2018 Volkswagen Golf Recalls: 6 Safety Recalls
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for the 2018 Volkswagen Golf, including at least one urgent “park it” warning. Here's what each one means for a used-car buyer.
6
Open recall campaigns (NHTSA)
Yes
“Park it” urgent warning
6
Vehicle systems affected
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Open recalls for the 2018 Volkswagen Golf
STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE
NHTSA 18V464000
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Volkswagen Golf and Golf Sportwagen vehicles. The build of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition while the vehicle shift lever is not in "Park." As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Pr…
Risk: Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37L5.
Reported: 11/07/2018
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
NHTSA 18V369000
PARK IT — urgent
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may conta…
Reported: 01/06/2018
SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS
NHTSA 19V188000
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.
Risk: If a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J5.
Reported: 06/03/2019
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE
NHTSA 19V615000
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmis…
Risk: Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.
Reported: 22/08/2019
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
NHTSA 20V372000
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling two 2018 Golf GTI vehicles. The VIN printed on the Federal Certification label may not match the actual VIN on the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
Risk: If the stamped vehicle identification number (VIN) does not match the VIN on the Vehicle Certification Label, owners may be unable to tell if their vehicle is under an important safety recall, possibly exposing them to an increased risk of a crash, fire or injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a correct certification label, free of charge. This recall began July 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01E7.
Reported: 24/06/2020
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
NHTSA 24V110000
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a problem with a suction jet pump seal inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions…
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-8…
Reported: 14/02/2024
Is the 2018 Volkswagen Golf safe to buy used?
6 open recalls doesn't automatically mean you should walk away — most recalls are repaired free of charge at a dealer. What matters is whether this specific car has had the work done. An unrepaired “park it” recall is both a safety risk and real negotiating leverage: you can make the repair a condition of sale or ask for money off to cover your time.
How buyers use recall data to negotiate
- Lead with the facts. Bring the NHTSA campaign numbers to the seller — it signals you've done your homework.
- Make repair a condition. Ask the seller to complete any open recall at a dealer before you pay.
- Trade it for price. If they won't fix it, ask for money off to cover the trip and downtime.
- Verify the VIN. A full ClearVIN Buyer Brief confirms which recalls are still open on the exact car.
Get the full Buyer Brief for your 2018 Volkswagen Golf
Enter the VIN and we'll pull this car's exact open recalls, a fair market-value range, an inspection checklist, and a 5-point negotiation script — in about 30 seconds.
Run my VIN report — $9.99
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the 2018 Volkswagen Golf have?
NHTSA lists 6 open safety recalls for the 2018 Volkswagen Golf, including at least one urgent “park it” campaign. Each campaign and its remedy is listed above.
Are Volkswagen Golf recall repairs free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are performed free of charge at any authorized Volkswagen dealer, regardless of the car's age or mileage and regardless of how many owners it has had.
How do I check if a specific 2018 Volkswagen Golf had its recalls fixed?
You need the car's 17-character VIN. A ClearVIN Buyer Brief looks up the exact VIN against NHTSA's database and shows which recall campaigns are still open on that individual vehicle.
Should recalls stop me from buying a used 2018 Volkswagen Golf?
Not necessarily. Most recalls are quick, free dealer fixes. Use any open recall as leverage: ask the seller to complete the repair before sale, or negotiate the price down to cover it.
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