What's Wrong with the 1st Generation (2015–2019) Golf SportWagen?

Golf SportWagen owners have made 18 complaints about the 2015–2019 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 19th out of 46 VW generations in overall reliability, with some windows and electrical concerns.

Common 2015-2019 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen Problems

Some of the worst issues 1st generation Golf SportWagen owners have to deal with.

  1. Diesel Emissions Scandal

    Volkswagen has admitted to using a defeat device on its supposedly 'clean diesel' vehicles. The reason? To skirt around US emissions standards. This doesn't sit well with ... well, just about anybody. In fact, the only group who seems reall…

    Continue reading article "Diesel Emissions Scandal" Emissions cloud coming out of a tailpipe

  2. What Are We Missing?

    We know there's more problems than this. Let us know which one you'd like to see us cover next.

    Continue Emissions cloud coming out of a tailpipe

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

1st Generation (2015–2019) Golf SportWagen Key Numbers

  1. 5 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 18 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 19th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 46 eligible generations.

Recent 1st Generation (2015–2019) Golf SportWagen News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Volkswagen is recalling 6,300 vehicles after their supplier informed them the rear coil springs they provided weren’t ready for production.

    Um, whoops? If the coil spring breaks it will cause an unsettling noise (bad), a sagging backend (worse), and can even puncture a tire leading to a sudden blowout (holy smokes terrible). Owners of the 2018-2019 Atlas, 2015 Golf SportWagen, and 2019 Jetta should be on the lookout for a recall notice in the mail.

    VW Coil Spring Recall

    keep reading article "VW Says Supplier Sent Coil Springs That Can Snap, Crackle, and Pop the Tires"

  2. When Volkswagen agreed to a multi-district settlement for selling polluting engines marketed as clean diesel, it did so knowing it’d have to pay billions of dollars to customers that owned or leased an affected vehicle when the news about the scandal broke.

    Some owners that had sold their affected vehicles before the news came out tried to file for compensation in court, but didn't get very far. That may be about to change due to an interesting court decision in California.

    Former owners and lessees of Volkswagen "clean diesel" vehicles can proceed with their lawsuit even though the customers got rid of their diesel vehicles before anyone knew the emissions systems were illegal.

    Volkswagen, as you might image, is less than impressed with this decision.

    Volkswagen says the case is nothing more than trial attorneys trying to suck more money out of the automaker that has already paid more than $25 billion for its emissions sins.

    keep reading article "Judge's Decision May Open to the Door to New Diesel-Scandal Claims"