NHTSA (USA)Critical
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger air bag may explode or deploy incorrectly during deployment.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module at no cost to you.
This page covers 5 recalls, 17 owner complaints and EPA fuel economy for the 2016 Volkswagen E-Golf.
116 MPGe combined
Compact Cars
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted.
The 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf's complaint picture is dominated by electrical system issues, with owners describing sudden loss of drive power accompanied by an "electrical system, stop" warning on the instrument display. In these cases the car coasts to a halt and in some instances won't restart for a significant period. A separate electrical concern involves the DC fast-charge port, where owners report the connector housing loosening and exposing live current. Regenerative braking also draws complaints: owners describe the system briefly cutting out mid-stop, leaving the car without expected braking response. A smaller cluster of reports mentions the cabin heating system failing to function while the car is plugged in and charging.
17
Total Complaints
1
With Injuries
By System
The 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf has 5 recalls, the most serious being a passenger-side airbag that can explode during deployment and send metal fragments into the cabin, with risk of serious injury or death.
A second airbag concern affects the driver-side airbag and seatbelt pretensioners, which may fail to deploy or fire properly in a crash, leaving occupants without full protection. On the powertrain side, the high-voltage battery management system can falsely detect an electrical surge and shut down the electric motor without warning while the vehicle is moving, which can catch a driver off guard. The rear child safety locks on certain vehicles may not work correctly, allowing a door to be opened from inside by a child while driving. There is also a compliance recall covering vehicles that went through an internal evaluation period and may not meet all applicable regulatory requirements, which the manufacturer has linked to a general risk of crash, fire, or injury.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger air bag may explode or deploy incorrectly during deployment.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module at no cost to you.
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Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Modifications made during an internal evaluation period may have left these vehicles not fully compliant with applicable regulatory requirements.
What the fix does
Dealers will repair vehicles to restore full compliance or Volkswagen will repurchase them at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Driver, passenger, or head air bags may fail to deploy in a crash. On some models, seat belt pretensioners may not activate during a collision.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the affected air bags and seat belt pretensioners at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Vibrations from opening or closing a door may cause rear child door locks to disengage, allowing a child to open a rear door from inside the vehicle.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and replace the rear child lock(s) if needed, at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The high-voltage battery management system's diagnostics may be too sensitive, falsely detecting an electrical surge and causing the electric drive motor to shut down unexpectedly.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the battery management software at no charge to correct the oversensitive diagnostics.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.