2017 Volkswagen GTI

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Average

Quick Summary

The 2017 Volkswagen GTI has 54 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.7x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is fuel system problems (35% of all complaints), specifically: tl* the contact owns a 2017 volkswagen gti. the contact stated that fuel spilled onto the ground while the contact attempted to fill the fuel tank. as a result, the contact was unable to fill up the fuel tank. the contact drove the vehicle home and noticed that the fuel level had dropped. the contac.

1 crash report 3 injuries

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.7x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

FUEL SYSTEM

19 complaints

35%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL SPILLED ONTO THE GROUND WHILE THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO FILL THE FUEL TANK. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO FILL UP THE FUEL TANK. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL HAD DROPPED. THE CONTAC
• STARTED TO NOTICE A FUEL ODOR IN THE VICINITY OF THE RIGHT-REAR WHEEL WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED INSIDE MY GARAGE. MOVED THE CAR IMMEDIATELY OUTSIDE ON MY DRIVEWAY. DROVE THE CAR ONCE OR TWICE DURING THE FOLLOWING WEEK. AS THE CAR WAS PARKED ON THE DRIVEWAY THE ODOR PERSISTED. THEN ONE AFTERNOON A PUD
• I AM HAVING THE EXACT ISSUE FROM THE 2015-2016 GTI SUCTION PUMP RECALL. MY CAR IS A 2017 GTI AND IS LEAKING THROUGH THE CHARCOAL CANISTER FILTER. WHEN I TRY TO FILL THE TANK IT'S CUTTING OFF THE FLOW FROM THE GAS NOZZLE AS IF THE TANK WAS FULL BUT WHEN I CHECK THE TANK IS ALMOST EMPTY.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL SPILLED ONTO THE GROUND WHILE THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO FILL THE FUEL TANK. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO FILL UP THE FUEL TANK. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL HAD DROPPED. THE CONTAC”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

12 complaints

22%

• THE "COMBI" VALVE ON MY GTI STAYS STUCK OPEN CAUSING MORE EXHAUST GASES TO FLOW THROUGH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. AS A RESULT NMY CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER REPLACING TO COMBI VALVE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN
• NOTICED BURNING COOLANT SMELL COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AFTER THE VEHICLE REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURE AND THE CAR WAS STOPPED. COULD HEAR A SIZZLING NOISE WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE HOOD OPEN. THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS AT THE MINIMUM LINE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED A LEAKING THERMOSTAT HOUSING. D
• THERMOSTAT HOUSING & ASSOCIATED SEALS ON THE CURRENT 1.8L AND 2.0L VOLKSWAGEN/AUDI EA888 GEN 3 ENGINE ARE PRONE TO FAILURE, CAUSING LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT. THIS COULD AFFECT ANY VW/AUDI VEHICLE USING THE 1.8 OR 2.0L EA888 GEN 3 ENGINE. VW HAS A LONG HISTORY OF WATER PUMP/THERMOSTAT HOUSING ISSUES AN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THE "COMBI" VALVE ON MY GTI STAYS STUCK OPEN CAUSING MORE EXHAUST GASES TO FLOW THROUGH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. AS A RESULT NMY CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER REPLACING TO COMBI VALVE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

7 complaints

13%

• I FIND THAT MY COOLANT LEVEL SLOWING GOES DOWN AND I'VE HAD TO REFILL SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY. MAYBE 2 TIMES A YEAR SINCE I OWNED IT. NEVER HAD TO REPLACE COOLANT ON ANY OTHER CARS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL CAUSE A BIGGER ISSUE DOWN THE LINE.
• 48K ON THE CAR, AND I WAS INFORMED OF THE LEAKING THERMOSTAT HOUSING THAT IS APPARENTLY KNOWN FOR GOING ON THIS CAR AS A DEFECTIVE PART: VW DID NOT TELL ME! I WAS INFORMED BY MY TECH WHO FORTUNATELY DISCOVERED THE ISSUE 1500 MILES BEFORE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED. VW SHOULD NOT CHARGE FOR THIS REPLACEMENT
• THERMOSTAT HOUSING LEAK CAUSES COOLANT LEAK AND LOW COOLANT WARNINGS. WAS OPERATING THE VEHICLE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS WHEN LOW COOLANT WARNING ILLUMINATED.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I FIND THAT MY COOLANT LEVEL SLOWING GOES DOWN AND I'VE HAD TO REFILL SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY. MAYBE 2 TIMES A YEAR SINCE I OWNED IT. NEVER HAD TO REPLACE COOLANT ON ANY OTHER CARS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL CAUSE A BIGGER ISSUE DOWN THE LINE.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

VISIBILITY

3 complaints

• REAR WINDOW SHATTERED WHILE STATIONARY UNDER A CAR PORT IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURE. BOUGHT THE CAR BAND NEW SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW 0. SUNDAY (THE DAY AFTER BUYING THE CAR) THE REAR WINDOW WAS SHATTERED. CAR HAD A LITTLE OVER 200 MILES ON IT WHEN I PICKED IT UP FROM DEALER
• I WAS DRIVING MY 2017 GTI ON A CITY STREET IN RENTON, WA, AT 35MPH HEADING EAST ON S 180TH STREET. THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD NEAR ME. AS I AM DRIVING, I HEAR A LOUD BANG AND LOOK UP TO SEE MY SUNROOF COMPLETELY SHATTERED. AS THE SUNROOF SHATTERED, SMALL PIECES OF GLASS CONTINUED TO FA
• MY WINDSHIELD HAS HEAVY PITTING AND SMALL CHIPPING AFTER JUST 50,000 MILES. LOOKING ONLINE IN THE VARIOUS VW FORUMS (VWVORTEX, MK7GOLF, ETC), I DISCOVERED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH VW NOW. THE GLASS IS THIN AND CHEAP. THE PITTING IS VERY VISIBLE WHEN DRIVING INTO THE SUN AND IS VISIBLE AT NIGH

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“REAR WINDOW SHATTERED WHILE STATIONARY UNDER A CAR PORT IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURE. BOUGHT THE CAR BAND NEW SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW 0. SUNDAY (THE DAY AFTER BUYING THE CAR) THE REAR WINDOW WAS SHATTERED. CAR HAD A LITTLE OVER 200 MILES ON IT WHEN I PICKED IT UP FROM DEALER”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BODY/STRUCTURE

3 complaints

• THE DRIVERS SIDE B-PILLAR IS NOT WELDED TOGETHER CORRECTLY AND CAUSES POPPING AND TAPPING SOUNDS AS VEHICLE FLEXES WITH MOVEMENT. VOLKSWAGEN REPLACED MY PREVIOUS 2016 GTI WITH SAME ISSUE. NO KNOWN CRASH TESTING HAS BEEN DONE ON VEHICLES WITH MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT APPEARS TO BE EXTREMELY WIDESPRE
• NUMEROUS CRACKS APPEARED IN THE SUNROOF FRAME OF THE 2017 VW GTI CAUSING LEAKING AND INSTABILITY OF PANORAMIC SUNROOF. VW ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO PREVENT CRACKING IN PANORAMIC SUNROOFS. THIS SERVICE BULLETIN WAS PERFORMED WITHIN THE FIRST 1000 MILES AND NOT ONLY FAILED TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM,
• THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF HAS BEGUN TO BECOME UNADHERED TO THE BODY CAUSING IT TO RAISE UP AND CREATE A GAP BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD AND THE ROOF CAUSING EXCESS NOISE WHILE DRIVING. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA DENIED MY CLAIM DESPITE HAVING A PENDING CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST MANY MODELS REGARDING THE SAME I

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THE DRIVERS SIDE B-PILLAR IS NOT WELDED TOGETHER CORRECTLY AND CAUSES POPPING AND TAPPING SOUNDS AS VEHICLE FLEXES WITH MOVEMENT. VOLKSWAGEN REPLACED MY PREVIOUS 2016 GTI WITH SAME ISSUE. NO KNOWN CRASH TESTING HAS BEEN DONE ON VEHICLES WITH MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT APPEARS TO BE EXTREMELY WIDESPRE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

VISIBILITY(~50K mi)

$500

BODY/STRUCTURE(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 54 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
FUEL SYSTEM: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL SPILLED ONTO THE GROUND WHILE THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO FILL THE FUEL TANK. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO FILL UP THE FUEL TANK. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND NOTICED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL HAD DROPPED. THE CONTAC
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: THE "COMBI" VALVE ON MY GTI STAYS STUCK OPEN CAUSING MORE EXHAUST GASES TO FLOW THROUGH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. AS A RESULT NMY CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER REPLACING TO COMBI VALVE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: I FIND THAT MY COOLANT LEVEL SLOWING GOES DOWN AND I'VE HAD TO REFILL SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY. MAYBE 2 TIMES A YEAR SINCE I OWNED IT. NEVER HAD TO REPLACE COOLANT ON ANY OTHER CARS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL CAUSE A BIGGER ISSUE DOWN THE LINE.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
VISIBILITY: REAR WINDOW SHATTERED WHILE STATIONARY UNDER A CAR PORT IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURE. BOUGHT THE CAR BAND NEW SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW 0. SUNDAY (THE DAY AFTER BUYING THE CAR) THE REAR WINDOW WAS SHATTERED. CAR HAD A LITTLE OVER 200 MILES ON IT WHEN I PICKED IT UP FROM DEALER
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)