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.
10
Latest Sep 17, 2005
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 Aug 23, 1998
What this page shows
Our database holds 10 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 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 1–10 of 10
Electrical
Filed Sep 17, 2005
I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT, IN THE RAIN, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. I ALSO NOTICED THAT MY WIPERS AND MY FAN ALSO STOPPED WORKING. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AGAIN, ALL WAS FINE FOR ABOUT 10 SEC., THEN IT WENT OUT AGAIN. I NOTICED THAT WHEN I TOUCHED THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION THAT IT WENT BACK ON AGAIN, AND I HELD THE KEY FORWARD AND HELD IT THERE, AND THE HEADLIGHTS, WIPERS, AND THE FAN STARTED TO WORK AGAIN. WHEN I LET IT GO, IT STOPPED WORKING. I HAD TO HOLD THE KEY IN THE IGNITION FORWARD ALL THE WAY HOME TO HAVE HEADLIGHTS TO SEE MY WAY HOME. THE NEXT DAY I CHECKED AGAIN AND KNEW FOR SURE THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS THE PROBLEM, IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I LOOKED IT UP ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON ON VOLKSWAGEN GOLF'S OR GTI'S AND THAT THERE WASN'T A RECALL ON THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT. I OWN A 1998 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THANK YOU, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF THIS PROBLEM WAS ADDRESSED TO VOLKSWAGEN AND A RECALL WERE TO BE MADE OF THIS PROBLEM. I HEARD IT COST'S A LOT OF MONEY TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.*JB
NHTSA ID
10136844
Incident
Sep 15, 2005
Mileage
92,448 mi
Airbags
Filed Oct 21, 2004
1 injury reported
SIDE AIRBAG (PASSENGER) DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT WITH A POTHOLE WITH THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL
NHTSA ID
10096153
Incident
Oct 20, 2004
Mileage
105,000 mi
Visibility
Filed May 14, 2003
1998 VOLKSWAGEN GTI VR6. ELECTRIC WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURE. SAW THIS SITE ON WWW.VWVORTEX.COM. *NLM
NHTSA ID
10018676
Incident
May 13, 2003
Engine
Filed Apr 1, 2003
THE ENGINE STALLED WHEN THE CONSUMER MADE A TURN. *JB
NHTSA ID
10014919
Mileage
10,000 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 1, 2003
THE ENGINE STALLED WHEN THE CONSUMER MADE A TURN. *JB
NHTSA ID
10014918
Mileage
10,000 mi
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Feb 21, 2003
Crash reported1 injury reported
1998 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI ROLLED INTO A DITCH OFF 101 NEAR GILROY. THREE DAYS PRIOR IT HAD HAD SERVICED ENTIRELY BY MICHAEL'S AUTO BODY IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE. WITH REPAIRS TOTALLING $2000. THESE REPAIRS WERE SUPPOSEDLY MERELY "WEAR AND TEAR" FROM A TOWING BY THE SJPD. THE ANTILOCK BRAKES LOCKED AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT RELEASE.
NHTSA ID
10007904
Incident
May 21, 2002
Mileage
59,000 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 23, 2001
VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND DIED WITHOUT WARNING. JUST BEFORE VEHICLE STALLED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAS STALLED AND DIED SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK
NHTSA ID
881242
Incident
Feb 22, 2001
Brakes
Filed Jul 6, 1999
ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED AND NEVER WENT *AK
NHTSA ID
708280
Incident
Jun 20, 1999
Body & structure
Filed Feb 1, 1999
DOOR PANELS CAME OFF. *YC
NHTSA ID
609383
Incident
Jan 1, 1999
Brakes
Filed Aug 23, 1998
ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED. NOT SURE IF ABS IS WORKING DURING THIS TIME.
NHTSA ID
540271
Incident
Jul 25, 1998
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.