Volkswagen GTI Complaints

1,407 consumer complaints on file.

#10896072August 15, 2016
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
AT ROUGHLY 11PM AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM THE GYM THE CAR STARTED BEEPING AND THE EPC LIGHT CAME ON. SHORTLY AFTER THE ABS, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE LIGHT(FLASHING), STEERING WHEEL ICON, AND A MESSAGE SAYING ENGINE FAULT WORKSHOP ALL LIT UP. I IMAGINE ALL THESE LIGHTS PROMPTING THE CAR TO GO INTO LIMP MODE. MY GAS GAUGE STOPPED WORKING ALONG WITH THE SPEDOMETER AND THE CAR WOULD ONLY REC ABOUT 2K RPMS TRYING TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM FURTHER DAMAGE(LIMP MODE). PROBLEM WOULD CONTINUE ON FROM THEN. THE CAR WON'T TURN PROPERLY AS IT FEELS LIKE IT'S REALLY LOOSE AND ISN'T GRABBING THE ROAD.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10896082August 15, 2016
ENGINE
THE VEHICLE STALLED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT APPEAR, NOR DID ANY FAULT CODES. THE DISCOVERED CAUSE WAS AN OIL SCREEN IN THE CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER BRIDGE THAT CAME APART INSIDE THE TIMING CHAIN HOUSING, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO COME OUT OF TIMING. THIS CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER HEAD, LEADING TO A REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $7400. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT VOLKSWAGEN IS AWARE OF AN HAS ISSUED A REDESIGNED REPLACEMENT PART FOR. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY HAVE NOT INFORMED THE OWNERS OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES OF THE PROBLEM AND THE POTENTIAL DANGER ASSOCIATED WITH IT IF THE PART FAILS. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65-70 MPH IN TRAFFIC, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10894138August 8, 2016
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), STEERING
VW 2009 GTI 80K MILES. SOLID ABS, SOLID POWER STEERING LIGHT, SOLID CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, SOLID TRACTION CONTROL, AND FLASHING "BRAKE" LIGHTS ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD OCCASIONALLY UPON TURNING ON THE VEHICLE, ACCOMPANIED BY 3 AUDIBLE BEEPS. THEN, THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE, EPC, STEERING, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS BEGAN TO COME ON WHILE DRIVING. ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL STAY ILLUMINATED, WHILE THE EPC, STEERING, CHECK ENGINE, AND BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY, ACCOMPANIED BY 3 AUDIBLE BEEPS. THE MESSAGE "ENGINE FAULT - WORKSHOP!" ALSO SHOWS UP ON THE MESSAGE DISPLAY CENTER IN THE DASH. STEERING FEELS A BIT STIFF. SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER AND FUEL GAUGE AFFECTED. DEALER HAS INDICATED AN INTERNAL FAULT IN THE ABS CONTROL MODULE REQUIRING COMPLETE REPLACEMENT. VW CORPORATE OFFICES UNWILLING TO PROVIDE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THESE COMMON FAILURES. EXPENSIVE FIX AND VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10893742August 6, 2016
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS MODULE FAILURE AFTER 100K MILES. THREE CHIMES, "ENGINE FAULT WORKSHOP" WARNING COMES UP, WARNING LIGHTS FOR ABS, ESP, STEERING, BRAKES, EVERYTHING. HAPPENS RANDOMLY, OFTEN ON TURNS, GOES BACK TO NORMAL AFTER A WHILE EXCEPT FOR ABS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS. APPARENTLY THIS IS A STANDARD PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR/MODEL.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10892974August 3, 2016
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED, "ENGINE WORKSHOP" ERROR CODE FOLLOWED BY ABS, ESC, "BRAKE" TRACTION CONTROL, STEERING WARNING YELOW, STEERING WARNING RED, AND MULTIPLE DINGS AND ALARMS. SPEEDOMETER GOES TO ZERO, CAR IS SLUGGINSH... WHEN STOPPED, THE BRAKES SEEM SOFT UNLESS "PUMPED UP" I AM CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTROLS ARE NOT RELAIBLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10892628August 2, 2016
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
THE CLUTCH OPERATION IN MY 2015 VOLKSWAGE GTI (6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION) IS MALFUNCTIONING TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT I WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT AND NOW FEAR FOR MY SAFETY. CLUTCH OPERATION IN THE VEHICLE HAS BECOME UNPREDICTABLE, WHEN DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH PEDAL WILL REMAIN ON THE FLOOR AFTER THE PEDAL IS RELEASED, THUS PREVENTING THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE STATIONARY IN TRAFFIC, WHILE IN MOTION AND WHILE ACCELERATING. MOST RECENTLY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO A BUSY HIGHWAY THE CLUTCH PEDAL STUCK TO THE FLOOR, THIS NEARLY FORCED ME TO TAKE EVASIVE STEPS INTO A CONSTRUCTION ZONE. AFTER THIS INCIDENT I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS AND SERVICE. I HAVE HEARD OF SEVERAL ALARMINGLY SIMILAR REPORTS FROM OTHER 2015 GTI OWNERS WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE ISSUE WAS A FAILED ENGINE BEARING THAT RESULTS IN SIDE-TO-SIDE CRANKSHAFT MOVEMENT IN THE ENGINE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10885864July 19, 2016
VISIBILITY/WIPER
WINDSHIELD SEEMS VERY WEAK. HAD 3 BAD CRACKS WITHIN 6 MONTHS (8000 MILES) OF BUYING CAR, DRIVING THE SAME ROADS I HAD ZERO CRACKS OVER 4 1/2 YEAR AND 60K+ MILES IN MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10885865July 19, 2016
POWER TRAIN
IN VERY HOT WEATHER (OVER 110 F) THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. IT STAYS IN LOW GEARS AND REV'S THE ENGINE FAR TOO MUCH. AT COOLER TEMPS IT DRIVES FINE. TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER IN JULY 2016 AND WAS TOLD IT WAS FINE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10884853July 14, 2016
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE DEVELOPED AFTER 100,000 MILES.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10883458July 7, 2016
SERVICE BRAKES
WHILE DRIVING, I PRESSED THE BRAKES ONE TIME AND THEY WORKED, THE NEXT TIME THEY DIDN'T. NO SLOW DEGRADATION, THEY JUST WENT FROM WORKING FINE TO NOT WORKING AT ALL. THE VACUUM BOOSTER FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY SUCH THAT THERE WAS NO ASSIST AND WHEN MORE PRESSURE WAS APPLIED BRAKE FLUID SQUIRTED ONTO THE ENGINE RESULTING IN BASICALLY NO STOPPING OF ANY KIND. NO WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN CONTACTING VW ABOUT THIS, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WASN'T EVEN EQUIPPED WITH A SENSOR CAPABLE OF DETECTING THAT THE BRAKES HAD COMPLETELY FAILED. THIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEIR MANUAL EXPLICITLY CALLS OUT THE DANGERS OF OPERATING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE VACUUM BOOSTER. WITH SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT AS THE BRAKES, SHOULDN'T THERE BE AT LEAST A WARNING LIGHT? LUCKILY THIS HAPPENED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AT LOW SPEED, BUT THAT WAS JUST BLIND LUCK.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10882763July 5, 2016
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, STEERING, SUSPENSION
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY WE WERE NEVER INFORMED OF THE 3 RECALLS ON OUR 2015 VW GTI. STARTED INVESTIGATING AFTER OUR 2015 VW PASSAT HAS THE BAD AIRBAGS IN THEM. ALSO OWN THE GTI AND WE INVESTIGATED TO SEE IF THE BAD AIRBAGS ARE IN THERE TOO. THAT IS WHEN WE FOUND PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL PUMP WHICH WAS RECALLED IN JUNE 2015, WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED, ALSO A FUEL LEAK OF AN IGNITION SOURCE...NEVER NOTIFIED AND A LOOSE STABILIZER LINK IN THE STEERING. WHO WANTS TO DRIVE THIS CAR. WHY WERE WE NOT NOTIFIED OF THESE THREE RECALLS. WE NEVER MOVED, I WANT AN ANSWER AS THIS CAR IS ALWAYS IN USE. WE WERE REALLY UPSET WITH THE PASSAT THAT WE GOT RID OF IT AND THANK GOD WE HAD GOTTEN RID OF OUR OTHER NEW PASSAT LAST YEAR ONLY TO BUY ANOTHER LEMON AND UNSAFE VEHICLE FROM VW......THIS BEING THE GTI. PLEASE GET BACK TO US. IF ANYTHING HAPPENS LIFE THREATENING, YOU WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. YOU ARE IGNORING YOUR CUSTOMERS WHO AT ONE TIME LOVED THEIR VEHICLES....NOW THEY ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THEM....BUT STILL MUST PAY FOR THEM. MAYBE WE NEED A CAR REPLACEMENT FROM VW FOR THIS GTI FOR NOT LETTING US KNOW. NOT EVEN SURE IF THIS GTI HAS THE BAD AIRBAGS AS YOUR 800 NUMBER KEEPS ME ON THE LINE ON HOLD FOR OVER AN HOUR I JUST THINK YOU DON'T WANT TO ANSWER.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10882394July 4, 2016
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), STEERING
2009 VW GTI. ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE, EPC, CEL AND STEERING WHEEL LIGHT COME ON. 3 BEEPS SOUND. SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK. AFTER SEARCHING, THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. POWER STEERING SEEMS TO TURN OFF AND ON UNEXPECTEDLY AND IS QUITE DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING. ABS WON'T WORK AND TRACTION CONTROL TURNS OFF AND ON UNEXPECTEDLY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10881398June 29, 2016
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
BEGINNING AROUND 55K MILES (CAR WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 YEARS OLD) I OCCASIONALLY WOULD EXPERIENCE A CHIME FOLLOWED BY ABS LIGHT FLASHING WHEN TAKING TIGHT TURNS. IT TURNED OFF WHEN CYCLING THE ENGINE OFF/ON. ALSO, SOMETIMES THERE WOULD BE THREE CHIMES UPON STARTING THE CAR FOLLOWED BY ABS AND ESC WARNING LIGHTS FLASHING. THIS COULD NOT BE REMOVED BY CYCLING THE ENGINE OFF/ON. IT WOULD STAY ON WHILE DRIVING AND ONLY GO AWAY RANDOMLY THE NEXT TIME I RESTARTED IT LATER; SOMETIMES IT WOULD STAY ON FOR MANY CONSECUTIVE STOPS/STARTS. THE SYMPTOM OF THE THREE CHIMES UPON STARTUP GOT MORE FREQUENT RECENTLY (70K MILES). IT WOULD APPEAR ALMOST EVERY DAY. I RESEARCHED THIS ON WEB CHAT FORUMS AND THE SYMPTOMS APPEARED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH OTHER 2009 VW GTI DRIVERS EXPERIENCING ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. I ALSO CONSULTED MY LOCAL VW MECHANIC AND HE CONCURRED MY SYMPTOMS WERE 'EARLY ONSET' FAILURE AND ANECDOTALLY HE SAID THE 2009 VW GTI CONTROL MODULES HAVE A REPUTATION OF EARLY FAILURE. IT IS WORTH NOTING THE CONDITION RENDERS THE ESC AND ABS NON-FUNCTIONAL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AT 73500 MILES AND HE DIAGNOSED ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE AND SAID IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I ASKED FOR A GOODWILL WARRANTY EXTENSION AND GOT IT; THE UNIT WAS REPLACED WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE FIXED THE ISSUE. LUCKILY, I DID NOT EVER ENCOUNTER A SITUATION THAT TESTED THE DRIVEABILITY OF THE CAR WITH THOSE SYSTEMS DISABLED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10877027June 27, 2016
POWER TRAIN
THE GEARS ON THE SCREEN IN MY CAR START TO FLASH, THEN I CAN'T GO OVER 30 MPH NOR CAN I GO INTO REVERSE. I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10876219June 23, 2016
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CAMSHAFT WAS FRACTURED. THE FUEL PRESSURE PUMP AND THE CAMSHAFT WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,145.....UPDATED 08/29/16 *BF
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10874975June 18, 2016
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHEN DRIVING THE CAR, A LOT OF THE WARNING LIGHTS FLASH OUT OF NOWHERE. THE ABS LIGHT, TRACTION, POWER STEERING, EPC LIGHTS ALL FLASH. I ALSO LOSE POWER STEERING. ON TOP OF THAT, THE SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK. THIS HAPPENS ABRUPTLY AND SOMETIMES AT HIGH SPEEDS. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. FROM WHAT I'VE READ, IT IS THE ABS MODULE FAILING. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM OF 09 GTIS AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10874272June 14, 2016
SERVICE BRAKES
SOLID LIGHT IN DASHBOARD / ABS IN ORANGE / BRAKE IN RED WITH 3 BEEPS EVERYTIME I TURN ON THE CAR SOMETIMES GETS COMPLICATED EITH EPC LIGHT AND "TAKE TO THE SHOP" ENGINE MSLFUNCTION
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10873980June 13, 2016
ENGINE
TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILURE - THE CAR WAS PARKED FOR THE NIGHT. IN THE MORNING I WENT TO START IT. I WOULD NOT START. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS OR ERROR CODES. TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP STATED ZERO COMPRESSION AND BENT VALVES. THEY STATED I NEED A NEW ENGINE. 7400.00 CALLED VW OF AMERICAN. THEY OFFERED NO HELP WHAT SO EVER. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA JUST KEEPS STATING THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THERE IS A TSB, MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET REGARDING TIGUANS, GTI'S AND PASSATS. THIS ENGINE HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM HAPPENING FOR YEARS FROM 2008 TO 2013 VW WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10872104June 2, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
WAS DRIVING UNDER NORMAL, DRY CONDITIONS WHEN I BEGAN TO GET MDI NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT FAILED LIGHTING. A TOTAL OF 11 NOTIFICATIONS CAME ACROSS. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM. THE 30A FUSE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUSE BOX HAD MELTED. THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR....THE PLASTIC MELTED WITHOUT BURNING OUT THE FUSE. THIS ISSUE AFFECTS A WIDE RANGE OF YEARS AND MODELS AND A RECALL WAS ISSUED JUST ON THE TIQUAN???. IT IS MIND BOGGLING THAT THIS IS NOT A RECALL ITEM ON ALL MODELS AS THE LACK OF LIGHTING IS MOST DEFINITELY A SAFETY CONCERN.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10871482May 30, 2016
ENGINE
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING AND VEHICLE WAS QUICKLY CONSUMED IN FLAMES. POWER LOSS WAS INITIALLY NOTICED ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND STARTED TO BURN ON A SIDE STREET WHILE STOPPED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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