One problem related to wiring has been reported for the 2001 Volkswagen GTI. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
I bought a Volkswagen Gti 1. 8t in 2001. It had numerous failures on me. Ignition coil failure, window collapsed sudently, shift is stuck in parking, catalyst converter failure, rear brake pads worned out very fast while the front pad was like new. I am extremely disappointed in Volkswagen. Their customer service was horrible. Allltheir responses were this is not under the warranty, it's normal wear and tear etc.