VOLKSWAGEN GTI · model year

2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI

15 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2014VOLKSWAGENGTI carries 15 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2014 GTI is engine with 4 filings, followed by unknown or other (3) and power train (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2014 GTI, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

15
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

15 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
POWER TRAIN2
SERVICE BRAKES1
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
AIR BAGS1
STEERING1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL1

Recalls (1)

15V48300004/08/2015

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wou

Recent Complaints

20231210AIR BAGS

I noticed a common problem among MK6 GTI owners of the steering wheel messing up, causing many issues such as broken airbags, the horn not work, cruise control stopped, etc., and since I have the issue (air bag symbol, horn, no cruise control) as well I was wondering what could be done. This happened after a near-accident/close call and when I tried to honk it didnt work. It could've been for any situation and a car horn is very important. That on top of the fact that if I did crash there was a risk of me not even having an air bag. Not to mention the countless inconvenient long drices with no cruise control. I checked the wiring and the wheel/horn is connected properly, and everything else on the dasg works fine.The car has been in a minor accident before and I did take it to a VW dealership for mechanical and body work, so the car should've been fine had they fixed the issue, but the problem is I had zero idea about the recall and I'm assuming they didnt bother to check since I didnt

20231210STEERING

I noticed a common problem among MK6 GTI owners of the steering wheel messing up, causing many issues such as broken airbags, the horn not work, cruise control stopped, etc., and since I have the issue (air bag symbol, horn, no cruise control) as well I was wondering what could be done. This happened after a near-accident/close call and when I tried to honk it didnt work. It could've been for any situation and a car horn is very important. That on top of the fact that if I did crash there was a risk of me not even having an air bag. Not to mention the countless inconvenient long drices with no cruise control. I checked the wiring and the wheel/horn is connected properly, and everything else on the dasg works fine.The car has been in a minor accident before and I did take it to a VW dealership for mechanical and body work, so the car should've been fine had they fixed the issue, but the problem is I had zero idea about the recall and I'm assuming they didnt bother to check since I didnt

20231210FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

I noticed a common problem among MK6 GTI owners of the steering wheel messing up, causing many issues such as broken airbags, the horn not work, cruise control stopped, etc., and since I have the issue (air bag symbol, horn, no cruise control) as well I was wondering what could be done. This happened after a near-accident/close call and when I tried to honk it didnt work. It could've been for any situation and a car horn is very important. That on top of the fact that if I did crash there was a risk of me not even having an air bag. Not to mention the countless inconvenient long drices with no cruise control. I checked the wiring and the wheel/horn is connected properly, and everything else on the dasg works fine.The car has been in a minor accident before and I did take it to a VW dealership for mechanical and body work, so the car should've been fine had they fixed the issue, but the problem is I had zero idea about the recall and I'm assuming they didnt bother to check since I didnt

20230308POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated while shifting the vehicle into drive(D) there was a lag before the vehicle responded. The contact stated that the engine revved before the transmission jolted into gear. The contact stated that the vehicle shook abnormally. Additionally, while accelerating the vehicle was revving loudly before jolting into the next gear. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that the check engine light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to the local dealer however, the vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,669.

Mileage: 63,669

20230308ENGINE

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated while shifting the vehicle into drive(D) there was a lag before the vehicle responded. The contact stated that the engine revved before the transmission jolted into gear. The contact stated that the vehicle shook abnormally. Additionally, while accelerating the vehicle was revving loudly before jolting into the next gear. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that the check engine light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to the local dealer however, the vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,669.

Mileage: 63,669

20220502POWER TRAIN

Was going about 75 mph on the highway when my car dropped into neutral by itself causing me to have to cut across 4 lanes of highway to stop the car. 2014 gti with 67k miles. now being told its my gear shifter an module costing $2,300. I believe this is an essential part that should not be going defective an the dealer told me that their was no visible damage or reason to why it happened. "It is just a failed part"

20190810ENGINE

2014 VOLKSWAGON GTI, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 57,000 TO 62,494. I READ UP ON THE ENGINE LIGHT REGARDING P2015 CODE, WHICH IS AN INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEM, THAT VOLKSWAGON RECOGNIZED AS A PROBLEM, BUT INSTEAD OF RECALLING, THEY DECIDED TO EXTEND WARRANTY TO 120,000 MIKES, BUT ONLY AS A LOTTERY PICKING OF VIN NUMBERS, SO IF YOUR VIN WASN'T ON LIST, AND YOU HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, YOU HAD TO PAY FOR THIS POOR QUALITY INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEM. THEY WOULD CLEAN IF ONLY CLEANING, $1200. IF IT INVOLVED THE WORSE CASE, IT TOOK CHANGING MANIFOLD, OF WHICH THAT WOULD BE, NEEDLESS TO SAY, MUCH MORE, MIND YOU AT 60,000 MILES THIS EXPENSIVE COST. SO YEAH, LOOK FORWARD TO THIS MUCH EXPENSES AT THIS EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. SO ONE THING IS KNOWING VOLKSWAGON RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM, BUT TREATED FIX AS ONLY SOME WOULD QUALIFY FOR EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND IF YOU EXPERIENCE PROBLEM AND YOUR VIN WASN'T ON LIST YOU HAVE TO PAY. YOU CALL VOLKSWAGON HEADQUARTERS OR CUSTOMER CARE, BECAUSE IF THERE IS A P

Mileage: 62,494

20190810UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2014 VOLKSWAGON GTI, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 57,000 TO 62,494. I READ UP ON THE ENGINE LIGHT REGARDING P2015 CODE, WHICH IS AN INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEM, THAT VOLKSWAGON RECOGNIZED AS A PROBLEM, BUT INSTEAD OF RECALLING, THEY DECIDED TO EXTEND WARRANTY TO 120,000 MIKES, BUT ONLY AS A LOTTERY PICKING OF VIN NUMBERS, SO IF YOUR VIN WASN'T ON LIST, AND YOU HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, YOU HAD TO PAY FOR THIS POOR QUALITY INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEM. THEY WOULD CLEAN IF ONLY CLEANING, $1200. IF IT INVOLVED THE WORSE CASE, IT TOOK CHANGING MANIFOLD, OF WHICH THAT WOULD BE, NEEDLESS TO SAY, MUCH MORE, MIND YOU AT 60,000 MILES THIS EXPENSIVE COST. SO YEAH, LOOK FORWARD TO THIS MUCH EXPENSES AT THIS EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. SO ONE THING IS KNOWING VOLKSWAGON RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM, BUT TREATED FIX AS ONLY SOME WOULD QUALIFY FOR EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND IF YOU EXPERIENCE PROBLEM AND YOUR VIN WASN'T ON LIST YOU HAVE TO PAY. YOU CALL VOLKSWAGON HEADQUARTERS OR CUSTOMER CARE, BECAUSE IF THERE IS A P

Mileage: 62,494

20190602ENGINE

FOR THE THIRD TIME SINCE OWNING MY CAR, I WAS DRIVING AND THE ENGINE FAILED. WITHOUT ANY OTHER PREVIOUS WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATORS COMING ON, WHILE I WAS ON THE FREEWAY, MY CAR SLOWED, THE ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED, AND THEN THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE SHOULDER. BECAUSE THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, I SUSPECTED THE OIL WAS RUNNING LOW. WE REFILLED IT, AND THE CAR DID START, AND NOW DRIVES AGAIN WITHOUT ISSUE. I JUST HAD MY CAR SERVICED TWO MONTHS PRIOR, AND THEY TOLD ME TO FILL MY OIL AGAIN AT 39,000 MILES OR AT THE END OF JUNE, WHICHEVER CAME FIRST. I WAS ONLY AT 37K MILES AND IT IS JUNE 1. WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED, I WAS TOLD THE ENGINE HAD A "PROTECTIVE FEATURE" TO TURN OFF WHEN THE OIL WAS LOW TO MAKE SURE THE ENGINE WASN'T DAMAGED. WITHOUT AN OIL LIGHT INDICATING THAT IT IS LOW, HOW CAN DYING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING BE A PROTECTIVE FEATURE? I'M LUCKY I DIDN'T GET HIT BY ANOTHER CAR ON THE FREEWAY, OR CAUSE A PILEUP.

Mileage: 37,500

20180111SERVICE BRAKES

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS THE ABS LIGHT, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT, STEERING WHEEL FAULT WARNING LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT LIT UP WITHOUT ANY WARNING PROMPTING A FAULT DESCRIPTION ON MY CENTER DASH SAYING "FAULT: ABS/ELECTRONIC STABILIZATION CONTROL". FROM MY RESEARCH THIS FAULT WAS ALSO FOUND IN THE 2009 (MK5) GTI WHICH SHARES THE SAME ENGINE, ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND DRIVETRAIN AS THE 2010-2014 (MK6). ON THE DIFFERENT VOLKSWAGEN FORUMS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY IT IS STILL AN APPARENT FAULT WITH THE CAR WITH HUNDREDS OF INQUIRIES ABOUT HOW TO REPAIR AND FIX THIS PROBLEM ON OUR OWN.

Mileage: 28,335

20180111ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS THE ABS LIGHT, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT, STEERING WHEEL FAULT WARNING LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT LIT UP WITHOUT ANY WARNING PROMPTING A FAULT DESCRIPTION ON MY CENTER DASH SAYING "FAULT: ABS/ELECTRONIC STABILIZATION CONTROL". FROM MY RESEARCH THIS FAULT WAS ALSO FOUND IN THE 2009 (MK5) GTI WHICH SHARES THE SAME ENGINE, ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND DRIVETRAIN AS THE 2010-2014 (MK6). ON THE DIFFERENT VOLKSWAGEN FORUMS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY IT IS STILL AN APPARENT FAULT WITH THE CAR WITH HUNDREDS OF INQUIRIES ABOUT HOW TO REPAIR AND FIX THIS PROBLEM ON OUR OWN.

Mileage: 28,335

20180111ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS THE ABS LIGHT, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT, STEERING WHEEL FAULT WARNING LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT LIT UP WITHOUT ANY WARNING PROMPTING A FAULT DESCRIPTION ON MY CENTER DASH SAYING "FAULT: ABS/ELECTRONIC STABILIZATION CONTROL". FROM MY RESEARCH THIS FAULT WAS ALSO FOUND IN THE 2009 (MK5) GTI WHICH SHARES THE SAME ENGINE, ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND DRIVETRAIN AS THE 2010-2014 (MK6). ON THE DIFFERENT VOLKSWAGEN FORUMS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY IT IS STILL AN APPARENT FAULT WITH THE CAR WITH HUNDREDS OF INQUIRIES ABOUT HOW TO REPAIR AND FIX THIS PROBLEM ON OUR OWN.

Mileage: 28,335

20151210UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VW HAD A RECALL IN EARLY OCTOBER ON THE COOLANT SYSTEM IN MY CAR. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP FOUR TIMES AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. I FILED A LEMON LAW COMPLAINT AND VW, ON THE TENTH DAY VW RESPONDED AND SENT ONE OF THEIR PEOPLE OUT TO LOOK AT MY CAR. I HAD BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF THE COOLANT LEVEL (I HAVE PICTURES) AND IT HAD GONE DOWN ABOUT AN INCH IN THREE WEEKS TIME. THEY FILLED IT BACK UP AND TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS FINE. THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD TOLD ME THAT THE COOLANT SYSTEM IS PLASTIC AND THE PART OF THE CAR IT RESTS ON IS WARPED SO IT IS LIKE TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR MORE THAN TEN MILES FROM MY HOME. IF THE COOLANT LIGHT GOES OFF YOU HAVE TO STOP AND CANNOT DRIVE ANY FURTHER. I AM ON VACATION NEXT WEEK AND WAS PLANNING ON DRIVE TO VISIT MY PARENTS IN NAPLES, FL AND NOW I CANNOT GO BECAUSE I AM AFRAID THE COOLANT WILL GO BAD AGAIN. MY CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR A GOOD 3-3 1/2 WEEKS AND I MADE MY PAYMENT ANYWAY EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT HAVE USE O

Mileage: 12,500

20140415UNKNOWN OR OTHER

SUBMITTAL TO VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA 04/08/2014 4:03AM I WOULD LIKE THIS EMAIL TO BE THE BEGINNING OF DOCUMENTATION OF A SERIOUS ISSUE I'M EXPERIENCING WITH THE NEW VW GTI I PURCHASED ONLY TWO WEEKS AGO. SAID ISSUE INVOLVES OCCASIONAL ZERO THROTTLE RESPONSE, WHICH HAS HAPPENED ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS SINCE DELIVERY. FOR YOUR REFERENCE, THIS MODEL GTI IS EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. MY COMPLAINT: OCCASIONALLY AT VERY SLOW SPEEDS (APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 20MPH) WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL (EVEN TO THE FLOOR) THE VEHICLE WILL NOT RESPOND FOR THREE FULL SECONDS, IN OTHER WORDS, THE ENGINE SPEED INDICATOR (TACHOMETER) SHOWS THE ENGINE SITTING AT IDLE SPEED FOR THE ENTIRE THREE SECONDS. THIS UNWANTED CHARACTERISTIC HAS PUT ME IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION MORE THAN ONCE OUT OF FOUR EPISODES I'VE EXPERIENCED THUS FAR. I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT SOMETHING WHICH MAY INTEREST THE VOLKSWAGEN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM, AND THAT IS, THIS EXACT ISSUE WAS EXPERIENCED, DOCUMENTED A

Mileage: 746

20140328FireENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, WHITE SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE EPC WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD SOUND BEFORE IT STALLED AND BECAME ENGULFED INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

Mileage: 8,000

Compare 2014VOLKSWAGENGTI to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI have?
The 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI has 15 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI?
The 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI?
Yes, the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI?
The most-complained component for the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI is ENGINE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2014 VOLKSWAGEN GTI has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.