overlooked by the manufacturer.
As I was merging onto a highway, the shift lever popped up and disconnected from the linkage as I was changing gears. This left me temporarily unable to accelerate on the on-ramp with vehicle traffic around me. I was able to push back down on the lever and reinstate shifting capabilities but the connection was still loose to the touch and could be pulled up again when I came to a rest after I finished driving. This particular part was eventually replaced under warranty as it had many cosmetic cracks and chips in it. Unknown if this is related to the loose linkage as that is a separate part of the shift boot. This vehicle is the manual transmission version.
Manual shift knob is starting to crack. Vehicle is just under 4,000 miles.
Manual shifter knob has popped off while driving a number of times with virtually no effort (I'm not a hard shifter at all) and primarily when at speed and other dangerous times. Seems to be a poorly crafted plastic clip that is being reported by numerous manual transmission owners.
The manual transmission shift knob has separated from the shift lever multiple times while driving. While shifting between gears, the knob lifts up with the boot off of the actual shift lever and I am unable to complete a shift until reconnecting the knob to the lever. The first time this happened, I was shocked and was nearly hit as I was on a highway entrance ramp and suddenly was not in gear and slowing down in a high traffic situation. Luckily I was able to get it sorted and make a shift with the knob loosely in place and then pull off the road. Firmly pressing the knob down onto the lever seemed to get it solidly attached, but unfortunately this has recurred more than once since then. I'm now aware and conscious to be very careful shifting but to any driver who this happens to the first time could easily be put into a situation of lost control of their vehicle speed or accidentally pull on the steering wheel when the shifter in their hand suddenly is not attached and the movement of their arm to shift results in a jerking of their body since. The shifter in the 2022 GTI (as well as Golf R) is a new design and it appears that multiple owners have experienced the plastic attachment cracking, breaking, or otherwise causing the shift knob to detach. Some owners report having a replacement knob installed and a repeat of the same problem. There seems to be either faulty design or manufacturing of the part, and this is a critical component to car control.
Rear view camera not working, no image on dashboard screen it seems it is an electrical connection issue more than a software issue
Nearly every morning on my way to work I get error codes warning me of Front Assist Systems not working. It stays on for a while then disappears. It's so sporadic. Sometimes it will stay on the whole way to work. I then park the car for the day and when I come out to start the car to return home, the codes are gone. I'm even getting the error codes on the VW App that communicates with the car. This is a major safety feature with the car and VW has done nothing to correct it. I've had this issue since I bought the car in December 2021.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Manual gear shift knob. It has a crack that will potentially loosen and fall off How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? No safety issue yet but at risk of falling off. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? no Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No
During regular operation I shifted the car from 1st to 2nd gear (manual transmission) and the shift knob came off of the metal rod that attaches it to the linkage and transmission. There was no loud crack to indicate something breaking at the time. thankfully it happened at low speeds and I was able to pull over and reattach the knob and drive it home but the plastic that attaches it to the car is very much broken
Shift knob cracked off of shaft during routine driving NOT under "spirited driving" conditions or fast shifting.
During operation, the manual transmission shift knob will become detached from the shift lever and the driver is unable to shift gears. This has occurred while the vehicle was in motion at city and highway speeds.
Each time the vehicle is started its throwing a safety warning alarm and malfunction. I’ve called VW America to file a complaint as well as the dealer and it seems like they just do care to take these software issue’s seriously. I’m truly nervous when I drive the car that in the event of a emergency on the road the systems will not function as designed and I’ve asked numerous times when are they doing a software update and or taking a serious look at the issues with no success
Shift knob cracked at union with dust boot. Concerned that continued use will cause knob to break off the stem or cause cuts/lacerations of fingers or hands. Issue has been reported on VW GTI Group Pages/forums impacting many owners. Repair of existing OEM part under factory warranty does not fix issue as the cracks will occur with the replacement part a second time. Seems the only option is for an aftermarket solution.
The car has a manual transmission. The car has roughly 100 miles on it (brand new). The shift knob (gear knob, gear lever, etc) comes loose periodically and pops off of the gear selector, which is very dangerous as it makes it impossible to shift the car into gear. This has happened at least 3 times in the past 100 miles. All times were at slow speeds with no unusual force applied to the shift knob. There were no warnings and it hasn't been inspected. I'm not interested in having the car inspected but simply want to report the safety issue.
Radiator/coolant line busting all over engine. Dealership had no clue but deduced it was the incorrect mounting of the radiator. Then came across an article about this scandal. In the shop for a week-dealership was terrible too. Included a photo after problem was fixed, but the dealership neglected to clean the engine. You can see where the coolant dried.
The shift knob for the manual transmission cracked at the base, causing it be become dislodged from the transmission during use. I still have the broken knob for later inspection. This was a safety risk as I was unable to put the car in gear while in an intersection. This made me unable to continue my motion out of the intersection until the problem was identified and fixed. The specific incident resulted in no further damage as there were no other vehicles at the intersection at that time. The vehicle has been brought to a certified VW dealership and identified as a problem with the hardware (meaning the technician recognized it was not due to improper use). Neither the vehicle nor the broken shift knob have been inspected by any other official bodies (i.e. manufacturer, police or insurance representative). There were no warnings of any type prior to the problem occurring, nor have there been any indicators signaling a problem since (no warning lamps or messages).
The radiator fell out of it's harness, which cause the coolant hose to rub against a belt. The cooling hose broke, causing all coolant to leak out of the car. The car is now unable to be driven. This is a prevalent issue I heard about throughout the community, but has not been addressed by Volkswagen in any way. The only warning I received from the vehicle was that the car was low on coolant.
Radiator hose hit the serpentine belt and caused full loss of coolant. I currently have 1,483 miles on my car bought new from the dealership. I haven’t even opened my hood until today when I was alerted to low coolant levels and had them all spilling out on my driveway.
Shift knob came off of lever. Plastic sleeve broke above metal clamp. Available for inspection. Could have caused an accident if happened while driving. Has not been inspected by dealer yet. Will take it o next visit. Knob was suddenly loose. Happened while backing out of garage. Replaced knob with aftermarket one. This problem has happened to many VW mk8 GTI/R drivers.
Quite often various warnings show on the screen and following features - Maneuver braking function currently not available - Rear Traffic Alert is currently not available - Error: Park Distance Control
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026