Independent · Not affiliated with NHTSA or any automaker MethodologyData sourcesData refreshed Oct 6, 2026

2019 Volkswagen Golf R: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R, most recently filed October 2022. Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the forward collision avoidance. In NHTSA crash tests it earned 5 stars overall.

Data summary generated from official records. Methodology Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
Caution Fewer than 50 complaints filed. With this few reports, patterns may not be meaningful.
Compare

Recalls (2)

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 2019 Volkswagen Golf R. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 22V815000 Filed Oct 31, 2022

Tire Pressure Loss Not Detected/FMVSS 138

Tires · pressure monitoring and regulating systems
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Consequence
An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi’s customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
84.4% repairedof 296,044 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 22V815000
Listed for 2019 Volkswagen Golf R. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 21V321000 Filed May 5, 2021

Modifications to Vehicles Made Them Noncompliant

Unknown or other
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Consequence
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
Remedy
Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.
37% repairedof 46 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V321000

PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.

Owner complaints (6)

6 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The forward collision avoidance is mentioned most often.

1involved a crash
0involved a fire
0injuries reported
0deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

Complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R, by component (top 7). One complaint can list several components, so these add up to more than 6.Source: NHTSA ODI owner complaints · Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 · Report a data error

How 2019 compares with other Golf R years

Best and worst Golf R years →
4 1 12 15 9 6 10 6 12 4
2013201520162017201820192022202320242026
This year (2019)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Crash tests: 5 stars overall

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 4★★★★★☆
Side crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 5★★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
RolloverRollover risk 13.4%★★★★☆
Front seat of a modern car with the seat belt buckled across the passenger seat
Compare fairly. Compare stars only between vehicles of similar size and weight. Ratings apply to the tested configuration.

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2019 Volkswagen Golf R 4 dr awd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Fuel economy: up to 26 mpg combined

26
mpg combined
23
city
30
highway
EPA annual fuel cost
$3,150
CO₂ tailpipe
343 g/mi
EPA class
Compact Cars

What it costs you to run

$2,512per year
$209per month
577gallons a year

Miles ÷ 26 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.

EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.

Specs by configuration

2019 Volkswagen Golf R configurations with EPA data
Engine · transmissionDriveCity / Hwy / CombEPA $/yrCO₂ g/mi
2 L 4-cyl · AutomaticAll-Wheel Drive23 / 30 / 26$3,150343
2 L 4-cyl · 6-speed manualAll-Wheel Drive21 / 29 / 24$3,400373

Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 2019 Golf R for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All Golf R years

Where to next

2019 Volkswagen Golf R FAQ

How many recalls does the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R have?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns: 22V815000 (tire), 21V321000 (unknown or other). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What are the most common 2019 Volkswagen Golf R problems?

Owners filed 6 complaints with NHTSA. Forward collision avoidance (2), Back over prevention (1), Electrical system (1) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.

What mpg does the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R get?

EPA rates the 2 L 4-cyl · Automatic version at 23 city, 30 highway and 26 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.

What safety rating did the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R get?

NHTSA rated the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R 4 dr awd 5 stars overall, with 4 stars frontal, 5 stars side and 4 stars rollover (13.4% rollover risk).

How does the 2019 Golf R compare with other years?

Among the 2013–2019 Volkswagen Golf R model years at least five years old, the 2015 drew the fewest complaints (1) and the 2017 the most (15). The 2019 drew 6. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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