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Volkswagen Golf 1997

The 1997 Volkswagen Golf has a 1.8 L engine. 29 owner complaints are on record.

5 seats
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Volkswagen Golf
Representative photo of the Golf. It may show a different year or version. Photo: © M 93 · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Specs

Engine
1,790 cc
4
Cylinders4
Length190 mm (7.5 in)
Width80 mm
Curb weight1,053 kg (2,321 lb)
Seats5

Specs: average of the cars of this model first registered in 1997 in the Netherlands (RDW vehicle register).

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Safety

Crash-test results across markets. They can vary by version and equipment.

NHTSA NCAP
Results · 1997 Volkswagen Golf 4-DR.
🇺🇸 Local data

Recalls

No recalls on record in our sources.

On the road

Cars of this model first registered in 1997, from official registers. Each figure belongs to its country.

🇳🇱 Vehicle register, Netherlands

64 still registered

No open recalls

RDW, CC0

🇬🇧 Annual roadworthiness test (MOT), Great Britain

35% failed the test the first time

Better than average All cars first registered in 1997: 36%

1,075 tests in 2023 · average 179,840 km · DVSA, OGL v3

Common problems

29 reports🇺🇸 Local data

Reported by owners to the source below. It is not a verdict on this car: it is what people wrote.

VISIBILITY 2009-08-10 · NHTSA

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 …

EQUIPMENT 2005-08-30 · NHTSA

AIR CONDITIONING IS LEAKING CONDENSATION INTO THE CAR, FOGGING UP FRONT WINDOW AND COMPROMISING VISIBILITY. FLOORBOARD IS SOAKED WITH WATER, CLOUDING WINDOWS. *NM

POWER TRAIN 2005-03-10 · NHTSA

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 VOLKSWAG…

POWER TRAIN 2005-03-09 · NHTSA

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

STRUCTURE 2004-06-23 · NHTSA

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

POWER TRAIN 2004-04-22 · NHTSA

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

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 2004-01-06 · NHTSA

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

SUSPENSION,TIRES 2003-01-14 · NHTSA

COMPLAINT FM ELLEN O'BRIEN LEASED / PURCHASED A VOLKSWAGEN (VW) JETTA 4 DR VEHICLE... ES10003874 RESPONDED TO THIS LETTER..... THE VEHICLE MADE AN UNUSUAL NOISE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS CUPPING. THE NOISE CAME BACK TWO WEEKS LATER AND THEN THE BEARINGS WERE RE…

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2003-01-08 · NHTSA

IGNITION SWITCH CONTINUES TO SEND START SIGNALS TO THE STARTER AFTER THE CAR HAS ALREADY STARTED. THE CAR IS A 97 VW PASSAT VR6. THIS CHOICE IS NOT AVAILABLE ON THE MODEL TYPE LISTING.

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY 2002-12-29 · NHTSA

I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH MY 97 JETTA SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN 1999. IT BEGAN WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN 2000 WHEN THE CAR HAD ONLY 35,000 MILES. THE DEALER IN NAPA REBUILT MY TRANSMISSION. EVER SINCE THEN, MY GEARS HAVE SEEMED UNUSUALLY STIFF AND TIGHT. ONLY 3 MONTHS LATER, MY IGNITION FAILED AND THE DEALE…

AIR BAGS 2002-02-06 · NHTSA

FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

AIR BAGS Crash 1 injured 2002-01-23 · NHTSA

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 CO…

All 29 reports, grouped by component

Questions

What engine does the 1997 Volkswagen Golf have?
The 1997 Volkswagen Golf has a 1.8 L engine.
What are the common problems of the 1997 Volkswagen Golf?
29 owners have filed complaints, most often about Power Train.

Other years

Other models by Volkswagen

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