FaultScore

2016 Volkswagen GTI engine problems

19 of the 84 complaints about the 2016 Volkswagen GTI are about the engine — 23% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 52,707 miles.

C

19

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Engine 18 94.7%
Engine AND Engine Cooling 1 5.3%

Engine & Cooling across every Volkswagen GTI year

2006 10 3.2%
2009 17 5.5%
2010 23 7.4%
2011 21 6.8%
2012 14 4.5%
2013 12 3.9%
2015 40 12.9%
2016 19 6.1%
2017 14 4.5%
2019 139 45.0%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Winnemucca, NV

ENGINE

NHTSA Recall 24V-110 (VW 20UF). The vehicle is in Limp Mode and experiencing low oil pressure symptoms. It is also subject to Recall 24V-110, which identifies a fire risk due to fuel leakage. Despite the safety hazard, the local Volkswagen dealership has refused to perform the recall repair or diagnose the vehicle, stating it is at their 'discretion.' I am reporting a failure by the manufacturer and the dealer to remedy an active safety defect, leaving me with an unsafe, undriveable vehicle."

NHTSA complaint #11719667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

San Mateo, CA

ENGINE

Repeated issues with leaking water pump and broken seals under the intake manifold causing vehicle to be underivable.

NHTSA complaint #11635998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 80,000 miles Gardiner, NY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle experienced a rough start, and the temperature gauge was fluctuating. Additionally, an unknown triangle warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact became aware that the coolant level was significantly low, and that the vehicle was overheating while activating the heater. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where the water pump was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating, and he noticed that coolant was leaking underneath the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving on a bridge, the low coolant level warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was overheating. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic several times and the water pump was replaced four times; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the water pump was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA complaint #11562029 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lorton, VA

ENGINE

FAILURE OF THERMOSTAT HOUSING CAUSING COOLANT LEAK AND WATER PUMP FAILURE.

NHTSA complaint #11408156 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SAN Diego, CA

ENGINE

FAILED THERMOSTAT HOUSING/COOLANT LOSS. ACTIVE COOLANT LEAK FROM WATER PUMP/THERMOSTAT HOUSING AT 35,956 MILES. DEALER REPLACED THERMOSTAT ASSEMBLY, WATER PUMP, UNION.

NHTSA complaint #11397227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 47,000 miles NEW Orleans, LA

ENGINE

ENGINE THERMOSTAT AND PUMP FAILURE WITH GRADUAL COOLANT LEAK. COOLANT REQUIRED REFILLING MULTIPLE TIMES WITHIN 45,000 MILES, SOMETIMES COOLANT GETTING DANGEROUSLY LOW WITHOUT WARNING UNTIL CAR IS ON INTERSTATE. THERMOSTAT/PUMP HAS ALSO BEGUN OVERCOOLING ENGINE, NOT ALLOWING IT TO GET UP TO OPERATING TEMP WHEN ON INTERSTATE AND SHUTTING OUT USAGE OF CRUISE CONTROL. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH MK7 GTI.

NHTSA complaint #11386619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orlando, FL

ENGINE

IT SUCKS IN TOO MUCH AIR AND FAILS AS IF IT HAD A SPARKPLUG FAULT IT WASTES TOO MUCH GAS AND SOMETIMES SUFFOCATES AND WANTS TO TURN OFF

NHTSA complaint #11383274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 53,000 miles Woodbury, NJ

ENGINE

WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AFTER UNKNOWN CAUSE.

NHTSA complaint #11375835 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 52,415 miles THE Colony, TX

ENGINE

AT THE GAS STATION, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT ALLOW FOR NORMAL FUEL UP TO OCCUR. THE PUMP NOZZLE KEEPS CLICKING OFF AND I CAN'T PUT MORE THAN 1/4 TANK OF GAS WITHOUT THE FUEL SPILLING OUT OF THE TANK FILLER NECK/TUBE. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING POWER LOSS THAT CAN BE FELT AS A SUDDEN "BUCKING" MOTION WHEN ACCELERATING NORMALLY AND AT CONSTANT CRUISE SPEEDS ABOVE 40 MPH. THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALER DIAGNOSIS REPORTED PLUGGED EVAP CANISTER VENT LINES AND FUEL TANK AND RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT. THE CAR ONLY HAS 52,500 MILES AND I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER. MANY OWNERS OF THIS YEAR MODEL IN OTHER STATES ARE REPORTING THE EXACT SAME FUEL UP ISSUE ON INTERNET AUTO FORUMS.

NHTSA complaint #11343104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 76,124 miles Royal OAK, MI

ENGINE

THERMOSTAT HOUSING SEAL FAILURE HAS LED TO COOLANT LEAK. DISCOVERED BY TECHNICIAN DURING UNRELATED MAINTENANCE. CAR HAS 76,000 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #11340429 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 24,000 miles Dallas, TX

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALL AND HESITATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH A DEFECTIVE BRAKE SUCTION CUP. THE MECHANIC LINKED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V647000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. CLAY COOLEY VOLKSWAGEN OF PARK CITIES (5555 LEMMON AVE, DALLAS, TX 75209, (469) 240-6240) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE, WHICH WAS STILL PENDING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.*DT

NHTSA complaint #11337144 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 80,000 miles South Windsor, CT

ENGINE

THERMOSTAT HOUSING/WATER PUMP FAILED AT 80,000 MILES. THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE STRANDED ME DURING COVID PANDEMIC FAR FROM HOME. USE OF A PLASTIC PART IN A CRITICAL ENGINE APPLICATION IS PROBLEMATIC. REPAIR COST $906 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THIS HOUSING. VW HAS DENIED COVERAGE FOR THIS CRITICAL ENGINE COMPONENT.

NHTSA complaint #11322437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Irvine, CA

ENGINE

THERMOSTAT & HOUSING FAILURE. LOSS OF COOLANT OVER TIME, PERIOD OF 3 MONTHS. HAD TO REFILL COOLANT MULTIPLE TIMES DURING THAT PERIOD.

NHTSA complaint #11312169 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 69,000 miles Walnut, CA

ENGINE

DRIVING TO WORK ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 AT 7:45AM, AN INDICATION NOTIFICATION CAME ON THAT THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS EXTREMELY LOW. I PULLED OVER INTO A PARKING LOT OF A DONUT SHOP ON LEFFINGWELL RD AND MEYER RD AND POPPED MY HOOD OPEN. COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY. A FRIEND WAS CALLED TO COME PICK ME UP AND DRIVE TO A VW DEALERSHIP TO PICK UP COOLANT AND DISTILLED WATER FROM A LIQUOR STORE. COOLANT WAS TOPPED OFF. NEXT DAY, CAR WAS TAKEN INTO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND CONFIRMED THAT THERMOSTAT HOUSING FAILED AND DUMPED COOLANT.

NHTSA complaint #11310217 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 42,000 miles Mullen, NE

ENGINE

HAD A CRACKED AND LEAKING WATER PUMP HOUSING THAT WAS REPLACED AND COVERED BY AN AFTERMARKET WARRANTY. I HAD BEEN TO MULTIPLE SHOPS BECAUSE OF A COOLANT SMELL, NONE COULD FINE THE SOURCE. I WAS TOLD BY VOLKSWAGEN THAT 'IT HAPPENS, THEY ALWAYS LOSE A LITTLE COOLANT', THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. IT IS A CLOSED SYSTEM AND SHOULD NOT LOSE ANY COOLANT OR SMELL LIKE COOLANT AT ALL. I HAVE SEEN DOZENS OF OTHERS WITH THE SAME CAR AS MYSELF WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, ONLY AFTER I WAS FORCEFUL AND INSISTENT WITH A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP WAS THE PROBLEM FOUND AND CORRECTED.

NHTSA complaint #11298288 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 47,000 miles Alexandria, VA

ENGINE

THERMOSTAT HOUSING LEAKING COOLANT MAJOR AMOUNTS OF COOLANT OVER THE COURSE OF 5K MILES, MUCH MORE COOLANT THAN SHOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL. COULD LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE AND/OR STALLING WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA complaint #11290873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 80,000 miles SAN TAN Valley, AZ

ENGINE

COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE AT 80K MILES.OIL CHANGED REGULARLY. SERVICE AT DEALER ONLY. P000A CAMSHAFT POSITIONER BANK 1 INTAKE - SLOW RESPONSE P0016 CMP SENSOR/ENGINE SPEED SENSOR INCORRECT CORRELATION P0068 MAP/MAF < THROTTLE POSITION CORRELATION P164D OIL PRESSURE SWITCH FOR REDUCED OIL PRESSURE NO AFTERMARKET PARTS, COMPLETELY STOCK. DEALER SAYS I NEED A NEW ENGINE. $12,000.00

NHTSA complaint #11288305 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SAN Francisco, CA

ENGINE

WENT INTO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT 44,999 MILES ON FEB 6, 2019 AND VOLKSWAGEN FOUND THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS LEAKING AND SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THERMOSTAT AND WATER PUMP REPLACED. NOT TOO LONG AFTER, NOTICED LOW COOLANT LIGHT GO ON. WENT BACK INTO VOLKSWAGEN FOR MAINTENANCE AT 53,339 MILES ON MAY 16, 2019 AND VOLKSWAGEN CONFIRMED THAT THE WATER PUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AGAIN UNDER WARRANTY.

NHTSA complaint #11281252 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 49,000 miles Williamstown, NJ

ENGINE

WATERPUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 49,000 MILES WAS LEAKING COOLANT. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH THE EA888 ENGINE AND NEEDS EITHER A RECALL OR WARRANTIES EXTENDED.

NHTSA complaint #11205181 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2016 Volkswagen GTI problems

← Full 2016 Volkswagen GTI report