vinkodex.

Volkswagen Golf Volkswagen e-Golf common faults.

2017–2020, hatchback, electric, 136 HP.

The list covers this version.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

4 fault write-ups. All are important. 3 recalls.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

4 important faults

critical1

E-Golf battery: capacity loss with passive thermal management

critical

The e-Golf battery is not liquid cooled, it only has passive thermal management. In hot weather and with repeated fast charging the cells therefore take more stress, which speeds up ageing. The loss is not linear: it is steep over the first 30,000 to 40,000 km, then it slows. Based on owner measurements, after 4.5 years and around 70,000 km typically 89 to 93 per cent remains, while at 100,000 to 180,000 km around 200 km of real range is typical. The loss of range is the damage itself: the only way to restore it is a battery replacement, which accounts for a significant part of the car's value. It is measurable, and the measurement is cheap.

What to check

  • Have the battery state of health (SoH) read out: an OBD2 adapter and an app do it for under 100 euro, and that is the only reliable number
  • Do not go by the range estimate on the dash: it calculates from the most recent driving style, not from the state of the battery
  • Ask how often it was charged on a fast charger: with passive thermal management that matters
3 more steps in the write-up

expensive3

E-Golf: onboard charger and charging electronics faults

expensive

AC charging hesitates or cuts out, the charge does not start, or it only runs at reduced power. The onboard charger and its associated electronics are the most frequently reported fault on the early model years after degradation. Fast (DC) charging may still work, so a short test can mask the problem: but home charging runs on exactly that AC path.

What to check

  • Try AC charging all the way through, not just the start: the fault often appears after minutes
  • If you can, try it with the supplied cable and with a wallbox
  • Watch whether the dash or the app reports a fault while charging
1 more steps in the write-up

Panoramic roof: drain hose leak

expensive

At the factory the roof drain hoses were fixed to their stubs with only a few spots of adhesive; heat separates them over time, and the water runs onto the headlining. The drains are also narrow and block up easily. The sign is a damp headlining around the A-pillar, or water in the footwell. The maker issued a technical bulletin about it for the 2015 to 2017 Golf and GTI models.

What to check

  • Feel along the headlining beside the A-pillars and at the corners of the roof
  • Open the roof and look at the drain openings in the corners of the water channel running around it
  • Pour a little water carefully into the channel, and see whether it drains out behind the wheel
1 more steps in the write-up

VII: knocking from the climate control blend flap motor

expensive

After startup or while driving a loud clicking, clattering noise comes from behind the dashboard, typically for three to five seconds, at irregular intervals. The actuator motors that move the climate control blend flaps fail. Stripping the dashboard is seven to eight hours of work, so the labour makes up most of the bill.

What to check

  • After a cold start sit quietly in the car and listen for the clicking from behind the dashboard
  • Set the temperature from cold to hot and back, and watch whether there is any clattering
  • Check that the air blows according to the set temperature on both sides
1 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Volkswagen Golf Volkswagen e-Golf

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Official recall3 recallsShow

The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.

A12/00188/24Safety recallFireno date · EU Safety Gate

The thermal protection between the brake force booster and the emissions control device in front of the coupling support with the brake fluid reservoir may not have been correctly fitted. The coupling support could melt, leading to a leak of brake fluid, which could ignite if it comes into contact with hot components. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

The authority's notice

A12/00565/22Safety recallFire, Injuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The amount of extinguishing sand in the fuse of the high-voltage system is not sufficient in the event of a short circuit to the high-voltage safety system. This may cause it to burst, increasing the risk of injuries. Furthermore, the blown fuse can interrupt electrical flow of current leading to a voltage drop inside the vehicle, increasing the risk of fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of Motor Vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

The authority's notice

A12/01322/21Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The luggage net may be incorrectly affixed. As a result, luggage could end up in the passenger compartment, causing injury to the occupants.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

No engine and transmission for this yet. When they are in, you see them here.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
Volkswagen e-Golf
Body
hatchback
Fuel
electric
Transmission
automatic
Engine size
—
Power
100 kW (136 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2017–2020

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)
All VII.5 versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms