Volkswagen Golf 1997
Model Golf made in 1997 by Volkswagen got 25 consumer complains as well as 19 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to air bags and communications. Technical service bulletines regarding electrical system and engine and engine cooling. The car has 2 modeles with engines 1.9l and 2.0l.
Model 1997
| Engine [L] | Cylinders | Transmission | Drive | Estimate MPG (city/highway/combined) | Unadjusted MPG (city/highway/combined) | Fuel | Fuel cost | Class | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ( 1.9L) | 4 | Manual, 5 gears | FWD | 40/49/44 | 44/63/51 | D | $ 409 | 4 | 960825 |
| ( 2.0L) | 4 | Lockup/automatic, 4 gears | FWD | 22/29/24 | 24/37/29 | Regular | $ 751 | 4 | 960825 |
| ( 2.0L) | 4 | Manual, 5 gears | FWD | 24/31/26 | 26/40/31 | Regular | $ 693 | 4 | 960825 |
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 9704039704F | 04/03/1997 | 53617 | Service manual on electric window regulator motors. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 9705159702A | 05/15/1997 | 53612 | Procedures applying to distributor installation on updated 2.0l engines. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||||
| 15 9701 | 06/04/1997 | 53616 | Toothed belt runs towards outside, wears out/ jumps off, and cracks. *ak | 12/02/1999 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| 2015831 | 08/28/2008 | 10026848 | Volkswagen: exhaust heat shield, replacement guidelines. heat shields are to be inspected after completion o any type of repair to the underbody (exhaust system transmission, etc.), and if damaged, replaced. *pe | 12/29/2008 | |
| EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - AIR CONDITIONER | |||||
| 9802 | 02/16/1998 | 600825 | Disconnecting the front passenger airbag unit. *yc | 06/09/1998 | |
| EQUIPMENT - OTHER - LABELS | |||||
| 9703129702F | 03/12/1997 | 53618 | Vehicles equipped with new airbag warning labels. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 00 9706 | 07/31/1997 | 53633 | Chart identifies which transmission control modules (tmc) are available for various states. *ak | 12/02/1999 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 00 9706 | 07/31/1997 | 53633 | Chart identifies which transmission control modules (tmc) are available for various states. *ak | 12/02/1999 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - COLUMN SHIFT | |||||
| 34 9703 | 04/11/1997 | 53605 | Transmission pops out of gear/shifter feels like it has a double detent when shifting into gear, and will not maintain shift adjustment. *ak | 12/02/1999 | |
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||||
| 9705309704A | 05/30/1997 | 53615 | Conditions with transmission not shifting into reverse and is difficult to shift in/out of reverse. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| 9704109702F | 04/10/1997 | 53606 | Difficulties with shift lever and transmission is hard to shift into reverse gear. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 970213970198 | 02/13/1997 | 54133 | Condition with vehicles shifter lever vibrating/knocking in 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th gears. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| SEATS | |||||
| 0101 | 06/12/2001 | 621613 | Subject regarding latch system lower anchors and tethers for children, installing / retrofitting. *tt | 09/27/2001 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||||
| 9708129701D | 08/12/1997 | 53634 | Concerns with anti-theft alarm sounds after is set and cannot be switched off. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE | |||||
| 9707019705F | 07/01/1997 | 53602 | Vehicle produced with a jazz sticker attached to hatchback must be removed. *yc | 03/30/1998 | |
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS | |||||
| 2015831 | 08/28/2008 | 10026848 | Volkswagen: exhaust heat shield, replacement guidelines. heat shields are to be inspected after completion o any type of repair to the underbody (exhaust system transmission, etc.), and if damaged, replaced. *pe | 12/29/2008 | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||||
| 9805 | 06/22/1998 | 601876 | Information on maintenance intervals. *yc | 08/28/1998 | |
| VISIBILITY - SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 60 9704 | 11/14/1997 | 60 97-01 | 54060 | Subject pertaining to power sunroof convenience close feature, function change. *ak | 03/30/1998 |
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | |||||
| 92 9702 | 08/12/1997 | 53635 | Programmable intermittent windshield wiper, function deleted. *ak | 12/02/1999 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 10/23/1998 | 1 | ||
| Passenger side air bag no longer functional. dash warning light went on 10/23/98. no accidents, power failure, etc. air bag system no longer working. $700 quote from dealer. not covered under warranty. | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| Front airbags deploy without prior warning. dealership is aware of problem.*ak | |||
| 01/17/2002 | 2 | ||
| Airbags in the car deployed causing me to hit a curb more than once dessimating my passenger side and knocking me through a loop, my insurance company is investigating , but im not sure what the can find out ,i know audi(part of vw) was having problems with airbags deploying because of static charge in low humidity conditions ... thank you . jason a culligan. *ak | |||
| COMMUNICATIONS - HORN ASSEMBLY | |||
| Horn can't be located when the wheel is turned. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 11/23/1998 | 1 | ||
| No summary | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 04/19/2000 | 6 | ||
| The ignition broke in april 2000 & was replaced by dealer. on 9/1/2000, white, odorless smoke came from left side of steering column. on 9/18/2000, brown smelly smoke came from same area. car towed to dealer. dealer kept for 3 days, couldn't find problem, said car was safe. on 9/24/2000, brown smelly smoke came from steering column on 3 occasions. car towed to dealer. dealer kept car five days, couldn't find problem. the car is now at another repair place. i am terrified to drive this car. i think the problem is directly caused by the ignition replacement. very unhappy with dealer and vw usa. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 07/29/1999 | |||
| I was driving my car home in the rain and apparently my car's engine hydrolocked by sucking in water through the airbox. i was told that this was due to outside the normal circumstances and that my warranty would not cover it. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 05/22/2000 | 2 | ||
| I was told by vw that the o2 sensors use to be covered by the emmissions controls warranty. i believe these parts were of poor quality and that volkswagen should reimburse me. my mechanic noted that o2 sensor failure is not uncommon on '97 & '98 golfs. if so, please consider investigating for a recall. consumers should not have to pay for a manufacturer's poor quality. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 04/18/2000 | |||
| Exhaust down pipe sheid outside loose bottom & top need to be recrimed (vw 7/24/00) vw dealership told me it's a manafacturers defect but my warranty is void 2 years 24,000 miles the oxygen sensor/gaskets/flex pipe are all effected to do this problem leading to manifold problems ? the automobile is 3 years old with all original parts. new car with exhaust problems? this part was of poor quality on the manafacturers end i feel this is a defect that should be looked into by vw. *ak | |||
| When driving and accelerating there is a loud noise coming from the exhaust pipe. dealer says pipe needs to be rewelded or replaced. *ak | |||
| EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - AIR CONDITIONER | |||
| 07/01/2005 | 81000 | 1 | 09/21/1997 |
| Air conditioning is leaking condensation into the car, fogging up front window and compromising visibility. floorboard is soaked with water, clouding windows. *nm | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - DOORS - LATCH | |||
| 30000 | 1 | ||
| Automatic door lock intermittently malfunctioned in cold temperatures. door knob popped up, but the door failed to open automatically or manually. as a result, consumer was trapped in or locked out of the vehicle. the cause of the failure had not been determined. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Drivers side door lock broke. nlm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 03/09/2005 | 1 | ||
| Transmission failed while shifting. driver pulled over, and noticed that transmission light flashed on and off. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, and mechanic determined that transmission needed to be replaced due to the housing shaft. *ak | |||
| 04/22/2004 | 1 | 02/01/2001 | |
| Automatic transmission, when the engine is cold the transmission does not shift in to gear properly. it usually gets stuck between gears, if you step on the gas at the time between gears the car will buck violently as it shifts. even though it has happend many times i will list the date it happened last. *ak | |||
| 09/29/2001 | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - LEVER AND LINKAGE - FLOOR SHIFT | |||
| 01/25/2004 | 80000 | 500 | 01/15/2000 |
| Transmission will not shift when needed into higher gears, and sometimes falls out of the proper gear and into a lower gear when it's not supposed to, causing engine to rev way too high while on the freeway. car does not run properly as a result, and i can't really drive it until it's fixed. i tried to have volkswagon fix the known problem, but they refused. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 01/08/1999 | 1 | ||
| Dealer complicated issue. repair technician stated to service representative that clutch cable caused premature clutch failure. the manufacturer should be held responsible for all repairs to parts that fall into the field of normal maintainence. the repair cost should be prorated to the expected lifetime of the part. unfortunately, the dealer claims that volkswagen claims no responsibility for my clutch failure. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DRIVESHAFT | |||
| 11/23/1998 | 1 | ||
| No summary | |||
| SEATS | |||
| 11/17/1996 | 1 | ||
| Driver's seat is uncomfortable, this creates a lot of fatigue, even on short trips. *ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | |||
| 06/23/2004 | 2 | ||
| While inspecting the vehicle consumer noticed four doors' molding separated from vehicle. consumer glued molding on twice, but problem recurred. dealership and manufacturer were contacted.*ak | |||
| TIRES | |||
| 2 | |||
| The goodyear eagle ga tires (195/60r14) experienced 2 failures, the right rear sidewall had a defective crack and the right rear tire experienced a blowout, the consumer is requesting an adjustment from one of tires that was paid for at a pro-rated cost. *slc | |||
| VISIBILITY | |||
| 08/09/2009 | 208800 | 1 | |
| I was driving at night bringing a friend home and as i was approaching an off ramp, i felt something burning on my legs. i looked down to try to see what it was and when i looked up, my windshield was completely covered in fog. thankfully there was a shoulder on the exit, so i pulled over and shut the car off and did some investigating. there was a small stream of coolant coming down from behind my dash, and onto the floor. if there had been traffic i don't know what i would have done but, i had to call another friend and come get us at 12:30am on the side of the highway. i did some investigating online and searched for recalls, and i found that the mark 2 jettas and golfs had a heater core recall. i did some further investigating and found out that the mark 2 heatercores and the mark 3 heatercores have the same part number - so why is there not a recall for the mark 3's? there are many people online and on a forum called vwvortex.com where there is at least 40+ reported issues in that small community alone. (http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1593587&page=9). *tr | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM | |||
| 11/23/1998 | 1 | ||
| No summary | |||
| WHEELS - LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS | |||
| Wheel lug:bolts that are causing the wheel to separate from vehicle due to improper lug: nuts that are attached to wheel and vehicle. *ak | |||
Car dealers selling
| State | City | Zip | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | WESTLAKE VILLAGE | NEFTIN | ||
| CT | WEST HARTFORD | BILL BARRY VOLKSWAGEN | ||
| NC | WINSTON-SALEM | 27127 | FLOW VOLKSWAGEN | 336-723-3524 |