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There are few vehicles on the road that look like the 2020 Volkswagen GTI. In fact, the automaker claims this is “one hot hatch.” However, customers couldn’t be more disappointed, especially with the defective engine and poorly-made structure.
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Structure:body |
Problems with the Engine
It doesn’t matter what a vehicle looks like; it still needs to have a reliable engine to get from Point A to Point B. Yet, this GTI seems to be struggling to make it out of the driveway.
One NHTSA complaint states, “I began experiencing the engine stall from the day I purchased the vehicle. The engine keeps stalling as I come to a stop. It happens with the clutch pedal fully depressed. It happens without any warning. There is no Check Engine Light or other warnings. When I attempt to restart the engine, I sometimes have to press the Engine Start button multiple times until I get a response. When the engine does restart, the idle sometimes fluctuates and shuts off. It happens whether I’m driving on a local street or a highway.”
Among the numerous manufacturer communications, there is very little of any value shared. In fact, the majority of the bulletins simply talk about the “engine oil standards.” It seems a little ironic that VW is talking about any level of “standards” while dealing with an engine that simply doesn’t run properly. Maybe it is a “hot hatch,” but if it doesn’t drive anywhere, it’s just an expensive lawn ornament.
Problems with the Build Quality
Since Volkswagen has drawn attention to the structure, it’s more important than ever to look at the quality and integrity. Needless to say, customers are disappointed.
Here’s another NHTSA complaint. “I was driving on the freeway going approximately 65 mph. It was a clear day (about 70 degrees F), very light traffic, no other cars were in my immediate vicinity. I was not driving under any overpass nor did I see or hear any rocks hit my car. Out of nowhere, I heard a very loud pop which sounded like a gunshot. I looked up and my sunroof was completely shattered upwards and some small shards of glass fell onto my passenger seat, my console and me. I was able to maintain control of my car although it was very alarming to have this happen while driving on the freeway and I had to slow down to realized what had just happened.”
VW isn’t hiding all of the structure problems, although most of them aren’t addressed. Service Bulletin #V0019012040590_7 does talk about the appearance of a paint defect. However, VW wants customers to feel at ease, knowing that it is simply water migration located under the RAPGARD. Of course, having moisture trapped under the clear coat shouldn’t be alarming, according to the automaker. However, this is actually a problem and could even be considered a paint defect. As Volkswagen continues to deceive customers into believing this vehicle is special, owners everywhere are dropping the “hot hatch” for something more reliable.
Your Lemon Law Legal Rights
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes VW pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Complaint Data
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Feb 10, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Vehicle intermittently stalls at low speeds and when idling. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Oct 24, 2020 |
| State | MA |
| Description | I have bought the new 6 speed manual gti this week and put 150 miles on it so far. Only 4 days after purchase, the car stalled while stopping with the clutch depressed during shifting to neutral, with no warning signs or errors. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Oct 06, 2020 |
| State | IA |
| Description | This only happens when the clutch is fully in and throttle is not engaged (coasting down hills, stop signs) the engine shuts off but all of the electronics stay on. I lose power steering/throttle and rpms are 0. None of the engine lights come on like the car stalled. When the car turns back on, it seems to struggle/stutter. Several of the times I have attempted to restart it, it took a try or two to crank and me adding some throttle. I ran my code reader several times when this happened and no actual codes have been tripped and no check engine light on if I continually add some throttle and rev the engine while at a stop with the clutch in the issue does not happen it hasn't happened while the engine or the outdoor temperature was cold. Only after the car has been parked outside in the fall not quite warm in the midwest us and again only after I had been driving for 10 minutes or so and the engine was totally warmed up. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 31, 2020 |
| State | VA |
| Description | I began experiencing the engine stall from the day I purchased the vehicle. The engine keeps stalling as I come to a stop. It happens with the clutch pedal fully depressed. It happens without any warning. There is no check engine light or other warnings. When I attempt to restart the engine, I sometimes have to press the engine start button multiple times until I get a response. When the engine does restart, the idle sometimes fluctuates and shuts off. It happens whether I'm driving on a local street or a highway. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Jul 26, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | The engine suddenly stalled with the clutch pedal fully depressed as I came to a stop from a slow speed. Then, as I tried to restart the engine with the clutch pedal fully depressed, the engine started with a very unsteady idle and stalled again. I repeated this process four times, and then the fifth time, applied the gas pedal during the unsteady idle, and the car was able to run again. This entire process did not cause a check engine light, and I have not been able to reproduce the issue. |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Mar 26, 2020 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | I was driving on the freeway going approximately 65 mph. It was a clear day (about 70 degrees f), very light traffic, no other cars were in my immediate vicinity. I was not driving under any overpass nor did I see or hear any rocks hit my car. Out of nowhere, I heard a very loud pop which sounded like a gunshot. I looked up and my sunroof was completely shattered upwards and some small shards of glass fell onto my passenger seat, my console, and me. I was able to maintain control of my car although it was very alarming to have this happen while driving on the freeway and I had to slow down to realize what had just happened. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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