Used Volkswagen Golf Estate 2013-2020 reliability

As an estate car, it’s just possible that a Volkswagen Golf has been used for regularly transporting very heavy loads, so it’s worth looking for excessive wear in the boot and listening out for any strange noises from the rear suspension. That aside, any problems you might encounter are the same as with any seventh-generation Golf hatchback.

Timing chain issues

That means insisting on a full-service history. Petrol cars, in particular, have been known to snap timing chains if not serviced to schedule, causing major engine damage, so look for a fully stamped service book.

Volkswagen appears to have largely sorted any major issues associated with its DSG automatic gearbox, but it’s still worth checking that any cars equipped with this shift smoothly up and down through the gears.

Electrical glitches

The same goes for the electrics, including sat-nav, if fitted. On the vast majority of cars, it works as its maker intended, but a few owners have experienced glitches, so be sure to test all of the systems as part of your test drive, including pairing your phone via Bluetooth.

Adaptive cruise control

Examples fitted with automatic cruise control (ie cruise control that senses the distance from the car in front) can suffer from problems whereby the system gets confused and slams on the brakes. Often, there’s little that can be done to solve this. The system can be recalibrated, at a cost.

Lights may fail without warning

An issue with the programming of the on-board supply control unit means the driver may not be warned of a light bulb blowing. It’s also possible for a message to pop up suggesting there’s a fault when there isn’t. Speak to a VW dealer for further information because new software will need to be installed to fix the problem.

Passenger air bag

Due to a faulty weld in the gas generator used in the air bag assembly, there’s a potential for parts of the assembly to break off and cause injury to occupants. Affected vehicles will need to have any faulty items replaced, so find out from your VW dealer if your car is affected by this.

Air bag and seat belt tensioner

Some examples may have an issue with either the air bags, seat belt tensioners, or both. Due to an error in the manufacturing process, these may not trigger correctly in a collision, affecting passenger safety. Find out if your car is affected by this because it'll need to have all faulty air bags and seat belt tensioners replaced.

Fuel leak

A tooling issue at the factory meant that some examples were fitted with engine cylinder heads that were not produced to the correct specification. This could then lead to an issue with the fuel rail loosening over time and allowing fuel to leak, with the potential for an engine fire.

Front wheel bearing housing

The front wheel bearing housing on a small number of Golfs might not have been manufactured correctly and could potentially fracture. Your Volkswagen dealer should be able to check the casting date to find out if your car is affected and let you know whether replacements are required.

Incorrect front brake discs fitted

Some Golfs might have been fitted with front brake discs that are not of the correct thickness, which could crack under extreme circumstances. Contact your local Volkswagen dealer to check if your car is affected by this recall and needs to have replacement discs fitted.

Insecure head restraint

There has been an issue reported with the front head restraints of a limited number of Golfs where a burr created during the manufacturing process could prevent the locking mechanism from working correctly. Your Volkswagen dealer should be able to let you know if your car is affected.

Child lock failure

The child locks on some examples might disengage without warning and allow occupants to open the rear doors. Speak to your dealer for further information because new locks will need to be fitted to sort the problem.

Rear hub carrier

On certain Golfs there was an issue with the rear hub carrier not being manufactured to the correct standard, so in extreme circumstances, the car could lose a rear wheel. A recall was issued to replace the carriers on affected cars, so find out if your car is one of those affected by speaking with your local VW dealer.

Seat backrest

A small number of Golfs may have been fitted with seats where the welds on the backrest head restraint mounting could fail in an accident. You Volkswagen dealer should be able to tell you if your car requires a replacement seat to solve the problem.

According to our most recent What Car? Reliability survey, petrol-powered Golfs are more dependable than the diesel equivilent. Petrol examples finished in 21st place out of 37 in the family car class, while diesels were down in 33rd place.

Volkswagen as a brand finished in 22nd place out of 32 car manufacturers in the same survey.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information