10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 1 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 12,038 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
Leaking sunroof is ruining interior components, including headliner. Multiple fixes and service bulletins covered under warranty have not been successful. Very concerned it's going to lead to larger electrical, body rot, and mold issues, not to mention completely ruining any value the car has. Most recent photograph uploaded was following a rainstorm on 4/11/2021.
- Philadelphia, PA, USA
Vehicle was stationary while being washed. Water leaking into the interior through the headliner on both the right and left sides behind the panoramic roof. Concerned for mold, electrical component damage. Could also be further safety issue if this happens when in motion.
- Lakewood, CO, USA
On or about 6.13.2019, my 2017 VW Golf alltrack SE leaked water through the light in the roof, behind the visor (driver's side) while stationary. Each time the headliner was stained, water sat in the light and it leaked all over my lap. As of 6.11.2020, it is still leaking. This appears to be a known issue and a class action suit is pending. VW claims this is a repair defect, not a manufacture defect and only offers to cover 75% of a $12K repair on a vehicle that has 34K miles, been mostly garage kept or covered and all maintenance completed only at VW dealerships. I have filed several complaints with VW. They state that since vehicle is outside of 3 year warranty (3yr/36K mi), they are offering goodwill. I do not feel it is fair or right to have to spend even $1 to repair a known structural defect related to the spot welds and sunroof, which were likely the cause of each and every leak that the car has experienced. Additionally, the car likes to suddenly attempt to activate the collision warnings for no reason - after further research, this is a known issue as well, possibly related to water damage. VW of America refuses to take any action beyond their offer of 75% coverage of costs as goodwill on a car that wasn't built right to begin with and frankly, is a risk to the safety of my two children, 4 & 2, as a spot weld in the sunroof is surely a sign that it's likely not the only structural defect or failure of the vehicle. This is my 4th VW and clearly will be my last.
- Simsbury, CT, USA
Leaky sunroof to do incorrect rework in production of the welding points of the sunroof frame area. Spot welds around the perimeter of the sunroof opening may be too large.* this prevents the outer sunroof seal from properly adhering to the body of the vehicle, allowing water to leak through the seal. Insufficient cleaning process prior to applying outer sunroof seal. The sunroof frame opening may have been improperly cleaned prior to application of the acrylic tape on the outer sunroof seal. This prevents the outer sunroof seal from properly adhering to the body of the vehicle, allowing water to leak through the seal.
- Augusta, GA, USA
I am seeing water stains on my headliner around the entire panoramic sunroof. There is water soaking the carpets on the front and rear passenger carpets. There is also a musty smell due to the standing water that has been leaking from the sunroof.
- Portland, OR, USA
Panoramic sunroof leaks. Headliner I and carpet is badly stained with visible mold growth. Pillar staining as well. Water leaks from dome light and sunroof control buttons. Water also leaks into foot well. Taken to two different dealership who have said that it is likely the sunroof drains are blocked by debris and repair would not be covered by warranty. There is no way for the consumer to access the sunroof drains to keep them clear, particularly the rear drains, which entails dismantling part of the car. This is a known issue with many reported complaints by owners with a technical service bulletin being issued. Please encourage an investigation and reparations from VW.
- Tampa, FL, USA
This past spring I noticed the car's headliner was wet and stained. It then began to drip copious amounts of water into the vehicle during heavy rainstorms. The car is only a year and a half old and has 20,000 miles. But there are water stains everywhere and it will be a mold issue soon, I'm afraid. Took it to the dealer, the car is under warranty. They said it's a maintenance issue, not a warranty issue because the drains that release the water from sunroof are all blocked with debris. Dealer first asked me if I had just simply left the sun roof open and was very patronizing, by asking me if there was just a leaf stuck up there, calling me hunny over the phone. I told him no, something was wrong and we dropped it off. $600 to clear drains. We refused because we found many other people experiencing the same problem with the same car and there is a technical service bulletin for the problem. We read the VW helped cover the costs for many people so we called VW customer care. I asked for a buyback or for them to fix the car. They called me back saying there was nothing they could do and refused to admit this is a defect in the design of the car. Even if I just got the drains cleared, there was still damage done by the "maintenance" not being taken care of. "maintenance" that we knew nothing about and there is nothing in the owner's manual about clearing the drains until around 40,000 miles. I was asked if I parked under trees. Well, yeah, we camp a lot. This car is advertised as an adventure car. I also don't have the luxury of parking in a garage. I'm a teacher. I work hard to make car payments, but I bought brand new car not knowing I would need to be spending hundred upon hundreds of dollars to "maintain" sunroof drains. The car is currently at another dealer and they want numbers in the thousands to fix the water damage.
- Woodbine, MD, USA
Roof/sunroof leaking causing stained headliner and wet carpeting. Vehicle smells of mold and mildew and causes excessive condensation on windshield. VW dealership in fair lawn NJ attempted repair by replacing sunroof drain tubes but did not resolve the issue. New leaks have developed and dealer service is unclear where or what is causing them. As of 6/12/2019 dealer is attempting second repair stating the sunroof frame needs to be replaced. Unsure if this will resolve the issue
- Bogota, NJ, USA
Body seams near vehicle sunroof are not welded properly - results in excessive water leakage into the car and fogging inside the car at all times that obstructs visibility
- Takoma Park, MD, USA
Panoramic sunroof leaks when driving in the rain. Windows fog up, stains headliner and moisture will over time cause mold in vehicle. In cold temperature frozen condensation observed inside of vehicle windshield and back window making it difficult to see out.
- Chevy Chase, MD, USA
Panoramic sunroof leaks water into interior, causing condensation on all interior glass and making it difficult/impossible to see out. There is so much condensation that ac/defrost settings cannot remove it in a timely manner. It takes so long that one tries to drive even before full outward vision has been restored, increasing risk greatly.
- Edmonds, WA, USA
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Golf alltrack. The contact stated that the sun roof was blocked and leaked water into the vehicle when it rained. The vehicle was taken to Volkswagen of the woodlands (855-436-0113, located at 16785 interstate 45 South, the woodlands, tx 77385) where it was stated that the failure was due to negligence by the contact. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stood by the dealer's ruling. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000. Updated 11/2/18 the consumer stated the manufacturer advised any time the vehicle was driven through mud it was possible for the drains to become blocked, which the consumer would be responsible for repairing.
- Kennard, TX, USA
2017 VW Golf alltrack: Have had this car for four months now and just had three days worth of rain here in Michigan. The front of the headliner is completely soaked on both A-pillars and around the overhead console of the vehicle. Dealership said it was more than likely welds that didn't get smoothed down and therefore pinch the tubes that drain the trough in the sunroof area not allowing it to flow back into the opening in the car. In other words, VW sold me a car with a known defect! now I have to turn my car in for some unknown amount of time, have them tear the inside apart, take the car to a body shop and have the body shop grind the welds down smooth, then install a new headliner in the car. That's all great (not really), but water is incredibly destructive, so what about the water that's run down the A-pillars and gotten in to the insulation in the doors" or the water that ran like a faucet out of my overhead console this morning when I started driving that dumped all over my electronics and transmission column? what about the possibility of water that won't be looked for in this apparent fix of a known problem that then turns into black mold that I and my family breath every day for the life of the car"! this has to be corrected as there is no way this car should have been sold to me and my family with a known defect.
- Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Royal Oak, MI, USA