Problems · by component

2009 Volkswagen Gti electrical system problems

31 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 Volkswagen Gti cite electrical system, 19% of all 167 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
31
19% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the electrical system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The warning light went on engine oil pressure off. Search manual. Then it wouldn't start. But lights where on so we put a new starter. But it wouldn't turn the engine. So We thought it must be the battery needs a jump start. And then wire from battery to starter caught on fire? I Googled the problem, and found that there had been recalls for that faulty wire before.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 9, 2023Electrical systemFire reportedODI 11543629
“AFTER DRIVING MY CAR FOR FIVE MINUTES, I HEARD A LOUD "POP" FROM THE CAR'S RIGHT SIDE. I LOOKED OVER AND OBSERVED THAT MY RIGHT SIDE VIEW MIRROR WAS BLACK BUT STILL INTACT. WHEN I PULLED OVER AND EXITED MY CAR, I FELT THE MIRROR WHICH FELT TO NO LONGER BE FLAT BUT WARPED IN VARIOUS SPOTS. IT IS QUITE APPARENT THE MIRROR OVERHEATED. MY MIRROR FUNCTION NOB WAS NOT IN THE "HEAT" POSITION AND WAS SET TO THE LEFT SIDE MIRROR POSITION. MY CONCERN IS THAT IT COULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 19, 2020Electrical systemODI 11325090
“ONE OF THE HID HEADLAMP STOPPED WORKING CAUSING THE BULB FAIL WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH TO BE ILLUMINATED. I WENT TO THE AUTO PARTS STORE AND BOUGHT A NEW BULB. UPON REMOVAL OF THE BULB ACCESS COVER I FOUND THAT ALL THE INSULATION ON ALLOF THE WIRING IN THE HEADLIGHT UNIT TO HAVE DISINTEGRATED CAUSING THE BARE WIRES TO TOUCH AND SHORT OUT. I THEN INSPECTED THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THE EXACT SAME CONDITION. UPON CONTACTING THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THAT AS THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY I WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE TWO NEW HEADLAMP UNITS AT A COST OF $500 PER UNIT. I THEN CONTACTED VWOFA ( CUSTOMER CARE REF #[XXX]) ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT AGAIN BEING OUT OF WARRANTY IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO INCUR THE REPAIR COSTS. AS THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 60K AND THIS IS NOT ONLY A SAFETY ISSUE BUT POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS AND A MANUFACTURING DEFECT PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 15, 2019Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 11232001
“ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A CITY STREET IN DRY CONDITIONAT A STEADY SPEED THE ESC LIGHT ON MY DASH CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OUT UNTIL I HAD PARKED THE CAR FOR SOME TIME AND RESTARTED IT. THE LIGHT THEN CAME BACK ON AGAIN AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES OF DRIVING, THIS TIME IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT WHICH BEGAN TO FLASH ORANGE, THEN WAS SOLID ORANGE AND THEN FLASHED BETWEEN ORANGE AND RED. WHEN THE ELECTRIC STEERING LIGHT IS ORANGE THE STEERING ASSISTANCE IS REDUCED WHEN STRAIGHTENING AFTER CORNERING, HOWEVER WHEN IT IS RED THERE IS NO POWER ASSISTANCE AND THIS CONDITION CAN HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED AND AT ANYTIME WITHOUT WARNING. NOW YESTERDAY(7/14/2019) WHEN DRIVING AT 40MPH IN A STRAIGHT LINE IN THE DRY, THE ENGINE FAIL! WORKSHOP NOW!, ESP,EPC, ELECTRO STEERING, CEL AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON ACCOMPANIED BY A CHIME AND THE SPEEDO WENT FROM 40 TO 0 AND BACK UP AGAIN WHILE IN MOTION. QUITE DISCONCERTING TO HAVE ALL THAT HAPPEN AT ONCE. AFTER ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OUT THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE OK UNTIL I ATTEMPTED TO PULL OUT OF A GAS STATION AT WHICH TIME WITH THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 15, 2019Steering, Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11232029
“WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON STREET ROADS AND HIGHWAYS THE CAR WILL SHIFT DOWN INTO A UNKNOWN GEAR AND ALL LIGHTS START FLASHING PUTTING THE CAR INTO A NEUTRAL THAT DOESN'T FIX UNTIL IT'S RESTARTED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 30, 2019Electrical system, Unknown or other, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11228559
“MY GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS (PRNDS) FLASH AND MY CAR EITHER WILL NOT ENGAGE INTO GEAR OR WILL LIMP. IT HAS DONE IT SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT WILL SLAM INTO A LOW GEAR CAUSING RPM TO MAX TO 8000 AND ACTS AS IF I SLAMMED ON THE BREAKS. ALSO THE NUMBER 3 FUSE ON TOP STARTED SMOKING AND MELTED INSIDE THE FUSE BOX. FEARED MY CAR WAS KING TO CATCH FIRE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 24, 2018Electrical system, Unknown or other, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11103696

Showing 6 of 31 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.