Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Volkswagen GTI submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
2003 VW GTI AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT, COLLISION, BUMP OR CRASH AND STAYED ON ALL THE TIME, THIS CONDITION MAKES THE AIRBAG SYSTEM INOPERATIVE AT THE TIME OF A REAL COLLISION, I BELONG TO A VW CLUB ( VWVOERTWX.COM) AND THIS SEEMS TO BE VERY POPULAR ISSUE AMONG VW GTI TWO DOOR, TECHNICALLY THIS HAS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT VW SHOULD BE OBLIGATED TO CORRECT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROADWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE HE WAS ADVISED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO FAILED IGNITION COIL PACKS. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,000.
#1 IGNITION COIL FAILED. CAR REPAIRED BY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, AND WITHIN 50 MILES, THE #3 COIL FAILED. REPLACED ALL IGNITION COILS AT 77K MILES. SEEMS PREMATURE FOR A 5 YEAR CAR. *TR
(1) CAR ENGINE OVERHEATED WITH AIR CONDITIONING UNIT ON WITH 35K MILES (4 YEAR OLD CAR). (2) DEALER REPAIR SERVICE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED BOTH AUXILARY FANS (290" AND 345") FAILED TO SPIN AT LOW SPEEDS AND OPERATE ONLY AT HIGH SPEEDS CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT WHEN CAR IS BETWEEN 0 TO 30 MPH. DEALER DIRECTED CONSUMER PARTS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY (4 YEARS, 50,000 MILES) AND CONSIDERED ELECTRICAL PARTS AND TO REPAIR AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE ($918). CORPORATE OFFICE EVENTUALLY COVERED PART AND CONSUMER COVERED LABOR EXPENSES. SEVERAL OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES HAVE OCCURED WITH THE CAR INCLUDING BULB REPLACEMENTS ON A/C CONSOLE, BRAKE LIGHTS, AND BATTERY FAILURE AFTER 4 YEARS POINTING TO POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL DESIGN OR INTEGRATION FLAW. (3) FANS WERE REPLACED AND PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. *JB
AS I WAS GETTING INTO MY CAR AT NIGHT (2003 VW GTI) I NOTICED IT WAS VERY COLD. I THEN PROCEEDED TO TRY TO TURN THE CAR ON BUT THE STARTER WOULD NOT GIVE, THEN TO NO AVAIL I NOTICED THAT THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. ROADSIDE ASSITANCE THROUGH VW WAS CONTACTED AND STATED UNFORTUNATLY UNDER THE EXTREME COLD AND DUE TO IT BEING SO LATE AT NIGHT THEY COULD NOT CONTACT A TOW TO ASSIST ME . *AK
MY CLUTCH FAILED AT 14,000 MILES. MY IGNITION FAILS REGULARILY, THE IGNITION COIL HAS BEEN RECALLED AND NOW I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I HAVE OWNED VW'S ALL OF MY LIFE AND TRADED IN MY LAST VW THAT HAD 170K ON AN ORIGINAL CLUTCH.*AK
2003 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. IGNITION COIL FAILURE. DEALER REPLACED (1) OF (6) COILS FOR THIS VEHICLE. WEEK LATER, ANOTHER COIL FAILED. SUGGEST DEALER REPLACES ALL COILS WHEN PROBLEM EXISTS SO CUSTOMER WITH A (6) CYLINDER VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE TO COME BACK SIX TIME FOR A REPAIR. *NLM
VEHICLE HESITATES/STALLS DUE TO IGNITION COIL FAILUE. DEALER NOTIFIED. PH. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .