Model year guide

2011 Volkswagen Golf

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2011 Volkswagen Golf is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 25 on record.

2011 Volkswagen Golf — representative photo
Representative photo · via Wikimedia Commons

2011 Volkswagen Golf at a glance

Safety recalls6
Owner complaints110
Combined29 mpg
Typical price$9,741

Free: specs, open recalls for that exact car, build sheet and fair price.

2011 Volkswagen Golf recalls 6

Unknown Or Other NHTSA Campaign #18V329000 · 16/05/2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.

Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #18V148000 · 06/03/2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This …

Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #16V078000 · 10/02/2016

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are a…

Air Bags:frontal NHTSA Campaign #15V483000 · 04/08/2015

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear th…

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs wi…

Fuel System, Diesel NHTSA Campaign #11V490000 · 03/10/2011

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL 2009-2012 JETTA AND JETTA SPORTWAGEN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2008 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 AUDI A3 VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH A 2.0L TDI COMMON RAIL DIESEL ENGINE/CLEAN DIESEL ENGINE. THE…

Fix: VOLKSWAGEN WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED FUEL INJECTOR LINE FOR THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER ON CERTAIN VEHICLES AND WILL INSTALL VIBRATION DAMPERS ON ALL OF THE INJECTOR LINES. VOLKSWAGEN AND AUDI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS TO HAVE THE VEHICLES REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING …

Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #19V862000 · 04/12/2019

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 6…

Source: U.S. NHTSA. A recall applies to a model year, but only a VIN check shows whether a specific car has had the repair done.

2011 Volkswagen Golf common problems

The most-reported problem areas from 110 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Electrical System
Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.
Engine
Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.
Fuel/propulsion System
Check for fuel or battery warnings, hard starts and stalling. On a hybrid/EV, confirm charging and range behave normally.
Air Bags
Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.
Exterior Lighting
Confirm all headlights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights work, with no moisture inside the housings.
Fuel System
Sniff for fuel odor, check for leaks, hard starts or stalling, and confirm the fuel gauge reads correctly.

2011 Volkswagen Golf MPG & running costs

Combined29 mpg
City26 mpg
Highway35 mpg
Est. annual fuel cost$2,413

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov, averaged across trims.

What's a 2011 Volkswagen Golf worth?

Low
$5,999
Typical price
$9,741
High
$12,999

From 24 comparable 2011 Volkswagen Golf listings.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2011 Volkswagen Golf costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$12,065
Fuel only$12,065
Per mile$0.16

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

2011 Volkswagen Golf trims & engines on record

Trims
TDI · 2.5L · 2.5L PZEV
Engines
2.0L 4-cyl 140 hp · 2.5L 5-cyl 170 hp

2011 Volkswagen Golf vehicles on record

2011 Volkswagen Golf 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2.5LWVWDA7AJ5BW057079 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2.5LWVWAA7AJ6BW132343 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L PZEVWVWAB7AJ0BW214842 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDIWVWMM7AJ3BW010205 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDIWVWBM7AJ0BW135556 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDIWVWDM7AJ7BW241222 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L PZEVWVWBB7AJ5BW229230 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDIWVWDM7AJ2BW126365 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDIWVWMM7AJ6BW056014 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDIWVWMM7AJXBW311568 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDIWVWNM7AJ9BW009810 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L PZEVWVWAB7AJ1BW009689 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2.5LWVWDA7AJ8BW113564 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDIWVWNM7AJ1BW305145 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDIWVWBM7AJ4BW143692 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDIWVWBM7AJ4BW215264 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2011 Volkswagen GolfWVWDM7AJ3BW149346 2011 Volkswagen GolfWVWBB7AJ8BW347255 2011 Volkswagen GolfWVWDB7AJ7BW162672 2011 Volkswagen Golf 2011 Volkswagen GolfWVWBM7AJ1BW029441 2011 Volkswagen GolfWVWDM7AJ7BW303671 2011 Volkswagen GolfWVWDB7AJ1BW339118 2011 Volkswagen GolfWVWDB7AJ0BW306935 2011 Volkswagen GolfWVWDM7AJ5BW024364

Other Volkswagen Golf model years

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2010 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998

2011 Volkswagen Golf — frequently asked questions

Does the 2011 Volkswagen Golf have any safety recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for the 2011 Volkswagen Golf. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Volkswagen Golf?

Based on 110 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are electrical system, engine, fuel/propulsion system.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Volkswagen Golf get?

The U.S. EPA rates the 2011 Volkswagen Golf at about 29 mpg combined (26 city / 35 highway).

How much is a 2011 Volkswagen Golf worth?

Comparable 2011 Volkswagen Golf listings run roughly $5,999–$12,999, typically around $9,741 (from 24 vehicles).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.