FaultScore report
Owners have filed 12 complaints about the 1997 Volkswagen GTI with NHTSA between 1997 and 2005. The largest single group is the electrical system. Across this model's run it ranks 20 of 29 worst.
FaultScore 38/100
Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Volkswagen GTI.
How this is worked out12
Complaints
0
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
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.
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
0 crashes, 1 fires
0 crashes, 1 fires · median 73,000 mi
Median failure at 40,000 miles
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.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, THIS DRIVETRAIN HAS HAD KNOWN FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEMS
NHTSA complaint #723404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, THIS DRIVETRAIN HAS HAD KNOWN FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEMS
NHTSA complaint #723404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
NO PROBLEMS UNTIL MAY 2002. CAR STALLED, RAN ROUGH, FELT LIKE IT WAS GETTING NO GAS, THEN WOULD SURGE, THEN STALL. VW IN CHARLESTON, SC, HAS HAD CAR DOZEN PLUS TIMES, AND NEVER FOUND PROBLEM. MECHANIC CHECKED FUEL SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, CODES PRESENTED, WENT THROUGH TECHNICAL MANUALS. ALSO MANY ELECTRICAL PARTS, I.E., DISTRIBUTOR, FUEL PUMP, MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, ECG, ETC., WERE REPLACED. CAR HAS BEEN TOTALLY UNRELIABLE SINCE THAT POINT. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO DIE OUT. HAPPENED TO US ON I-95; 18-WHEELER HAD TO SWERVE TO PREVENT ACCIDENT. CAR NOW SITTING IN DRIVEWAY. FROM WHAT I CAN FIND ON THE INTERNET, MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10118214 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
SIDE MOLDINGS CAME OUT REPEATEDLY. THE WARRANTY WAS ONLY 2 YEAR. ONE CAME OUT WITHIN TWO YEAR AND INITIALLY COVERED BY THE WARRANTY BUT WHEN IT CAME OUT AGAIN THEY SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED ANYMORE.
NHTSA complaint #10040881 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE WHEEL CAUSING A RIP AND TEAR UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE'S GAS TANK.
NHTSA complaint #10022889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE WHEEL CAUSING A RIP AND TEAR UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE'S GAS TANK.
NHTSA complaint #10022889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY REAR PASSENGER TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE WHEEL. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10022890 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM
NHTSA complaint #10015311 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
ICE FORMED IN THE GAS FILLER CAP 3 TIMES AND CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. EACH TIME IT COSTS 70 DOLLARS TO HAVE THE DEALER TURN IT OFF.
NHTSA complaint #731765 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OPERATE THE IGNITION IN A PANIC SITUATION BECAUSE OF ALL THE INTERLOCKS. THE ACCESS TO THE SWITCH IS ALSO BLOCKED BY THE AIR BAG. THIS STUPID ARANGEMENT ALMOST CAUSED ME AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION.
NHTSA complaint #731763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, THIS DRIVETRAIN HAS HAD KNOWN FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEMS
NHTSA complaint #723404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, THIS DRIVETRAIN HAS HAD KNOWN FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEMS
NHTSA complaint #723404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
VEHICLE'S AIR INTAKE BOX HAS FILLED WITH WATER 3 TIMES WITHIN 1 YEAR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL OR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON.
NHTSA complaint #537113 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHEELS
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AROUND A CORNER FRONT WHEEL HIT HIT CURB AT 10 MPH, CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO WHEEL AND VEHICLE. OWNER QUESTIONS THE SAFETY OF VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #819261 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.