RoadVitals

1999 Volkswagen GTI Owner Complaints

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.
8
Latest Oct 15, 2007
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.
0
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 Jan 19, 2001

What this page shows

Our database holds 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 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 1–8 of 8

Airbags
Filed Oct 15, 2007

AIRBAG MALFUNCTION. THIS IS THE 5TH TIME THE PASSENGER SIDE, SIDE-AIR-BAG ATTENUATOR ON MY 1999 VW GTI (NEW GTI) HAS NEEDED SERVICE. FIRST TIME WAS JUST AFTER CAR WENT OFF WARRANTY. VW REGIONAL AGREED TO PAY. ABOUT 18 MONTHS LATER, SAME PROBLEM -- HAD TO CALL VW REGIONAL TO MOUNT THE CASE FOR THEM TO PAY, AND THEY DID. 11 MONTHS LATER, SAME PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP PAID FOR REPAIR SAYING IT WAS COVERED BY THEIR 12MO/12K MILE SERVICE WARRANTY. 11 MONTHS LATER -- SAME PROBLEM, DEALER PAID. NOW, 5 MONTHS LATER, AIRBAG LIGHT ON AGAIN. SAME PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10205660
Incident
Oct 1, 2007
ElectricalEngine
Filed Sep 10, 2007

I NOTICED THAT MY SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT PROPERLY FUNCTIONING SO I WENT TO THE VW DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAD A COOLANT LEAK AND COOLANT MIGRATION. THE COOLANT APPARENTLY MIGRATED THROUGH THE WIRING HARNESS TO SHORT MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE ENTIRE WIRE HARNESS AND PART OF MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS NOW INOPERABLE DUE TO THE MIGRATION. I WAS QUOTED A $3,800 ESTIMATE AND MY CAR ONLY HAS 68,000 MILES. I PERFORMED ONLINE RESEARCH AND SEVERAL 1999 VW'S HAD THE SAME PROBLEM DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT THAT DRIPPED COOLANT OVER THE WIRE HARNESS. THERE IS EVEN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FILED WITH THE NHTSA THAT INSTRUCTS VW HOW TO REPLACE TO MASSIVE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED VW AND THEY WILL NOT HELP EVEN THOUGHT THIS IS A WIDELY REPORTED PROBLEM WITH 1999-2001 VWS AND A DESIGN DEFECT. NOW I NEED TO REPLACE THE WIRE HARNESS, WHICH APPARENTLY RUNS THROUGH MOST OF THE ENGINE AND CAR COMPONENTS AND MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER- A $3,800 REPAIR. RATHER THAN CORRECT THEIR DESIGN DEFECT, VW OFFERED ME $1,00 OFFER A NEW VW, WHICH IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. *TR UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

NHTSA ID
10202438
Incident
May 21, 2007
Mileage
67,380 mi
Seat belts
Filed Jul 18, 2006

THE REAR CENTER SEAT BELT OF MY 1999.5 VOLKSWAGEN GTI TRAPPED A PASSENGER IN MY CAR. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR CENTER SEAT BELT LOCKED UP AND WOULD NO LONGER RETRACT OR EXTEND, WHICH LEFT A PASSENGER STUCK IN MY CAR RECENTLY (IT WAS NECESSARY TO UNBOLT THE SEAT BELT TO FREE THE PASSENGER). THE UNIT IS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING. BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM OTHER VOLKSWAGEN GOLF/GTI OWNERS IN THE 1999-2005 YEAR RANGE, THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND HAS OCCURRED SPECIFICALLY. I BELIEVE THIS CLEARLY SHOWS PRODUCT DEFECT AND IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. I CAN OBTAIN AND SUBMIT PROOF THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED IN SEVERAL OTHER GOLF/GTI MODEL VEHICLES IF NECESSARY, THERE IS A VERY LARGE VW FORUM ONLINE WHICH HAS SEVERAL INSTANCES OF THIS COMPLAINT STRETCHING BACK SEVERAL YEARS. *NM

NHTSA ID
10162732
Incident
Jul 6, 2006
Mileage
118,861 mi
Filed Aug 16, 2005

SAFETY RECALL UU 1999-2000 MODEL VOLKSWAGEN GOLF AND GTI VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A GASOLINE ENGINE INSPECT FUEL SUPPLY MODULE FOR LEAKS AND INSTALL CONNECTOR ON FUEL LINE; REPLACE FUEL SUPPLE MODULE IF NECESSARY. *MR WHILE DRIVING HOME THE CONSUMER FELT A BUMP AND HEARD A CRACKING SOUND. THE CONSUMER THEN SMELLED GAS. THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, LINE AND FITTING ON THE FUEL PUMP CRACKED. RECALL CAMPAIGN #05V154000. *SC

NHTSA ID
10134515
Incident
Aug 1, 2005
Visibility
Filed Oct 25, 2001

THE WINDOW REGULATORS ARE A KNOWN PROBLEM AND VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL.I'VE HAD 2 FAIL ON ME WITH IN A YEARS TIME. I NOW FEAR THE WINDOW WILL NOT ROLL BACK UP WHENEVER I ROLL MY WINDOWS DOWN.*AK

NHTSA ID
753659
Incident
Aug 1, 2001
Fuel system
Filed Oct 25, 2001

THIS IS A KNOW PART FAILURE FOR ALL 1999.5-2001 VOLKSWAGENS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
753658
Incident
Oct 1, 2001
Visibility
Filed Jul 2, 2001

THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THE NEW GOLF'S AND JETTA'S THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY VWOA. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK

NHTSA ID
747677
Incident
Nov 1, 2000
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Jan 19, 2001

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT ANY MPH RPM WILL GO OVER 1500 AND ENGINE WILL DIE WITHOUT A PRIOR WARNING. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO SHOP, AND THEY SAID IT WAS COIL PACK THAT WAS MALFUNCTIONING. *AK

NHTSA ID
878573
Incident
Dec 19, 2000

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .