2002 Volkswagen Golf Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 9%of 74 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 81,290miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the visibility of the 2002 Volkswagen Golf, 9% of the 74 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 81,290 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“While driving my wife was driving our 2002 vw GOLF the driver side window dropped. Turns out all over the internet there are complaints of the tabs holding the windows breaking. In fact when I was at the dealer I fellow overheard me and said he had the exact same problem on his 2001 vw gti. Vw had a TSB and extended the warranty by a few years on this but is should have been a recall. A window dropping is a huge safety factor for a number of reasons. …”
NHTSA complaint #10267719, filed 2009-05, 77,000 miles“The driver's side window regulator recently failed on my 2002 vw GOLF. This part secures the window to the power window mechanism, and keeps the window up. The failure occurred while I was leaving a toll booth. I pressed the button to raise the window, heard a crack, and then the entire window violently crashed down into the interior of the door, and attempts to raise the window failed. I was lucky that I was only driving about 20 MPH at the time, but unfortunately I had to drive home five hours with the windows down. It was a very unpleasant experience. …”
NHTSA complaint #10245390, filed 2008-10, 103,000 miles“Front passenger side window comes off track. Window falls into door and window can not be closed. This happened to me as I was driving with my 8 week old daughter and 3 year old son. It is very dangerous because it happened on highway and there was alot of wind coming into car on young children. This has happened to many vw owners, vw has extended warranty to 7 years due to this.”
NHTSA complaint #10167116, filed 2006-08“The coil pack was damaged. The coil pack was replaced. Then the coil pack in the cylinder failed. The consumer requested for vw to compensate her for lost time. The engine light had come on due to the evaporative emission system experienced an incorrect purge flow. The windshield washer reservoir leaked coolant. The expansion tank was replaced. Scc”
NHTSA complaint #10012216, filed 2003-04“1. Transmission control module failure. Car was not able to start. Was towed for repair. This chip has been replaced twice. 2. Car began making severe jerking movements, randomly. Usually these jumps occur within the first 10 minutes of driving the vehicle but can occur later. The severity of the jerks is also variable. 3. The car was in the shop for over a month. The problem was not corrected. 4. The car consumes an unusual high amount of motor oil (more than a quart approximately every 1,000 miles). 5. …”
NHTSA complaint #10138225, filed 2005-09Related service bulletins
- 10123011Jul 22, 2015Technical Bulletin (Windshield Wipers Streak or Smear): Windshield or rear window is streaked, has a snakeskin appearance, or the surface feels rough. To avoid unnecessary…
- 10122956May 8, 2015Tech Tips (Heated Rear Window, One or More Lines Inoperative): To detect which line(s) is inoperative, utilize a volt meter to check for 0 V, which will be present after the open…
- 10122911Apr 20, 2015Technical Bulletin (Rear Door Glass Inoperative): The rear glass cannot be opened / closed, the rear glass may slide down into the door, or the rear glass motor operates but the…
- 10242996Dec 8, 2014VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10243015Nov 17, 2014VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242353Nov 17, 2014VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10239541Sep 24, 2014Air Conditioning, Cleaning of the Refrigerant Circuit (U.S.Only)
- 10243011May 19, 2014VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242349May 19, 2014VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10239534Apr 18, 2014HVAC, Unpleasant Odor
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 9% |
| 2022 | 1 | 1% |
| 2019 | 2 | 3% |
| 2017 | 5 | 4% |
| 2016 | 2 | 2% |
| 2015 | 2 | 2% |
| 2010 | 1 | 1% |
| 2004 | 1 | 4% |
| 2002 | 7 | 9% |
| 2001 | 13 | 11% |
| 2000 | 20 | 23% |
| 1999 | 8 | 13% |
| 1998 | 2 | 11% |
| 1997 | 1 | 14% |
| 1995 | 2 | 5% |
| 1994 | 3 | 7% |
| 1992 | 1 | 17% |
| 1991 | 3 | 38% |
| 1990 | 1 | 10% |
| 1989 | 4 | 24% |
| 1988 | 3 | 33% |
| 1986 | 3 | 23% |
| 1985 | 4 | 40% |
Other parts of the 2002 Volkswagen Golf
22 complaintsEngine cooling
13 complaintsElectrical system
11 complaintsExterior lighting
11 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
4 complaintsBrakes
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsBody and structure
3 complaintsTires
2 complaintsEngine
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Volkswagen Golf
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology