FaultScore report
Owners have filed 12 complaints about the 1998 Volkswagen GTI with NHTSA between 1998 and 2005. The largest single group is the engine & cooling. Across this model's run it ranks 17 of 29 worst.
FaultScore 46/100
Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Volkswagen GTI.
How this is worked out12
Complaints
2
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
3
Injuries reported
59,000 mi
Median mileage at failure
Half of reported failures happened before this
33%
Failed under 36,000 miles
Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty
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.
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 59,000 mi
Median failure at 10,000 miles
1 crashes, 0 fires · median 82,000 mi
Median failure at 92,448 miles
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.
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.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
SIDE AIRBAG (PASSENGER) DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT WITH A POTHOLE WITH THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL
NHTSA complaint #10096153 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK
1998 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI ROLLED INTO A DITCH OFF 101 NEAR GILROY. THREE DAYS PRIOR IT HAD HAD SERVICED ENTIRELY BY MICHAEL'S AUTO BODY IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE. WITH REPAIRS TOTALLING $2000. THESE REPAIRS WERE SUPPOSEDLY MERELY "WEAR AND TEAR" FROM A TOWING BY THE SJPD. THE ANTILOCK BRAKES LOCKED AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT RELEASE.
NHTSA complaint #10007904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
1998 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI ROLLED INTO A DITCH OFF 101 NEAR GILROY. THREE DAYS PRIOR IT HAD HAD SERVICED ENTIRELY BY MICHAEL'S AUTO BODY IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE. WITH REPAIRS TOTALLING $2000. THESE REPAIRS WERE SUPPOSEDLY MERELY "WEAR AND TEAR" FROM A TOWING BY THE SJPD. THE ANTILOCK BRAKES LOCKED AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT RELEASE.
NHTSA complaint #10007904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT, IN THE RAIN, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. I ALSO NOTICED THAT MY WIPERS AND MY FAN ALSO STOPPED WORKING. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AGAIN, ALL WAS FINE FOR ABOUT 10 SEC., THEN IT WENT OUT AGAIN. I NOTICED THAT WHEN I TOUCHED THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION THAT IT WENT BACK ON AGAIN, AND I HELD THE KEY FORWARD AND HELD IT THERE, AND THE HEADLIGHTS, WIPERS, AND THE FAN STARTED TO WORK AGAIN. WHEN I LET IT GO, IT STOPPED WORKING. I HAD TO HOLD THE KEY IN THE IGNITION FORWARD ALL THE WAY HOME TO HAVE HEADLIGHTS TO SEE MY WAY HOME. THE NEXT DAY I CHECKED AGAIN AND KNEW FOR SURE THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS THE PROBLEM, IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I LOOKED IT UP ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON ON VOLKSWAGEN GOLF'S OR GTI'S AND THAT THERE WASN'T A RECALL ON THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT. I OWN A 1998 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THANK YOU, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF THIS PROBLEM WAS ADDRESSED TO VOLKSWAGEN AND A RECALL WERE TO BE MADE OF THIS PROBLEM. I HEARD IT COST'S A LOT OF MONEY TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
NHTSA complaint #10136844 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
SIDE AIRBAG (PASSENGER) DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT WITH A POTHOLE WITH THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL
NHTSA complaint #10096153 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
1998 VOLKSWAGEN GTI VR6. ELECTRIC WINDOW REGULATOR FAILURE. SAW THIS SITE ON WWW.VWVORTEX.COM. *NLM
NHTSA complaint #10018676 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE ENGINE STALLED WHEN THE CONSUMER MADE A TURN.
NHTSA complaint #10014918 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE ENGINE STALLED WHEN THE CONSUMER MADE A TURN.
NHTSA complaint #10014919 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK
1998 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI ROLLED INTO A DITCH OFF 101 NEAR GILROY. THREE DAYS PRIOR IT HAD HAD SERVICED ENTIRELY BY MICHAEL'S AUTO BODY IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE. WITH REPAIRS TOTALLING $2000. THESE REPAIRS WERE SUPPOSEDLY MERELY "WEAR AND TEAR" FROM A TOWING BY THE SJPD. THE ANTILOCK BRAKES LOCKED AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT RELEASE.
NHTSA complaint #10007904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
1998 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI ROLLED INTO A DITCH OFF 101 NEAR GILROY. THREE DAYS PRIOR IT HAD HAD SERVICED ENTIRELY BY MICHAEL'S AUTO BODY IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE. WITH REPAIRS TOTALLING $2000. THESE REPAIRS WERE SUPPOSEDLY MERELY "WEAR AND TEAR" FROM A TOWING BY THE SJPD. THE ANTILOCK BRAKES LOCKED AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT RELEASE.
NHTSA complaint #10007904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND DIED WITHOUT WARNING. JUST BEFORE VEHICLE STALLED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAS STALLED AND DIED SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #881242 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND DIED WITHOUT WARNING. JUST BEFORE VEHICLE STALLED ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAS STALLED AND DIED SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #881242 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
DOOR PANELS CAME OFF.
NHTSA complaint #609383 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED AND NEVER WENT
NHTSA complaint #708280 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK
ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED. NOT SURE IF ABS IS WORKING DURING THIS TIME.
NHTSA complaint #540271 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.