10 of the
72 complaints about the 2003 Volkswagen GTI are about the
electrical system — 14% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
31,850 miles.
B
10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Exactly what failed
Ignition
330.0%
Electrical System
330.0%
Module
110.0%
Interior/Under Dash
110.0%
Switch
110.0%
Starter Assembly
110.0%
Electrical System across every Volkswagen GTI year
2003 VW GTI AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT, COLLISION, BUMP OR CRASH AND STAYED ON ALL THE TIME, THIS CONDITION MAKES THE AIRBAG SYSTEM INOPERATIVE AT THE TIME OF A REAL COLLISION, I BELONG TO A VW CLUB ( VWVOERTWX.COM) AND THIS SEEMS TO BE VERY POPULAR ISSUE AMONG VW GTI TWO DOOR, TECHNICALLY THIS HAS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT VW SHOULD BE OBLIGATED TO CORRECT.
NHTSA complaint #10546813 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 78,000 milesBowdoianhan, ME
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROADWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE HE WAS ADVISED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO FAILED IGNITION COIL PACKS. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,000.
NHTSA complaint #10325865 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 77,451 milesBaltimore, MD
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
#1 IGNITION COIL FAILED. CAR REPAIRED BY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, AND WITHIN 50 MILES, THE #3 COIL FAILED. REPLACED ALL IGNITION COILS AT 77K MILES. SEEMS PREMATURE FOR A 5 YEAR CAR.
NHTSA complaint #10245315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 35,900 milesHermosa Beach, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
(1) CAR ENGINE OVERHEATED WITH AIR CONDITIONING UNIT ON WITH 35K MILES (4 YEAR OLD CAR). (2) DEALER REPAIR SERVICE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED BOTH AUXILARY FANS (290" AND 345") FAILED TO SPIN AT LOW SPEEDS AND OPERATE ONLY AT HIGH SPEEDS CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT WHEN CAR IS BETWEEN 0 TO 30 MPH. DEALER DIRECTED CONSUMER PARTS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY (4 YEARS, 50,000 MILES) AND CONSIDERED ELECTRICAL PARTS AND TO REPAIR AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE ($918). CORPORATE OFFICE EVENTUALLY COVERED PART AND CONSUMER COVERED LABOR EXPENSES. SEVERAL OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES HAVE OCCURED WITH THE CAR INCLUDING BULB REPLACEMENTS ON A/C CONSOLE, BRAKE LIGHTS, AND BATTERY FAILURE AFTER 4 YEARS POINTING TO POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL DESIGN OR INTEGRATION FLAW. (3) FANS WERE REPLACED AND PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED.
NHTSA complaint #10197565 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 30,000 milesOxnard, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
I HAVE TAKEN MY '03 GTI VR6 TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THE SAME COMPLAINT. WHEN IT IS RAINING, THERE IS A SQUEALING NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM EACH TIME I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THEM. THEY SAID THAT IT COULD BE THE BELT BUT IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I REPLACED THE BELT MYSELF AND I STILL GET THE SQUEALING NOISE, EVEN WITH BELT DRESSING. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED A DECREASE IN ENGINE POWER WHEN THE SQUEALING NOISE IS OCCURRING. MY MOST RECENT PROBLEM NOW IS MY SPEEDOMETER AND FUEL GAUGE STOP WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. THE SPEEDO WILL BE READING MY CURRENT SPEED AND THEN DROP TO ZERO, BOUNCE BACK UP AND BACK DOWN TO ZERO, UP A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THEN STAY AT ZERO UNTIL THE NEXT TIME I DRIVE THE CAR. SEEMS TO DO THIS ONLY ON TRIPS GREATER THAN 20 MINUTES.
NHTSA complaint #10155885 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 31,850 milesHackettstown, NJ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
AS I WAS GETTING INTO MY CAR AT NIGHT (2003 VW GTI) I NOTICED IT WAS VERY COLD. I THEN PROCEEDED TO TRY TO TURN THE CAR ON BUT THE STARTER WOULD NOT GIVE, THEN TO NO AVAIL I NOTICED THAT THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. ROADSIDE ASSITANCE THROUGH VW WAS CONTACTED AND STATED UNFORTUNATLY UNDER THE EXTREME COLD AND DUE TO IT BEING SO LATE AT NIGHT THEY COULD NOT CONTACT A TOW TO ASSIST ME .
NHTSA complaint #10104208 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 14,000 milesAnnapolis, MD
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
MY CLUTCH FAILED AT 14,000 MILES. MY IGNITION FAILS REGULARILY, THE IGNITION COIL HAS BEEN RECALLED AND NOW I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I HAVE OWNED VW'S ALL OF MY LIFE AND TRADED IN MY LAST VW THAT HAD 170K ON AN ORIGINAL CLUTCH.
NHTSA complaint #10058586 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 14,000 milesAnnapolis, MD
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
MY CLUTCH FAILED AT 14,000 MILES. MY IGNITION FAILS REGULARILY, THE IGNITION COIL HAS BEEN RECALLED AND NOW I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I HAVE OWNED VW'S ALL OF MY LIFE AND TRADED IN MY LAST VW THAT HAD 170K ON AN ORIGINAL CLUTCH.
NHTSA complaint #10058586 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 10,000 milesMerrick, NY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
2003 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. IGNITION COIL FAILURE. DEALER REPLACED (1) OF (6) COILS FOR THIS VEHICLE. WEEK LATER, ANOTHER COIL FAILED. SUGGEST DEALER REPLACES ALL COILS WHEN PROBLEM EXISTS SO CUSTOMER WITH A (6) CYLINDER VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE TO COME BACK SIX TIME FOR A REPAIR. *NLM
NHTSA complaint #10010580 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
North Olmsted, OH
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE HESITATES/STALLS DUE TO IGNITION COIL FAILUE. DEALER NOTIFIED. PH.
NHTSA complaint #10005919 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.