Problems · by component

2009 Volkswagen Gti power train problems

32 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 Volkswagen Gti cite power train, 19% of all 167 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
32
19% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the power train

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS BRAKE MODULE MALFUNCTIONED. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V913000 (POWER TRAIN) BY HERITAGE VOLKSWAGEN PARKVILLE (9215 HARFORD RD, PARKVILLE, MD 21234, (877) 398-1963). AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS, THE DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS SHOWING THE INCORRECT FAILURE CODES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A SECOND RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL AND WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES STARTED GRINDING AND TWITCHING AND THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING, THE STEERING BECAME LOOSE, AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING AFTER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS INITIALLY DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE REPAIRS WOULD BE COVERED; HOWEVER, THEY LATER CALLED THE CONTACT BACK STATING THE RECALL REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED. THE INCORRECT FAILURE CODES WERE VAG00290 (DRIVER'S SIDE REAR ABS WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WITH MECHANICAL FUNCTION) AND VAG00285 (PASSENGER SIDE FRONT ABS SPEED…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 29, 2019Power train, Service brakesODI 11252241
“THE VEHICLE SHIFTED GEARS IN MOTION WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS. PARKED THE CAR IN MAY OF 2017 AND HAVEN'T DRIVEN IT SINCE. VW HAS REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, EVEN THOUGH I'VE BROUGHT THE ISSUE OF THE VEHICLE HAVING TROUBLE SWITCHING TO REVERSE FROM A PARKED POSITION WHILE I WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. HAVE RECEIVED MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WHERE THE ABS/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. REPEATEDLY TAKING IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO NO AVAIL. ** NOTE: VW HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR THE ISSUES "FREE OF CHARGE" AS STATED. THAT I'D HAVE TO PAY FOR INSPECTION BY A DEALERSHIP AND SINCE I'M 'OUT OF WARRANTY', I'M SURE THEY'D CHARGE ME FOR THE SERVICE AS WELL. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS NO 'OPEN INSPECTIONS' DONE TO LOOK INTO THE RECALL BEFORE MY PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE AS A PRE-OWNED CERTIFIED CAR FROM THE VW DEALERSHIP. THIS WAS IN DEC. 2010. ** TRIED SUBMITTING THIS BEFORE, WHICH CAUSED AN ERROR AND FAIL. IT ERASED ALL MY DATA. PLEASE REVIEW MY ATTACHED DOCUMENT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 11, 2019Power train, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11195675
“MY CAR DISENGAGES ITSELF WHEN SHIFTING IN REVERSE I GIVE IT GAS IT SUDDENLY CATCHES GEAR AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. 2009 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. VOLKSWAGEN DEALER WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS RECALL TELLING ME THERE ARE NON BUT WHEN CHECKED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE THERE IS.DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX DSG RECALL#09V333000”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 13, 2019Power trainODI 11186628
“DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WENT AND DESTROYED THE ENTIRE ENGINE THAT HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH VW THAT I FOUND OUT ABOUT AFTER THE FACT. LUCKILY IT HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 30, 2017Power train, Unknown or other, EngineODI 11057665
“WHILE DRIVING DOWN A RURAL HIGHWAY IN CLEAR CONDITIONS AND LIGHT TRAFFIC,AT ABOUT 45 MPH, SEVERAL LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH, AND THE TACHOMETER STARTED JUMPING UP AND DOWN I HAD NO ACCELERATION, AND WAS LUCKY TO BE IN A PLACE TO GET OFF THE ROAD. I DON'T RECALL IF I TOUCHED THE BRAKES OR NOT JUST BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, AS IT IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY WHEN DRIVING WITH OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD, BUT THERE WAS NO HARD BRAKING. I WAS JUST DRIVING NORMALLY. IF I TOUCHED THEM AT ALL, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIGHTLY,.THE CAR WOULD START FINE BUT NO GEARS. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THEIR REPORT SAID "SMALL METAL SHARDS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A GRAIN OF SAND" IN THE TRANS FLUID, AND "IT APPEARS THE TRANSMISSION COMMUTER DID NOT DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH IN USE AS IT ENGAGED THE CLUTCH FOR THE NEXT GEAR AND TRIED RUNNING THE VEHICLE IN TWO GEARS AT THE SAME TIME AT CRUISING SPEED., WHICH IN TURN DAMAGED THE TRANSMISSION INTERNALLY AND DESTROYED THE DUAL CLUTCH FRICTION DISCS." I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE ABS MODULE ON MY VEHICLE. ANOTHER DRIVER (NHTSA ID 10944646) INDICATED THAT WHEN HIS ABS MODULE FAILED, THAT HIS VEHICLE RANDOMLY DOWNSHIFTS TO FIRST GEAR, AND IS UNABLE TO…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 25, 2017Power train, Service brakesODI 11025232
“I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT LAST YEAR WITH COMPLAINT #: 10907462. SUMMARY OF THE UNEXPECTED ABS MODULE BREAKDOWN THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR. THE MODULE BROKE DOWN THE FIRST TIME ON 09/06/216 ON MY WAY TO WORK AND IT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I SLOWED DOWN THE SPEED TO AROUND 45 AFTER I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN IT HAPPENED AND THE LIGHTS AND BEEPING DID NOT STOP WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. THE CAR WAS EVENTUALLY TOWED AND REPAIRED (PAID OUT OF POCKET) AT VW DEALERSHIP. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE, THE ABS MODULE APPARENTLY HAS BEEN A PROBLEM ON GTI AND GLI JETTA. MOST RECENTLY, THERE IS A RECALL ON THE ABS MODULES ON CERTAIN VW VEHICLES; HOWEVER MY CAR WAS NOT ONE OF THEM EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE SAME PART THAT ALMOST CAUSED ME A CAR CRASH ON THE HIGHWAY! PLEASE INVESTIGATE INTO THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE THE VW OFFICIALLY EXTEND THEIR QUALIFICATION FOR RECALLS. IT IS NOT RIGHT TO ONLY RECALL CERTAIN VEHICLES AS OTHER CARE MODELS/YEARS ALSO USE THE EXACT SAME MANUFACTURER DEFECT ABS MODULES!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 13, 2017Power train, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 10994646

Showing 6 of 32 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

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

1 recall on this component

Power train: automatic transmission

Free remedy

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND AUGUST 2009. THE WIRING HARNESS OF A TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN THE DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX (DSG) MAY HAVE CONNECTOR WIRES THAT WERE INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED. WITH INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED CONNECTOR WIRES, A TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FALSELY DETECT A HIGH GEARBOX OIL TEMPERATURE, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO ABRUPTLY SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE SELECTOR LEVER POSITION INDICATOR WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL FLASH. IN ADDITION, THE "DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL" INDICATOR LIGHT WILL BE ILLUMINATED, ALERTING THE DRIVER TO APPLY THE BRAKES.

Power trainReported Aug 20, 2009NHTSA 09V333000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 9, 2026

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