Volkswagen / GTI / 2002
2002 Volkswagen GTI problems
Owners have filed 141 complaints about the 2002 Volkswagen GTI with NHTSA. Electrical system accounts for 34% of them — the clear leader, ahead of air bags at 16.3%.
Complaints141
Crashes2
Fires0
Injuries14
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Electrical system 34.0% · 48
Air bags 16.3% · 23
Wheels 15.6% · 22
Power train 7.1% · 10
Visibility 5.7% · 8
Engine and engine cooling 5.0% · 7
Service brakes, hydraulic 2.8% · 4
Exterior lighting 2.8% · 4
Severity
Of those complaints, 2 describe a crash and 14 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 5 model years of the Volkswagen GTI in this data, 2002 ranks 3rd by complaint volume — 2009 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 6 in the last three years against 9 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 18,683 miles.
In owners' own words
Multiple coilpack failures on 2002 vw GTI 1.8T. Dealer refused waranty service claiming aftermarket spark plugs being the cause of the part failure. Car had 2 incidents of coilpack failures prior to the installation of aftermarket spark plugs. Total of 3 failures within the first 8 months of owning the car. (*** The incident date listed below is inaccurate due to having multiple failures on different dates***) Electrical system
Vw policy on there defective coil packs is to replace the broken coil with a new one and send the driver back on the road with 3 defective coils just waiting to leave them stranded. I am pushing for a recall do to the safety concerns of the near absolute failure of the defective "h" coils and possible collisions with other vechicles. Electrical system · reported at 8,623 miles
3 Ignition coils failed while driving on two separate occasions. This resulted in vehicle stalling on highway. Consumer had to wait 4 weeks for replacement coils in both incidents. Dealer adviser consumer will not replace remaining coils until failure. First incident occurred mid-october 2002. 2Nd incident in december 2002. Electrical system · reported at 15,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…