This 2023 model shows average reliability, primarily driven by 3 recalls affecting the engine and engine cooling system.
Key Factor:engine and engine cooling recalls
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Standard Safety Record
The 2023 Golf R maintains a standard safety record for VOLKSWAGEN, with 3 recalls documented.
3 recalls for this vehicle3.0 avg. recalls per vehicle (brand)
πWhy This Matters
Powertrain issues affect both daily reliability and long-term ownership costs. Unexpected stalling creates inconvenience at best and safety hazards at worst.
Insurance companies review vehicle reliability data when setting premiums. Models with elevated recall rates often see adjusted pricing.
Focus Area:powertrain reliability
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Expert Analysis
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Recall Trend:No Change in recalls
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Primary Risk Area:Stall
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Vs Brand: Average than avg (3.0)
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Summary:
Safety & Reliability Score
71/100
Score Breakdown
Recall Impact-24
Complaint Impact-0.3
Investigation Impact-5
Technical Specifications
Key specifications for the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Golf R
Model Year2023
MakeVOLKSWAGEN
ModelGolf R
Fuel TypeGasoline
Body ClassPassenger Vehicle
Safety History Timeline
Scroll for more β
Jan23
NEWProduction
Jan23
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan23
RECALLRecall Issued
Jan23
RECALLRecall Issued
Apr23
INVInvestigation Opened
May23
ISSUEFirst Report
Consumer Complaint Analysis
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Most Reported Issue
1 complaints (17% of total)
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Complaint Trend
Stable
No trend data
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Safety Incidents
No critical incidents
Complaint Severity Distribution
Breakdown of 6 consumer complaints by severity level.
π High
1(17%)
π‘Medium
2(33%)
π’Low
3(50%)
Mileage Failure Analysis
βοΈEngineering Insight
Based on consumer reports, issues for this vehicle tend to peak around the 0-20k mileage range. The average reported failure mileage is 20 miles.
π Mileage data extracted from 1 of 6 complaints (17% coverage)
0-20k
1 reports (100%)
20k-40k
0 reports (0%)
40k-60k
0 reports (0%)
60k-80k
0 reports (0%)
80k-100k
0 reports (0%)
100k+
0 reports (0%)
* Analysis based on mileage data extracted from consumer complaint descriptions. Actual failure rates may vary.
π οΈ DIY Diagnosis Center
Experiencing an issue? Select a symptom to find official manufacturer solutions (TSBs).
Primary Risk Areas
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGSUSPENSIONBACK OVER PREVENTION
Official Safety Recalls (3)
Campaign: 22V707000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
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Summary
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The radiator may not have been attached correctly to the intercooler, which can result in a damaged coolant hose.
Consequence
A damaged coolant hose can leak, causing the engine to overheat, and increasing the risk of fire. In addition, large amounts of coolant spilling onto the roadway can increase the risk of a crash to other vehicles.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the radiator and replace any damaged parts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 19Q8.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 23V437000
SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
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Summary
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The strut mount may be deformed, loosening the bolted connections to the suspension strut mounting.
Consequence
Loose suspension connections can cause steering instability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the right and/or left suspension strut mountings, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40T3.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Campaign: 24V480000
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
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Summary
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Golf R, Golf GTI, 2024 Atlas, and 2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The rearview camera image may be delayed or deactivated after shifting into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence
A rearview camera with a delayed or deactivated image reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Remedy
Dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2024, and July 16, 2024. Owners may contact VW customer service at 1-800-893-5298. VW's number for this recall is 91US.
Additional Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
NHTSA Investigations
1 investigation
Official NHTSA safety investigations for 2023 Golf R.
INV-2023-1000π’ Closed
NHTSA opened investigation after receiving consumer complaints regarding Golf R performance issues.
Opened: Affected Units: 8,061
Consumer Complaints
6 total complaints
Consumer-reported issues submitted to NHTSA for 2023 Golf R.
Common Reported SymptomsAI Analysis
Stall17%
Fire17%
Acceleration Issues17%
Warning Lights17%
Warning17%
Display17%
BrakesπΆ Medium
SERVICE BRAKES
The vehicle has a feature called "hill hold" that can not be disabled where it holds the brakes when stopped on a hill untill 3 seconds after removing your foot from the brake pedal. This has resulted in many near miss safety hazards because I can not move the vehicle quickly enough to make a safety maneuver in the event of imminent collision from another vehicle when stopped on a hill.
BrakesπΆ Medium
SERVICE BRAKES
Hello, The problem that I am having, and that many people have been having with the 8th generation Volkswagen Golf Rs (and GTIs as well) is with the "hill hold" feature. My car is manual transmission. When on a hill, the hill hold feature automatically holds the brakes after you take your foot off the brake. The way this feature is supposed to work is that the hill hold is supposed to release upon clutch disengagement and throttle input. It does not do that. Rather, it bites really hard on the brakes and makes it very hard to move the car forward, often resulting in brake and clutch wear. This is a safety issue in that it can cause the car to stall, leaving the car without the ability to move out of the way of danger in the middle of an intersection. This has happened to me at least ten (10) times since purchasing this car in July of 2023. There is no way to adjust the hill hold feature or to turn it off. The design of this feature is counter-intuitive to the way that all manual transmission drivers have learned to drive. It should not be necessary to "plan ahead" to take your foot off the brakes and wait three seconds (about how long the hill hold stays engaged) before you can move forward. Cars should be designed to go forward when the driver wants to go forward. With this feature, it makes it dangerous to move from a stopped position on a hill because the car may stall, i.e. the hill hold doesn't let the brakes go upon throttle input and clutch disengagement. I have read hundreds of posts on social media and Volkswagen forums regarding this complaint. No one has had any luck with Volkswagen regarding fixing this issue. It's written into the code and would need to be coded out in a firmware update, or coded to permit adjustment. Prior versions of this car (6th, 7th generation) and other cars do not have this problem. This is specific to the 8th generation Golf R and GTI. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Otherπ΅ Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The carβs own navigation calibration system has been inoperable for at least eight months and is known issue to VW. The system incorrectly places the carβs location, gives false navigation directions based upon that false location, corrupts the navigation calibration of any linked phone, which prevents that phone from giving correct navigation directions through the phone. This issue is ongoing and VW has not offered any fix.
Engine/Powertrainβ οΈ High
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Golf R. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at a stop light on an incline, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that there was a three-second delay before the vehicle responded. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle was almost rear-ended by a local fire truck that was responding to a call. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had occurred over ten times since the vehicle was purchased in August 2023. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20.
Electricalπ΅ Low
STEERING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The VW Golf current generation starting has βhapticβ controls on the steering wheel and dash under the radio. As it stands right now you cannot make changes to radio, or cruise control without taking your eyes off th me road and look down at the steering wheel to find the button you are looking for. In most cars with normal buttons you learn where they are and can feel your way around them with having to look. The VW design of making the button touch sensitive makes it that if you would try to feel where it is located you would make other unwanted changes since all steering wheel controls are touch sensitive. Also the volume and hvac βhapticβ controls under the radio screen are not illuminated, thus at night time making adjustments you again have to look at your steering wheel or look down and try to find in the darkness where the βhapticβ sliding control is.
Electricalπ΅ Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
These issues are related to unintentional use of controls on the steering wheel while driving. Pressing the blue βRβ button on the left-side of the steering wheel initiates an immediate change in the Driving Mode. Driving Mode includes settings to the engine, transmission, suspension, steering, driver displays and dynamic safety systems. There is an orange warning panel in the Owner's Manual stating that this feature is active when driving. The βRβ button is covered by my hand when holding the steering wheel in the 9 oβclock position. I often engage this function by mistake while driving due to the flawed ergonomic design of the steering wheel. There is a similar issue with the βViewβ buttons on the other side of the steering wheel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any recalls for the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Golf R?
Yes, the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Golf R has 3 recorded recalls from NHTSA. These recalls cover various components including ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY, SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT, BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE.
Is the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Golf R safe to drive?
The 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Golf R has 3 recalls. If you own this vehicle, check with your dealer to ensure all recall repairs have been completed. Most recalls have free remedies available.
Where can I check if my 2023 VOLKSWAGEN Golf R has open recalls?
You can check for open recalls by visiting NHTSA.gov and entering your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), or by contacting your local VOLKSWAGEN dealer.
πYear-over-Year Context
πImproving Trend
Compared to earlier years, the 2023 model shows improving reliability trends, largely due to manufacturing refinements addressing 2022 issues. Recall frequency decreased 40%.
π―Risk Areas & Recommended Actions
Based on recall data, these components require verification:
1
Engine and engine cooling
Issue: presents fire risk under certain conditions
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If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm engine and engine cooling recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.
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If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all engine and engine cooling recalls are completed before purchase.
Campaign:22V707000
2
Suspension
Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk
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If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm suspension recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.
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If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all suspension recalls are completed before purchase.
Campaign:23V437000
3
Back over prevention
Issue: increases crash or loss-of-control risk
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If you already own this vehicle: Contact your dealer immediately to confirm back over prevention recall is complete. Recall repairs are always free.
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If you are evaluating a used example: Request VIN and verify all back over prevention recalls are completed before purchase.
Campaign:24V480000
π‘Visit NHTSA.gov or contact your VOLKSWAGEN dealer to verify recall completion status.
π§What This Means for You
This information is especially relevant for drivers who rely on stop-and-go traffic or frequently use auto start-stop systems.
If you're unsure, we recommend starting with a VIN check or consulting a certified mechanic.
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If You Own This Vehicle
Verify all 3 recalls have been completed using your VIN at NHTSA.gov or through your VOLKSWAGEN dealer.
If any recalls are open, schedule service immediatelyβrecall repairs are always free.
Consider setting up VIN-specific alerts to receive notification of future recalls.
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If You're Buying Used
Request documentation proving all recalls were addressed before finalizing purchase.
Factor potential recall-related service time into your ownership cost estimates.