Owners have filed 11 complaints
about the 1996 Volkswagen GTI with NHTSA between 1997 and 2010.
The largest single group is the electrical system.
Across this model's run it ranks 19 of 29 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 8
Against the median year of the Volkswagen GTI. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 94
18.2% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 1996 Volkswagen GTI
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Electrical System
436.4%
0 crashes, 1 fires · median 100,000 mi
Engine & Cooling
218.2%
Median failure at 118,000 miles
Wheels
19.1%
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers
19.1%
Body & Structure
19.1%
Median failure at 140,000 miles
Brakes
19.1%
Transmission & Drivetrain
19.1%
Median failure at 40,000 miles
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Mar 1997peak 3Jun 2010
NHTSA investigations into the 1996 Volkswagen GTI
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
ODI HAS RECEIVED THREE REPORTS, INCLUDING THE PETITIONERS, REGARDING ALLEGED HOOD LATCH FAILURES.ALL OF THE ODI REPORTS INDICATE THE HOOD FLEW UP WHILE DRIVING.FOLLOWING A TELEPHONE INQUIRY, VOLKSWAGEN PROVIDED ODI WITH SOME LIMITED INFORMATION REGARDING SIX ADDITIONAL REPORTS OF HOOD FLY-UP FOR MODEL YEARS 1995 AND 1996.THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED TO FURTHER STUDY THIS ISSUE.DEFECT DESCRIPTION:IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ON SOME OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES THE BOLTS SECURING THE FRONT HOOD LATCH MAY LOSE THEIR SPECIFIED FASTENING TORQUE OVER TIME.SHOULD THIS HAPPEN, THE LATCH COULD MOVE OUT OF ITS DES...
Recalls on the 1996 Volkswagen GTI
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 199815864,460 units in Canada
Structure
THE BOLTS SECURING THE FRONT HOOD LATCH MAY LOSE THEIR SPECIFIED FASTENING TORQUE OVER TIME. SHOULD THIS HAPPEN, THE LATCH COULD MOVE OUT OF ITS DESIGN POSITION AND CAUSE DISENGAGEMENT OF THE HOOD STRIKER FROM THE LATCH. IN SOME VEHICLES THE LATCH MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY ALIGNED DURING PRODUCTION. REPEATED OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE HOOD WITH AN IMPROPERLY ALIGNED LATCH COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE TO THE LATCH. EITHER CONDITION COULD RESULT IN HOOD FLY UP AND OBSTRUCTION OF THE DRIVER'S VISION. CORRECTION: HOOD LATCHES AND SECURING BOLTS WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED IF NECESSARY.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
at 100,000 milesVancouver, WAFire1 injured
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
CAR ALARM WOULD GO OFF WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE AND THE HORN WOULD GO OFF. THE FAILURE OCCURED WHILE DRIVING ON A MAIN ROAD, THE ALARM HORN ENGAGED AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES OF CONTINUOUS HONKING THE WIRES TO THE ALARM HORN STARTED TO MELT. I ATTEMPTED TO DISCONNECT THE POWER TO THE HORN AND WAS BURNED BY THE WIRES. EVENTUALLY THE HORN DIED BUT SMOKE CONTINUED TO POUR OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE COWLING.
NHTSA complaint #10126236 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
at 118,000 milesFarckville, PA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 VOLSWAGEN GTI. HE STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOSING SPEED TO 30 MPH AND THEN RE-GAIN NORMAL SPEED AFTER 10 SECONDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE CAMSHAFT WAS INOPERABLE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 118,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #10340783 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vacaville, CA
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
ABS MODULE FAILURE.
NHTSA complaint #10240230 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 100,000 milesVancouver, WAFire1 injured
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
CAR ALARM WOULD GO OFF WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE AND THE HORN WOULD GO OFF. THE FAILURE OCCURED WHILE DRIVING ON A MAIN ROAD, THE ALARM HORN ENGAGED AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES OF CONTINUOUS HONKING THE WIRES TO THE ALARM HORN STARTED TO MELT. I ATTEMPTED TO DISCONNECT THE POWER TO THE HORN AND WAS BURNED BY THE WIRES. EVENTUALLY THE HORN DIED BUT SMOKE CONTINUED TO POUR OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE COWLING.
NHTSA complaint #10126236 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 40,000 milesNaugatuck, CT
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
THE REVERSE GEAR IS VERY WEAK IN STANDARD TRANSMISSIONS.THE GEAR CHIPS THEN BREAKS OFF AND FALLS INTO THE DIFFERENTIAL CAUSING AN EXPLOSION OF THE HOUSING AND THE LOSS OF ALL THE GEAR FLUID. REPLACEMENT OF COMPLETE UNIT IS THEN NECESSARY. THIS WILL BE MY THIRD TRANSMISSION IN 56000 MILES. LOCAL DEALERS JUST POINT FINGERS TO THE DRIVER OF THE CAR. I ALSO KNOW OF THREE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS HAS TO BE MORE THAN A MERE COINCIDENCE. FURTHERMORE, ALL THESE INCIDENCES OCCUR ON VOLKSWAGEN GTI'S, JETTAS AND GULFS BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 1993-1998. IT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE DRIVER. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE NOT SAFE NOR RELIABLE.
NHTSA complaint #10121095 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 140,000 milesFort Worth, TX
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
THE VEHICLES DOOR HANDLE CAME OFF IN THE CONSUMERS HAND. *NLM
NHTSA complaint #10017928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Phoenix, AZ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
ELECTICALCOMPONENTS KEEP GOING, NOW SUN ROOF WON'T CLOSE
NHTSA complaint #755195 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Phoenix, AZ
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
ELECTICALCOMPONENTS KEEP GOING, NOW SUN ROOF WON'T CLOSE
NHTSA complaint #755195 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Phoenix, AZ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTICALCOMPONENTS KEEP GOING, NOW SUN ROOF WON'T CLOSE
NHTSA complaint #755195 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vermilion, OH
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH COMPUTER SYSTEM. THE COMPUTER MODULE HAS FAILED TO OPERATE 8 TIMES. VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE IS THEN TOWED BECAUSE IT WILL NOT RESTART. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.
NHTSA complaint #831249 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Milford, OH
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
LUGS:NUTS:BOLTS, ONE ON EACH TIRE, CANNOT BE REMOVED. DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE EXTRA FOR A SPECIAL DRILL TO REMOVE LUGS NUTS AND BOLTS. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THIS PROBLEM WAS PERTAINING TO LUGS: NUTS:BOLTS MANUFACTURER. (1-800/669-8788).
NHTSA complaint #828438 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kingston, PA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE STALLS WHILE IN MOTION AND WHEN FOOT IS ON THE GAS PEDAL. DEALER COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG.
NHTSA complaint #810044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.