VW Golf key may remove without shifting to Park

NHTSA campaign 18V464000 · Reported Jul 11, 2018 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

high How serious is it? About this label

Removing the key while not in Park increases the risk that the vehicle rolls away unintended, which could cause injury or a crash. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign number	18V464000
Reported to NHTSA	Jul 11, 2018
Manufacturer	Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Part affected	Steering:column Locking:anti-Theft Device
Vehicles covered	2 model/year combinations, model years 2018
Do-not-drive advisory	No
Park-outside advisory	No
Repair	Free at any franchised dealer

What's wrong, in plain English

A buildup on the shift lever's micro switch contacts may let the key be pulled out of the ignition even when the shift lever isn't in "Park." This means the vehicles don't meet a federal safety standard meant to prevent rollaways.

What you should do

Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your vehicle is included.
Contact a Volkswagen dealer (1-800-893-5298) to have an additional switch and circuit board installed.
The repair is free.

Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?

Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 18V464000. More in how recalls work.

Affected vehicles (2)

2018 Volkswagen Golf
2018 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen

Who to contact

Volkswagen — official Volkswagen recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-893-5298

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Volkswagen Steering Recalls Involving Knuckles, Mounting Bolts and Control · all 6 Volkswagen recalls in this area

Other Volkswagen Golf recalls

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Jun 24, 2020VW Golf GTI Certification Label Has Wrong VINmedium
Dec 11, 2019Volkswagen Jetta and Golf Front Wheel Bearingscritical

All 10 Golf recalls

Official notice

Component: STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Volkswagen Golf and Golf Sportwagen vehicles. The build of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition while the vehicle shift lever is not in "Park." As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Safety risk: Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37L5.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.