Models

The MK7 range

The whole Golf MK7 (2012–2017) and MK7.5 (2017–2020) range in one place: when it was built, what it sits on, every engine and gearbox with its code where a source gives one, UK trims by year, US models, dimensions, infotainment, safety ratings, range-wide faults and recalls. The GTI, R and GTE have their own pages.

Overview

World premiere: 4 September 2012, Berlin¹
Platform: MQB, the first VW-brand car on it²
VW type code: Typ 5G³ (see Identify a MK7)
Facelift (MK7.5): Presented November 2016; UK price list from 14 February 2017³⁴
End of production: Combustion Golf 7 at Zwickau stopped December 2019; last e-Golf 23 December 2020⁵
Units built: Around 6.3 million¹
Weight saving over MK6: Up to 100 kg; consumption down by up to 23% depending on engine¹²

GTI

2.0 TSI, 220 to 290 PS across MK7 and MK7.5.

Golf R

2.0 TSI with 4MOTION, 300 or 310 PS.

GTE

1.4 TSI plug-in hybrid, 204 PS system output.

Timeline

Date	Event	Source
4 Sep 2012	World premiere in Berlin. Pre-sales began the next day.	[1]
Sep/Oct 2012	Public debut at the Paris Motor Show. European sales from November 2012 as model year 2013. Unverified	[3]
End 2012 to spring 2013	VW: advance sales at the end of 2012, launch in spring 2013. Hatch, Variant, GTI, GTD and R listed for 2013.	[5]
Early Jan 2013	UK on sale. Unverified	[3]
Mar 2013	Estate revealed at Geneva. VW says the Variant was presented from spring 2013. Unverified for the Geneva date.	[3] [6]
2013	e-Golf unveiled at Frankfurt. Unverified	[3]
2014	e-Golf and GTE launched, the first series electrified Golf derivatives.	[5]
2014	Golf Sportsvan launched, replacing the Golf Plus. Unverified	[3]
2015	Alltrack, R Estate and GTD Estate launched (international drive, Malaga, April 2015).	[7] [6]
Nov 2016	Facelift (MK7.5, VW "New Golf") presented; Wikipedia gives the world premiere as Wolfsburg, 10 November 2016. VW's newsroom files it under 2017 as a major update. Unverified for the date.	[3] [5]
14 Feb 2017	UK facelift price list takes effect.	[4]
Oct 2019	Golf 8 premiered.	[5]
Dec 2019	Combustion Golf 7 production at Zwickau stopped.	[5]
1 May 2020	Final UK list still carries the MK7.5 5-door, Variant, GTI TCR, R, GTE and e-Golf, marked "may no longer be available to order".	[8]
23 Dec 2020	Last e-Golf leaves the Dresden Transparent Factory.	[5]

Special editions (Germany)

VW lists Allstar (2015; Variant December 2016), Sound (2016), Join (Variant, December 2017) and IQ.Drive (2019)⁵⁶.

North America

Wikipedia puts the North American facelift at model year 2018. EPA data shows the US Golf still with the 1.8 TSI in MY2018 and the 1.4 TSI only from MY2019³⁹. Sources differ The EPA data is the stronger source for the engine change.

Production and awards

At launch the Golf 7 was built at Wolfsburg and Zwickau². The e-Golf was built at Wolfsburg and Dresden⁵. Wikipedia adds Changchun and Foshan (FAW-VW, China), Puebla (Mexico), São José dos Pinhais (Brazil) and CKD assembly in Jakarta (Indonesia)³. Unverified

Market	Production years	Source
Europe	2012–2020	[3]
China	2013–2020	[3]
Brazil	2015–2020	[3]
Mexico	2014–2021	[3]
North America (model years)	MY2015–2021	[3]

All rows above are Wikipedia only. Unverified

Awards listed by Wikipedia: European Car of the Year 2013, World Car of the Year 2013, Car of the Year Japan 2013, North American Car of the Year 2015 and Motor Trend Car of the Year 2015³. Unverified

MQB platform

MQB stands for Modularer Querbaukasten, a modular transverse toolkit. The 2013 Golf was the first VW-brand car built on it². The fixed dimension is the distance from the pedals to the front wheel centre, because the engine is always transverse. Wheelbase, track, wheel size and seat position can vary². Every MQB car shares the front axle, pedal box and engine position¹⁰.

VW groups the kit into four module families: electrics and electronics, engine, running gear, and structure (body, air conditioning, seats, airbags)². Wikipedia lists the Audi A3 Mk3, SEAT Leon Mk3, Skoda Octavia Mk3 and Audi TT Mk3 as sharing MQB³ Unverified, and describes a second-generation MQB from 2016 that adds MQB A0 for smaller cars¹⁰ Unverified.

Body structure

More hot-formed ultra-high-strength steel than before².
Laser "wobble" (sinusoidal) welds used for the first time, 3 to 4 times stronger than spot welds².
Kerb weight 1,130 kg against 1,154 kg for the MK6, both as a 1.2 TSI 63 kW, 5-speed, BlueMotion Technology car without driver².

Drivetrain and electrics

The engine-to-gearbox joint gained an extra bolt point on MQB. DSG codes were renamed: 0AM became 0CW (DQ200) and 02E became 0D9 (DQ250)².
4MOTION uses a fifth-generation Haldex coupling with electric pump V181².
The MIB infotainment platform is part of MQB. There is an infotainment CAN plus a dedicated "MIB CAN", and the gateway is J533². See the module map and electronics.

Running gear

Front: MacPherson struts with lower wishbones¹¹.
Suspension options: standard, sport, rough-road and adaptive DCC².
Electric parking brake with Auto Hold, electromechanical steering, Continental MK100 ABS/ESP².

Rear axle: torsion beam or four-link

The rear axle depends on engine power. Both types use the same body mounting points, and 4MOTION cars have their own version of the four-link axle¹¹.

Engine power	Rear axle	Source
Up to 89 kW (121 PS)	Torsion beam (VW calls it a rigid axle)	[11]
90 kW (122 PS) and above	Four-link (multi-link)	[11]
4MOTION	Four-link, 4MOTION version	[11]

Applying that rule to the engine list below gives:

Torsion beam: 1.2 TSI 85 and 105 PS, 1.0 TSI 85 and 110 PS, 1.6 TDI 90, 105 and 110 PS.
Four-link: 1.4 TSI 122 PS and up, 1.5 TSI 130 and 150 PS, 2.0 TDI, GTI, GTD, R and GTE.
1.0 TSI 115 PS and 1.6 TDI 115 PS are both 85 kW, so the rule points to a torsion beam. Unverified

This list is derived from the power rule, not from a VW parts listing. Exceptions such as BlueMotion versions have not been checked. Look at the car, or check the parts catalogue by VIN, before ordering rear axle parts.

Body styles

Body	Notes	Source
3-door hatch	Priced in the UK in 2014 and 2017. Gone from the May 2020 UK list.	[12] [4] [8]
5-door hatch	The only hatch on the May 2020 UK list.	[8]
Estate (Variant; SportWagen in the US and Canada)	Produced 2013–2020. GTD, R and Alltrack versions from 2015.	[6] [7] [3]
Alltrack	Estate with 4MOTION as standard, 20 mm more ground clearance and an Offroad driving profile.	[7]
Golf Sportsvan (SV)	Separate MPV on MQB with raised seating and a sliding rear bench. Wikipedia gives 2014–2020, built at Wolfsburg. Unverified for dates and plant.	[13] [3]

Engines and gearboxes

Petrol engines are EA211, with belt-driven camshafts and the exhaust manifold in the cylinder head. Diesels are EA288². Codes from VW's own SSP are the firmest. Codes from Wikipedia alone are marked Unverified.

Petrol

Engine	Output	Torque	Code	Gearboxes	Notes	Source
1.0 TSI (3-cyl)	85 PS	–	Unverified	5-spd manual	UK 2017	[4]
1.0 TSI (3-cyl)	81 kW / 110 PS	175 Nm	DSHA Unverified	6-spd manual or 7-spd DSG	UK 2017	[4] [14]
1.0 TSI (3-cyl)	85 kW / 115 PS	200 Nm	CHZD Unverified	6-spd manual	UK 2020	[8] [14]
1.2 TSI	63 kW / 85 PS	160 Nm @ 1,400–3,500	CJZB	5-spd MQ200 (0AH)	UK: 5-spd manual only	[2] [12]
1.2 TSI	77 kW / 105 PS	175 Nm @ 1,400–4,000	CJZA	6-spd MQ200 (02S) or DQ200 7-spd DSG (0CW)		[2] [12]
1.2 TSI	63 / 81 kW	–	CYVA / CYVB	–	Later EA211 codes; Golf use Unverified	[14]
1.4 TSI	90 kW / 122 PS	200 Nm @ 1,400–4,000	CMBA (Euro 5)	6-spd MQ250 (0AJ) or 7-spd DSG		[2] [12]
1.4 TSI	92 kW / 125 PS	–	CZCA / CPVA / CXSA Unverified	6-spd manual or 7-spd DSG	From April 2014 per Wikipedia; UK 2017 as 1.4 TSI BMT	[14] [3] [4]
1.4 TSI	103 kW / 140 PS	250 Nm @ 1,500–3,500	CHPA; CPTA with ACT (Euro 6)	–	ACT is cylinder deactivation	[2]
1.4 TSI ACT	110 kW / 150 PS	–	CZDA / CZEA / CZTA Unverified	–	UK 2014: GT only; codes from April 2014 per Wikipedia	[12] [14]
1.5 TSI EVO	96 kW / 130 PS	200 Nm	DACA / DACB; DPBA / DPBE with GPF Unverified	6-spd manual	Facelift. UK 130 PS cars get a black aero grille and no lowered sports suspension on GT and R-Line	[14] [8]
1.5 TSI EVO ACT	110 kW / 150 PS	250 Nm	DADA; DPCA with GPF Unverified	6-spd manual or 7-spd DSG	VW: new 1.5 TSI with cylinder cut-off in the 2017 update	[14] [8] [5] [6]
1.6 MPI	110 PS	–	–	–	Latin America only Unverified	[3]
1.8 TSI (EA888)	132 kW / 180 PS	–	–	–	European Alltrack, new to the Golf line-up in 2015	[7]

A separate "BlueMotion" badge on the 1.5 TSI 130 PS is not confirmed. Unverified The US 1.8 and 1.4 TSI are in US models.

Diesel

Engine	Output	Torque	Code	Gearboxes	Notes	Source
1.6 TDI	90 PS	–	CLHB Unverified	–	UK 2014	[3] [12]
1.6 TDI	77 kW / 105 PS	250 Nm @ 1,500–2,750	CLHA (Euro 5)	5-spd MQ250 (0A4) or DQ200 7-spd DSG	UK 2014	[2] [12]
1.6 TDI BlueMotion	110 PS	–	CRKB Unverified	6-spd manual	UK 2014: 85 g/km	[3] [12]
1.6 TDI	115 PS	–	DDYA / DGTE Unverified	5-spd manual or 7-spd DSG	Euro 6d-TEMP from 2017 per Wikipedia; UK 2017 and 2020	[3] [4] [8]
2.0 TDI	110 kW / 150 PS	320 Nm @ 1,750–3,000	SSP prints "CBRC" (Euro 5)	6-spd MQ350 (02Q) or DQ250 6-spd DSG (0D9)		[2]
2.0 TDI	150 PS	340 Nm	CKFC Unverified	6-spd manual or 7-spd DSG	Later version; UK 2017 and 2020 DSG is 7-speed	[3] [4] [8]
2.0 TDI 4MOTION	–	–	–	MQ350-6A manual	Alltrack TDI offered at 110, 150 and 184 PS	[2] [7]
2.0 TDI GTD	184 PS	380 Nm	CUNA / CUPA / DGCA Unverified	6-spd manual; 6-spd DSG pre-facelift, 7-spd DSG facelift	UK 2014 list says 185 PS Sources differ. GTD BlueLine in UK 2017	[12] [4] [3]

Alternative drives

Model	Details	Source
TGI (CNG)	A natural-gas TGI version existed. Power and engine code not confirmed. Unverified	[3]
BlueMotion (UK 2014)	1.6 TDI 110 PS, 85 g/km, 10 mm lower, aero grille, C-pillar spoiler. VW quotes 3.4 l/100 km for the 1.6 TDI Golf BlueMotion.	[12] [5]
BMT (BlueMotion Technology)	Stop/start and brake energy recuperation, fitted to most models.	[12] [4]
e-Golf (pre-facelift)	85 kW / 115 PS, 270 Nm, EEM85 motor, EQ270 single-speed gearbox, 24.2 kWh, 140 km/h limit. Unverified (UK 2014 list confirms 115 PS)	[3] [12]
e-Golf (facelift)	100 kW / 136 PS, 290 Nm, 35.8 kWh, 7.2 kW AC charging standard, CCS DC optional. Unverified UK Feb 2017 list showed it as "TBA, factory order later in 2017".	[3] [4]

GTI, R and GTE

GTI: 2.0 TSI at 220, 230 and 245 PS, plus the 290 PS GTI TCR¹²⁴⁸.
Golf R: 2.0 TSI with 4MOTION at 300 or 310 PS¹²⁴⁸.
GTE: 1.4 TSI plug-in hybrid, 204 PS system output, DQ400e 6-speed DSG (0DD)⁴¹⁵.

Gearbox families

Gearbox	Type	Code(s) seen above	Notes	Source
MQ200-5F / 6F	5- or 6-spd manual	0AH (5-spd), 02S (6-spd)	1.2 TSI	[2]
MQ250-5F / 6F	5- or 6-spd manual	0A4 (5-spd), 0AJ (6-spd)	1.6 TDI, 1.4 TSI	[2]
MQ350-6F / 6A	6-spd manual, front or all-wheel drive	02Q	2.0 TDI; 6A is 4MOTION	[2]
DQ200-7F	7-spd dry twin-clutch DSG	0CW (was 0AM)	Smaller engines	[2] [15]
DQ250-6F / 6A	6-spd wet twin-clutch DSG, up to 350 Nm	0D9 (was 02E)	2.0 TDI and pre-facelift performance models	[2] [15]
DQ381	7-spd wet twin-clutch DSG	0GC	Replaced DQ250 from 2017 Unverified	[15]
DQ400e	6-spd hybrid DSG	0DD	GTE Unverified	[15]

UK trims by year

Each list adds to the trim before it unless stated.

July 2014

Trim	Engines	Key equipment	Source
S	1.2 TSI 85/105, 1.4 TSI 122, 1.6 TDI 90/105	15-inch steel wheels; Composition Media 5.8-inch touchscreen with DAB, CD, MDI and SD; manual air conditioning; electric parking brake with Auto Hold; halogen lights with DRL	[12]
BlueMotion	1.6 TDI 110	Over S: 15-inch 'Lyon' alloys, 10 mm lower, tyre repair kit	[12]
SE	1.4 TSI 122, 1.6 TDI 105, 2.0 TDI 150	ACC with Front Assist and City Emergency Braking, Driver Alert, driver profile selection, 3.5-inch TFT multifunction display, comfort seats	[12]
Match	As SE	As SE, plus parking sensors. Unverified (columns merged in the source PDF)	[12]
GT	1.4 TSI ACT 150, 2.0 TDI 150	Discover Navigation (GT only)	[12]
GTD / GTI / R / e-Golf	185 PS / 220 PS / 300 PS / 115 PS	GTI Performance pack adds 10 PS and a mechanical limited-slip differential	[12]

February 2017 (facelift)

Trim	Engines	Key equipment	Source
S	1.0 TSI 85, 1.4 TSI 125, 1.6 TDI 115	15-inch steel wheels; Composition Media 8.0-inch touchscreen with DAB, Bluetooth and MDI; manual air conditioning; Automatic Post-Collision Braking; Predictive Pedestrian Protection; Driver Alert; XDS	[4]
SE	–	16-inch 'Toronto' alloys, ACC with Front Assist and City Emergency Braking, PreCrash, front and rear parking sensors, Driving Mode Selection, rain sensor, auto-dimming mirror, Car-Net App-Connect (CarPlay, Android Auto, MirrorLink)	[4]
SE Navigation	–	Over SE: Discover Navigation 8.0-inch, Car-Net Guide & Inform (3 years), Media Control	[4]
GT	–	Over SE: 17-inch 'Dijon' alloys, lowered sports suspension, Discover Navigation, LED fog lights with cornering, ambient lighting, sport seats, tinted rear glass, Performance monitor	[4]
R-Line	–	Over GT: 17-inch 'Singapore' alloys, R-Line bodykit, San Remo microfibre, stainless steel pedals	[4]
GTD / GTD BlueLine / GTI / R / GTE / GTE Advance / e-Golf	184 / 184 / 230 / 310 / 204 / 204 PS	Active Info Display (12.3-inch) standard on GTE and GTD BlueLine	[4]

May 2020 (final list)

Trims: S, Match, Match Edition, GT, GT Edition, R-Line, R-Line Edition, GTI Performance 245 PS, GTI TCR 290 PS, R 300 PS, GTE, GTE Advance and e-Golf. Engines: 1.0 TSI 115, 1.5 TSI EVO 130 and 150, 1.6 TDI 115 and 2.0 TDI 150⁸.

Trim	Key equipment	Source
S and Match	We Connect Go (OBD2 DataPlug and app)	[8]
Match	16-inch 'Woodstock' alloys, ACC with Front Assist and City Emergency Braking, PreCrash, LED fog lights	[8]
Match Edition	Adds 2-zone Climatronic	[8]
GT	17-inch 'Dijon' alloys, sports suspension (not on 130 PS), Discover Navigation	[8]

UK Alltrack trim content was not captured. Unverified The international press pack gives 4MOTION as standard, 20 mm more ground clearance, an Offroad driving profile, TDI at 110, 150 and 184 PS and a 180 PS TSI⁷.

US models

The MK7 was sold in the US from MY2015. EPA data gives these model names and powertrains.

Model years	Models	Source
2015–2016	Golf, SportWagen, e-Golf, GTI, R	[16]
2017–2019	Adds Alltrack and SportWagen 4motion	[16]
2020–2021	Golf and GTI only	[16]

Engine	Model years	Gearboxes	Notes	Source
1.8 TSI (EA888), FWD	2015–2018	5-spd manual or 6-spd automatic (Tiptronic)	170 hp class. Wikipedia: 172 PS, 270 Nm Unverified. Engine codes Unverified	[17] [3]
1.8 TSI, SportWagen 4Motion and Alltrack	2017–2019	6-spd manual or 6-spd DSG	Wikipedia: AWD SportWagen from MY2017 Unverified	[17] [3]
1.4 TSI	2019 on	6-spd manual or 8-spd automatic	Wikipedia: 147 hp Unverified	[9] [3]
2.0 TDI	2015 only	Manual or 6-spd DSG	No TDI from MY2016	[18]

US trims

US Golf trim names could not be confirmed from a primary source. Unverified Wikipedia gives SportWagen trims as S, SE and SEL (Trendline, Comfortline and Highline in Canada), and the e-Golf as a single SEL Premium from November 2014 (MY2015), later SE, SEL Premium and Limited Edition³. Unverified

Dimensions

Hatch figures are for the SSP reference car, a 1.2 TSI².

Measure	Hatch	Estate	Source
Length	4,255 mm (4,255–4,280 across versions Unverified)	4,562–4,679 mm across versions Unverified; R Estate 4,596 mm	[2] [3] [19]
Width	1,799 mm	–	[2]
Height	1,452 mm	–	[2]
Wheelbase	2,637 mm (facelift 2,619–2,629 Unverified)	R Estate 2,630 mm	[2] [3] [19]
Track front / rear	1,549 / 1,520 mm	–	[2]
Turning circle	10.9 m	–	[2]
Fuel tank	50 l (MK6: 55 l)	–	[2]
Drag coefficient (Cd)	0.287	0.27 (ideal)	[2] [7]
Kerb weight	1,130 kg	–	[2]
Gross vehicle weight	1,720 kg	–	[2]
Roof load	75 kg	–	[2]
Boot	380 l (MK6: 350 l); 1,270 l seats folded	605 l to rear seatbacks; 1,620 l to front seats and roof	[2] [7] [6]
Load floor length	–	1,055 mm to rear seats; 1,831 mm to front seats	[7]
Load lip height	643 mm	–	[2]
Boot width between arches	1,003 mm	–	[2]
Cabin length	1,750 mm	–	[2]
Headroom front / rear	1,018 / 967 mm	–	[2]
Towing	–	Up to 2 t, depending on version	[7] [6]

The 50 l tank applies to the reference car. Other versions, such as 4MOTION and GTI, are not confirmed here. Unverified The Sportsvan is 4,338 mm long, 83 mm longer than the hatch³. Unverified

Infotainment

The Golf 2013 debuted VW's MIB (Modularer Infotainment Baukasten). The central unit is J794². There are three levels:

MIB level	Unit	Screen (pre-facelift)	Source
MIB Entry	Composition Touch	5-inch monochrome touch	[2] [20]
MIB Entry	Composition Colour	5-inch colour touch	[2] [20]
MIB Standard	Composition Media	5.8-inch colour	[2] [20]
MIB Standard	Discover Media	5.8-inch colour	[2] [20]
MIB High	Discover Pro	8-inch colour	[2] [20]

From Composition Media upwards the screens are capacitive with a proximity sensor. The Media and Discover units are split into a display in the dash and a computer in the glovebox²⁰.

UK screen sizes by list

Unit	UK 2014	UK 2017 (facelift)	Source
Composition Media	5.8-inch, standard from S	8.0-inch, standard from S	[12] [4]
Discover Navigation	5.8-inch	8.0-inch	[12] [4]
Discover Navigation Pro	Option, with voice control	9.2-inch, 64 GB SSD, Gesture Control	[12] [4]
Active Info Display	–	12.3-inch	[4]
Car-Net App-Connect	–	CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink over USB, standard from SE	[4]

Car-Net e-Remote and Security & Service (eCall, SIM) came on the GTE and e-Golf⁴⁸. A 6.5-inch Composition Colour on non-UK facelift base cars is not confirmed. Unverified No primary source here fixes the boundaries between MIB1, MIB2 and MIB2.5. Unverified VW's facelift text only says "newly developed touch infotainment systems"⁵. See electronics for unit part numbers.

Driver assistance

At launch (options)

ACC and Front Assist with City Emergency Braking²¹
Multi-collision brake²¹
Lane Assist²¹
Dynamic Light Assist²¹
Traffic sign recognition²¹
Fatigue detection²¹
Park Assist 2.0²¹
Proactive occupant protection²¹
DCC adaptive dampers²¹

Added at the facelift

Traffic Jam Assist, Trailer Assist and Discover Pro gesture control⁶
Predictive Pedestrian Protection, standard on every UK car in 2017⁴

Coding changes to these systems are covered in coding.

Safety ratings

Test	Result	Source
Euro NCAP 2012	5 stars. Adult 94% (34 pts), child 89% (43.6 pts), pedestrian 65% (23.5 pts), safety assist 71%. Tested car: 1.2 TSI Comfortline, left-hand drive. Unverified (Euro NCAP's own page did not load)	[3]
ANCAP 2013	5 stars; 15.92/16 frontal offset, 16/16 side Unverified	[3]
Latin NCAP	5 stars (2014, 2017) Unverified	[3]

Standard airbags: driver, passenger (with deactivation), front side, curtain and driver knee. Rear side airbags were optional. C-pillar side-impact sensors and door pressure sensors are fitted. A rear seat belt reminder was available on the 5-door².

Range-wide known issues

DQ200 7-speed dry DSG

The DQ200 (0CW on MQB) is fitted behind the smaller engines: 1.2 and 1.4 TSI and 1.6 TDI². Wikipedia lists general failure modes for VW twin-clutch boxes, not specific to the Golf 7: sulphur build-up shorting wires and causing loss of power (DQ200 and DQ250); complaints of noise, harsh shifts and failure to select even gears on the 7-speed; and a cracked accumulator losing hydraulic pressure. The recalls it describes in China, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia covered 2010–2011 production, the MK6 era¹⁵. Unverified No Golf 7 specific DQ200 recall appears in the DVSA or NHTSA data checked²¹²².

1.4 TSI

Two UK recalls touch the petrol engines. R/2019/261 covers camshaft adjuster housing bolts that may loosen and break the pulley, on 472 Golfs built 17 December 2013 to 4 December 2014; the engine is not stated in the summary²³. R/2016/174 covers a cylinder head tooling fault that may loosen the fuel rail, on 8 cars built March 2016²⁴. Common 1.4 TSI EA211 failure patterns such as coolant pump faults could not be confirmed from a primary source. Unverified

The US brake vacuum pump recall 15V705 is often linked to the Golf, but it is the EA888 1.8 TSI, not the 1.4: a camshaft lobe that drives the pump may shear, losing brake assist (MY2015–2016)²⁵.

1.5 TSI EVO hesitation

Wikipedia's EA211 page says, without a citation, that DACA, DACB, DPBA, DPBE, DADA and DPCA engines give low torque when cold, the so-called "kangaroo" effect. It puts this down to catalyst heating with a lean mixture and retarded ignition, and says the later evo2 engines (DXDB, DNKA) fixed it with secondary air injection¹⁴. Unverified No VW or press source was found, and a VW software fix is not confirmed.

EA211 cam belt

EA211 petrol engines use a toothed belt for the camshafts. The coolant pump is belt-driven off the exhaust camshaft². The UK and EU replacement interval was not found in a VW schedule. Unverified Check the service schedule for your VIN. See servicing.

Dieselgate and the EA288

The emissions scandal centred on the EA189 (Euro 5, MK6 era): 11 million vehicles, 1.2 million in the UK²⁶. Golf 7 diesels are EA288². VW stated that Euro 6 models in Germany were not affected, while 2015 US models with the EA288 were²⁶. Unverified In the US the MK7 Golf TDI was sold for MY2015 only¹⁸. Whether any European Golf 7 EA288 Euro 5 cars were in the EU fix campaign is not confirmed. Unverified

See faults for model-specific problems.

UK recalls (DVSA)

Golf recalls whose build dates fall in the MK7 period²¹. Check any car with the DVSA recall checker by registration.

Ref	Issue	Build dates	Cars	Source
R/2015/097	Front wheel bearing housings of low hardness may fracture	1–11 Apr 2015	303	[27]
R/2016/145	Rear door child locks may disengage	25 Nov 2015 – 14 Apr 2016	13,620	[28]
R/2016/174	Cylinder head tooling fault may loosen the fuel rail; fuel smell or leak	Mar 2016	8	[24]
R/2017/040	On-board supply control unit software: one failed bulb may take out other lights	1 Jun 2015 – 31 Oct 2016	12,440	[29]
R/2017/079	Airbag or belt pretensioner may not trigger	1 May – 31 Oct 2016	3,879	[30]
R/2017/294	Rear wheel bearing housing hardening	21–29 Aug 2017	420	[31]
R/2018/031	Passenger airbag inflator weld (Golf, Estate, SV)	1 Jul – 15 Nov 2014	–	[32]
R/2018/074	Front brake discs under thickness	19–23 Jan 2018	56	[33]
R/2018/133	Burr on front head restraint guide	14 Feb – 31 Mar 2018	2,881	[34]
R/2018/352	Rear backrest head restraint weld	1 May – 31 Aug 2018	4,027	[35]
R/2019/261	Camshaft adjuster housing bolts may loosen and break the pulley	17 Dec 2013 – 4 Dec 2014	472	[23]
R/2021/320	Electromechanical brake servo pull-rod bolt may loosen, risk of total braking loss. The servo type suggests e-Golf, GTE or Golf 8; model split Unverified	13 Jan 2019 – 20 May 2021	145	[36]
R/2023/178	Takata driver airbag. Mostly MK6; MK7 overlap Unverified	Up to 27 Feb 2013	–	[37]
R/2024/266	Software specification	May 2016	2	[38]

R/2020/176 (eCall unit, built March to May 2020), R/2021/055 (door crash sensors, September 2020) and R/2024/014 (servo heat mat, 2020–2022) are probably Golf 8, not MK7²¹. Unverified

Airbag, brake and child lock recalls are safety critical. If a car falls in one of these build windows, check its recall status with a VW dealer or the DVSA checker before driving or selling it.

US recalls (NHTSA)

Recalls on the US Golf for MY2015–2021, the MK7 years in the US²².

Campaign	Issue	Model years / scope	Source
14V412	Stabilizer link fasteners may loosen	MY2015, built Jan–May 2014	[22]
15V028, 16V403	Fuel rail (1.8 TSI)	–	[22]
15V229	Fuel pump nickel plating	MY2015	[22]
16V647, 24V110	In-tank suction jet pump seal lets fuel into the EVAP charcoal canister; fire risk	2015–2020 FWD Golf, GTI, SportWagen	[22]
15V627	Passenger occupant detection	MY2015	[22]
16V955	Airbag and pretensioner deployment	MY2017	[22]
22V543	Passenger airbag inflator may rupture	MY2016	[22]
15V705	1.8 TSI camshaft lobe driving the brake vacuum pump may shear	MY2015–2016	[25]
18V369	Brake caliper piston coating	MY2018	[22]
18V464, 19V615	Silicate on the shift-lever micro switch lets the key out when not in Park	2015–2019	[22]
18V904, 19V188	Rear coil springs may fracture	2015–2019 Golf, SportWagen	[22]
19V879	Front wheel bearings mis-machined	2019 GTI, Alltrack	[22]
22V815	TPMS	2019–2020	[22]
23V604	Ignition switch may fail in heat	2019 Golf, Alltrack, SportWagen; 2019–2020 GTI	[22]
20V716	Rear camera may show a black screen	MY2021 Golf and GTI	[39]
16V138	e-Golf: high-voltage battery diagnostics give a false fault	2015–2016	[40]
18V803	e-Golf: rear seat head restraint welds	2018	[40]