no report yet
Brake lights: switch
Risk. THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OR REMAIN ON.
2002 Volkswagen GTIProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 124 owner complaints about the 2002 Volkswagen GTI, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 13, 2018. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 2002 Volkswagen GTI has problems
124 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
42Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury
23Air bags9 crash/fire/injury
22Wheels
10Power train2 crash/fire/injury
8Visibility1 crash/fire/injury
7Engine and engine cooling
4Service brakes, hydraulic
4Exterior lighting
4Suspension
77 other systems
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 42 | 1 |
| Air bags | 23 | 9 |
| Wheels | 22 | 0 |
| Power train | 10 | 2 |
| Visibility | 8 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 7 | 1 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 4 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 |
| 7 other systems | 7 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2002 Volkswagen GTI recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Hazard flashing warning lights: switch
Risk. THIS MAY RESULT IN INTERMITTENT OR INOPERATIVE TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD FLASHER FUNCTION.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Volkswagen.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
8kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 32 electrical system complaints. 97% were reported before 100,000 miles.
28under 30k miles31under 100k miles1100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2002 vs. every other GTI year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the GTI median. How we score
'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2002 Volkswagen GTI, and the recalls they led to.
- TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURELed to recall 04V-584
- INADVERTENT SIDE-AIRBAG DEPLOYMENTNo recall
In owners' words
What GTI owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
2002 VW GTI VR6 COIL PACK FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ALMOST GOT REARENDED BECAUSE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND BUCKED. 3RD COIL PACK TO FAIL ON THIS CAR. THE 2ND TIME FAILURE DAMAGED MY O2 SENSORS WHICH HAD TO REPLACED DUE TO CAR RUNNING RICH, I BELIEVE. COIL PACKS ON VR6'S NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.…
LEFT WORK AFTER SUNSET. ON MY WAY HOME MY HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. I THEN NOTICED THAT MY TURN SIGNALS, WIPERS, AND DEFROSTER STOPPED WORKING AS WELL. LUCKILY I AM A MECHANIC SO I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM AS SOON AS I GOT HOME. THAT WAS AFTER DRIVING 5 MILES WITH NO LIGHTS AT ALL ON THE…
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, CAR LOST POWER. I FIGURED IT WAS AN ENGINE COIL, BECAUSE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE, LAST TIME IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, #6 COIL. SINCE I WAS 30 MILES AWAY FROM DEALER, I TOOK MY 2002 GTI TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE # 5 IGNITION COIL. I…
Own a 2002 GTI?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.