Equipment Problems of Volkswagen GTI - part 1

While simply driving 75mph (speed limit during time of incident) on the highway, I heard a loud explosion sound and the sunroof had completely shattered and was blown upwards. Glass began and continued to fly off, creating a large hole, while trying to get to a stopping point. The was only very little shards of debris that had gotten inside the vehicle while driving, but had potential to put me and a passenger at risk of serious injury. No vehicles were close to mine that could have caused debris to hit the area and no other vehicles were affected. There was no cracks or chips in the glass prior to the incident. There is reason to believe that it is a manufacturing error or installation error prior to purchasing the vehicle in 2020. Supporting that, I have researched reports of other Volkswagen golf Gti models dealing with the same or similar issues with the sunroof exploding upwards with zero cause or explanation. There has not been an inspection or investigation of the damage as is happened around 3:00pm on this date ( January 30th, 2026).

See all problems of the 2019 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

I am reporting a safety concern related to safety recall 20uf on my 2016 Volkswagen golf Gti se and the handling of this recall by an authorized Volkswagen dealership (pohanka Volkswagen, capitol heights, MD). Prior to the recall service, the vehicle exhibited loss of power, intermittent shuddering, and severe difficulty refueling (fuel pump nozzle repeatedly shut off even with a low fuel level). These symptoms were similar to prior evap system failures that required replacement of the charcoal canister and evap purge (n80) valve earlier in 2025. I brought the vehicle to the dealership on December 29, 2025, specifically requesting completion of recall 20uf and inspection/replacement of evap components if necessary. The dealership initially refused to perform the recall unless I returned the vehicle with less than one-quarter tank of fuel, despite the recall documentation specifying that fuel extraction equipment (vas5190a or equivalent) is required for this repair. A diagnostic report generated by the dealership listed a “fuel pump (in tank)” replacement as a customer-pay repair before later removing it once it was identified as recall-related. After significant delays, the dealership stated the recall had been completed and declined to replace any evap components. Since the recall service, the vehicle continues to experience intermittent shuddering and difficulty accelerating. While refueling has temporarily improved, drivability concerns persist, raising questions about whether the recall repair was properly performed and whether the vehicle remains safe to operate. I am concerned about inconsistent handling of a safety recall, improper diagnostic practices, and continued fuel-system-related drivability issues that may pose a safety risk.

See all problems of the 2016 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

I had fuel leaking from my carbon canister. I was driving the previous day and noticed a gasoline smell. I thought it was something I ran over. The next day, while performing errands, I noticed the smell even more. Then I exited the vehicle to see the fuel pouring out of the car. The dealership has it now.

See all problems of the 2017 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

My vehicle's rear camera turns black and/or gets slow while parking. This problem was fixed a few months ago but the problem started happening again.

See all problems of the 2022 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

I was driving on the highway, and heard a quiet sound like someone sprinkling sand on my windshield for about 10 seconds. All of a sudden, the sun roof burst and shattered with a loud pop. Luckily the internal slide-able screen webbing kept the glass from entering the compartment (except a bit of glass dust and small shards). I never heard a rock hit, or any other cause. I believe the ‘sand sprinkling’ sound was the ‘spider web’ cracks spreading prior to the burst. Obviously that is extremely dangerous while driving on the highway. If it wasn’t for the internal screen keeping the glass off me, it could have been much worse. I was able to pull off the highway and temporarily secure the glass with some cardboard and packing tape.

The hill assist feature does not let go of the brakes when I apply throttle and has caused me to stall the vehicle on a hill multiple times. I would request a recall be made to allow the driver to not have the brakes engaged when throttle is applied when starting from a stop on a hill with manual transmission equipped Gti's/golf r's.

See all problems of the 2024 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

Hill hold assist takes exactly three seconds to release automatically. However, this has resulted in drivers behind to almost hit me as my vehicle cannot move forward even after depressing thr clutch and pressing the throttle. This has resulted in several near collisions. Vw refuses to address this safety concern.

See all problems of the 2023 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Gti se. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v110000 (fuel system, gasoline). The contact lives in hawaii. However, there are no Volkswagen dealers on the island. The contact was told by the manufacturer that the recall repairs would need to be done by a dealer. It was suggested that the vehicle be shipped to o'ahu at the contact's expense. The contact stated that the manufacturer did not offer any assistance when asked if a local independent mechanic could repair the vehicle. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The hill start assist in the vehicle (with a manual transmission) makes it dangerous for pulling out into traffic if you are stopped on a hill. It holds the car for a predetermined length of time if you come to a complete stop on the hill as you legally are required to at a red light/stop sign making you unable to pull safely into traffic. It is very easy to forget this annoying feature exists on new intersections you may not think of as being inclined, or when you are focusing more on the traffic and are just expecting the vehicle to operate normally to pull into traffic as with any other flat intersection. It has caused me to stall the vehicle numerous times while attempting to enter traffic. I know how to drive a manual transmission and not roll backwards on a hill. Vw needs to offer an “off” option for this feature for the safety of drivers. This “safety feature” is going to get someone hurt or worse.

Roll back feature on manual car. Causes disruptive driving by engaging and holding too long causing stallouts and potential collisions. Also rearbackup camera only works <80% of time.

Unknown - vehicle hill assist. The hill assist feature is overly aggressive and causes the car to stall when going in forward or reverse on an incline. This has the potential to cause rear end collisions and generally unsafe driving conditions. Vw needs to either provide a way to disable this feature or reduce the hold time as they had done with previous generation Gtis. This feature is dangerous and unnecessary for any experienced manual transmission driver.

The sos emergency call system randomly dials out and hangs up, dials out, hangs up, and continues to do so while driving. This has occured numerous times and lasts from 10 minutes to more than 20 minutes. It is extremely distracting.

Rearview camera. When I changed the gear into reverse, sometimes my rearview camera does not turn on, the screen only goes black. It happens multiple times in a month and it's a risk for the driver as well as other outside the car. I heard there's a recall exactly like this for my same model, same car and there's no recall for my particular model.

Shift boot trim near storage compartment has a metal coating that starts to flake off and is razor sharp. This frequently cuts myself and my wife and is dangerous enough to have issued a recall but apparently it is only for automatics. This is odd since both auto and manual have a similar problem that seems to be widespread on forums across the web. Service action code: 34j7/34l9.

See all problems of the 2015 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

Lost my key fob during a hike. The key was attached to my belt through the key ring. Must have accidentally brushed release button for the emergency key, which dropped the key fob somewhere along a ten-mile (16 k) hike. Thought I could start the car using the emergency key. That is not possible. I became stranded. The key fob for 2022 gt1 includes an “emergency” key. The emergency key contains a metallic loop, which is the only way to attach the key fob to a key chain. The emergency key is released by pushing an exposed button on the side of the key fob (see attached picture). Unfortunately, the emergency key only unlocks the driver’s side door. It cannot start the car. In fact, the brakes are lock and the car cannot even be towed without the key fob. I believe losing the key fob was a direct result of faulty design and this problem should have been anticipated by vw. I routinely go for a long hikes from staging grounds that have no cell phone reception and are miles away from any place where I could get help (example: 37. 5362566,-121. 8474412). After a long hike on a hot day, I am exhausted, low on food, water and endurance. Being past retirement age, I am not equipped to further extend my hike. I believe this is a safety defect that should be rectified through recall if necessary. Fortunately, this time on July 28, I could get cell reception from my parked car. However, I do think my safety was imperiled by the poor design of the key. A single, unintentional motion disconnected the key and left me stranded. I have been unable to contact Volkswagen. Have not found any usable email address. Tried calling the listed phone number, 800-822-8987. After a 40 min. Hold, it hung up on me.

My daughter was driving the car on [xxx] in sealy, texas, and the sunroof spontaneously shattered. The driver and passenger did not detect an impact that caused the glass to break. Vw care has refused to offer me financial assistance due to the fact the vehicle is out of warranty. The case number associated with my call to vw care is [xxx]. However, I believe this is a very dangerous product defect that needs to be addressed, as were defective airbags in cars that have been out of warranty. The car only has 36,000 miles. This is unacceptable. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The chrome trim frame on the manual gear shift cover cracks and flakes off, causing dangerous sharp edges that have cut the hands of multiple members of my family. Same as the issue causing vw service action 34j7/34l9 except for manual transmission vehicles. Dealership looked up my VIN and said no recall or service action was available even though they know it's a common issue.

Backup camera, parking sensors, traffic sensors, a/c frequently are disabled. “component protection mode” is activated and it says it must be taken to the dealer for these items to work. I must manually reset the system in order to get these to work, resetting the system only sometimes fixes the issue. It makes parking and backing out of spots very dangerous at times. Vw has stated they were working a on a fix for a long time but it has never come and makes this car unsafe at times.

Problem unknown, but I was driving at 40mph in 4th gear when my rpm’s dropped to zero and my battery light came on and I had a total loss of power and was unable to accelerate, when I pulled over and stepped on the gas pedal it did not rev and rpm’s stayed at zero. This was very dangerous. This happened again a couple weeks later driving in second gear when the same thing happened. The only thing I could do was pull over and restart my car and everything seemed functional again after restarting. I took it to an auto shop where they said it was my throttle body and cleaned it out but a week later while sitting in my car with the radio and air conditioning on my car does the same thing where the rpm’s drop to zero and battery light comes on, engine is still running, ac stops blowing cold, radio flashes off and back on and unable to apply gas as it would do nothing. I had to restart the car to regain function. The last time this happened I was stopped at a red light and again the rpm’s drop to zero and battery light comes but the engine is still running, I have to quickly restart the car again as it seems the only way to reset it. This is just ridiculous and absolutely dangerous, how can a car just suddenly decide to lose all power to the gas pedal. If I was on the freeway or traffic I could cause a huge accident because of this issue. This needs to be fixed ASAP.

See all problems of the 2005 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

My horn had stopped working and I brought it to the dealership to get it diagnosed. They identified it as a clockspring issue, and with the knowledge that vw has an active recall for the clockspring, I was hoping that I could get the clockspring replaced under the warranty. However, vw of America refuses to replace the clockspring under the warranty as my airbag light isn't on. I am frustrated because my horn issue is clearly due to the clockspring, and now I do not have a working horn and have to pay out of pocket to fix it. Also, there are no available parts for the clockspring, so even if I wanted to fix it I have to wait for months.

See all problems of the 2011 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

I was driving normal going the speed limit, had my 4 windows rolled down just a bit to let some air in the car and after driving for about 20 minutes, my sunroof glass decided to explode right above my head. Sounded really loud like a gunshot and I don’t think anything from the road hit it.

My air bag light came on. Plus all the controls on my steering column do not work, including the horn. I called the vw dealer. They knew exactly what it was. The clock spring. This happened in early may. I was told the part has been on back order for 6 months. The dealer does not have any cars to give me until the part comes in. I was told 6 other cars have the same problem this to me is a major safety issue. I have to drive my car, and I am not comfortable with that.

See all problems of the 2012 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

The sunroof on my car spontaneously exploded with no known cause. I was driving west on I-76 near pittsburgh PA, going 70 mph. Suddenly a sound like a gunshot was heard and the sunroof had shattered leaving a big hole. The glass was contained above me and the passenger because the sun roof shade happened to be closed.

Interior trim in front of shifter is unreasonably sharp. When removing items, like cell phone, or wallet from the storage cubby in front of the shifter multiple fingers have been snagged and sliced deeply. The first time I was cut the cut was small on the tip of my right ring finger. Because of the sharpness of the trim piece I did not know I was cut until I noticed blood. I also did not know where the first cut came from. It was only when I was cut 2 more times, both deeper and with more bleeding that I realized what was cutting me and why it was happening. It is too easy for fingers to get caught on the underside of the "chrome" trim piece around the shifter when removing items from the storage cubby.

Vehicle intermittently stalls at low speeds and when idling.

See all problems of the 2020 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

There is a major defect with the center console storage of this vehicle that is causing deep cuts and gashes on people's hands. Specifically, the silver sharp metal trim piece in front of the shifter boot becomes slightly lifted over time as it separates from a plastic that holds it, and the sharp edge is exposed in an area that a driver / passenger reaches into regularly. Many others have reported similar problem on the car forum golfmk7. Com as well. Have attached some photos of the cut and piece (though it is hard to see) for your information. (warning some blood on band aid is present in the photo).

While driving on highway at approx. 75mph, my 2019 Volkswagen Gti se panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded. I heard a very loud bang followed by shattered glass falling into the car. The entire sunroof had shattered and a very large hole (approx. 1' x 1. 5' large) near the front of sunroof was present. I did not see anything hit the sunroof. Given the loud bang and the extent of damage to the sunroof, I find it difficult to believe a rock or some other object hit the sunroof.

It sucks in too much air and fails as if it had a sparkplug fault it wastes too much gas and sometimes suffocates and wants to turn off.

After having my 2015 vw se 4-dr 2. 0t auto pzev into the dealership's service center for a/c issues. Two weeks later the engine light came on and I immediately parked the car. The car was towed to the dealership with this as the problem. Replace engine and turbo! over $17,000!.

When hot transmission is getting stuck! when warm I cannot go onto reverse when shifter is in r pushing the gas does not get it to move! also when driving will d on dash board will start blinking and will no longer switch gears accelerator will go into red! I need to pull over and restart car to continue driving! I have read only that other vw models had recalls because of wires it was switching to n !I think this car is also having a similar problem and be included! it does it more once the car is warm and some times the check oil pressure in the engine light will flash when driving long distances! I have read online a lot of other people with similar problem and needed to replace transmission and or get new car!.

See all problems of the 2010 Volkswagen GTI 🔎.

My 2016 golf Gti se has a leaking panaormic sunroof, it leaks into the interior causing damage to the ceiling, the passenger seat, the overhead lighting controls, and the passenger visor light. This happens even when there is a minor amount of rain. This happens when the car is moving or stationary. There are so many people with this problem that vw should be issuing a recall to fix it. I have a video showing what is happening but, you guys only accept pictures.

I've cut my hand open twice in 18 hours on some sharp edged trim around the gear shift just by shifting into park. Both times the car was stationary. First happened 12/10 pm then again 12/11 am. I needed first aid as I was bleeding pretty badly, did not need a doctor.

Rearview backup camera at times stops working in 1 out of 3 instances when shifting into reverse. There is first at distorted picture, eventually shutting down altogether "park pilot not available". This happens intermittently with no rhyme or reason. Rear camera is working; there are days it is always working, on others every reverse results in a failure. Resetting the head unit does not fix it. Shutting down car an letting it reset itself sometimes works. This software malfunction is a safety hazard whose frequency appears to increase with time.

As I slow down getting ready to come to a compete stop. Going from 3rd to second gear the cars gear indicator still says that I am in 3rd when physical the gear module is in the second position the minute the vehicle comes a complete stop even in mutual. The car engine will just shut off. Issue consistent when car electric components thinks the car is in a particular gear than what's actually happening.

Trim peeling from shifter produces a razor sharp edge. Cut my finger on it, pretty deep cut, bleeding profusely. Cut from retrieving items from front cubby.