Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Jun 30, 2010
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Mar 17, 1997
What this page shows
Our database holds 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Volkswagen GTI. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaints, most recent first
Showing 1–9 of 9
Engine
Filed Jun 30, 2010
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 VOLSWAGEN GTI. HE STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOSING SPEED TO 30 MPH AND THEN RE-GAIN NORMAL SPEED AFTER 10 SECONDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE CAMSHAFT WAS INOPERABLE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 118,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
NHTSA ID
10340783
Incident
Aug 10, 2009
Mileage
118,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Aug 29, 2008
ABS MODULE FAILURE. *TR
NHTSA ID
10240230
Incident
Mar 10, 2008
Electrical
Filed Jun 22, 2005
Fire reported1 injury reported
CAR ALARM WOULD GO OFF WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE AND THE HORN WOULD GO OFF. THE FAILURE OCCURED WHILE DRIVING ON A MAIN ROAD, THE ALARM HORN ENGAGED AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES OF CONTINUOUS HONKING THE WIRES TO THE ALARM HORN STARTED TO MELT. I ATTEMPTED TO DISCONNECT THE POWER TO THE HORN AND WAS BURNED BY THE WIRES. EVENTUALLY THE HORN DIED BUT SMOKE CONTINUED TO POUR OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE COWLING.
NHTSA ID
10126236
Incident
Jun 10, 2003
Mileage
100,000 mi
Transmission
Filed May 16, 2005
THE REVERSE GEAR IS VERY WEAK IN STANDARD TRANSMISSIONS.THE GEAR CHIPS THEN BREAKS OFF AND FALLS INTO THE DIFFERENTIAL CAUSING AN EXPLOSION OF THE HOUSING AND THE LOSS OF ALL THE GEAR FLUID. REPLACEMENT OF COMPLETE UNIT IS THEN NECESSARY. THIS WILL BE MY THIRD TRANSMISSION IN 56000 MILES. LOCAL DEALERS JUST POINT FINGERS TO THE DRIVER OF THE CAR. I ALSO KNOW OF THREE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS HAS TO BE MORE THAN A MERE COINCIDENCE. FURTHERMORE, ALL THESE INCIDENCES OCCUR ON VOLKSWAGEN GTI'S, JETTAS AND GULFS BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 1993-1998. IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE DRIVER. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE NOT SAFE NOR RELIABLE.
NHTSA ID
10121095
Incident
Apr 20, 2002
Mileage
40,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed May 1, 2003
THE VEHICLES DOOR HANDLE CAME OFF IN THE CONSUMERS HAND. *NLM
NHTSA ID
10017928
Incident
Apr 12, 2003
Mileage
140,000 mi
ElectricalVisibility
Filed Dec 2, 2001
ELECTICALCOMPONENTS KEEP GOING, NOW SUN ROOF WON'T CLOSE
NHTSA ID
755195
Electrical
Filed Nov 24, 1998
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH COMPUTER SYSTEM. THE COMPUTER MODULE HAS FAILED TO OPERATE 8 TIMES. VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE IS THEN TOWED BECAUSE IT WILL NOT RESTART. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
NHTSA ID
831249
Incident
Aug 21, 1998
Other / unspecified
Filed Oct 1, 1998
LUGS:NUTS:BOLTS, ONE ON EACH TIRE, CANNOT BE REMOVED. DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE EXTRA FOR A SPECIAL DRILL TO REMOVE LUGS NUTS AND BOLTS. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THIS PROBLEM WAS PERTAINING TO LUGS: NUTS:BOLTS MANUFACTURER. (1-800/669-8788). *AK
NHTSA ID
828438
Incident
Sep 23, 1998
Engine
Filed Mar 17, 1997
VEHICLE STALLS WHILE IN MOTION AND WHEN FOOT IS ON THE GAS PEDAL. DEALER COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *AK
NHTSA ID
810044
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.