VW 1.8T COIL PACK FAILURES ARE ONE OF THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS TODAY. IF A COIL GOES OUT YOU ARE NOT RUNNING ON ALL OF YOUR CYLINDERS AND COULD CAUSE A PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING. TS
2002 Volkswagen GTI complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2002 record →
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE COIL PACK. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND HAS REPAIR THE VEHICLE. TS
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE COIL PACKS IN HIS VEHICLE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A BAD COIL PACK AND ALSO STATED THAT IT HAS BACK ORDER AND THEY WILL BE REPLACING IT AS SOON AS THEY GET THE PARTS. TS
THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE SERVICED. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT 3 OUT OF 4 IGNITION COILS MISFIRED. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, THAT COULD MAKE THE VEHICLE INOPERATIVE AND SHUT DONE ENGINE PER DEALERSHIP. TS ALL 4 IGNITION COILS WERE REPLACED. 3 IGNITION COILS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *TT
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION COIL. DEALER HAS REPLACE ONLY ONE OUT OF THE SIX COIL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
IGNITION COIL PACK FAILURE. TS
PART FAILURE ON MY 2002 VW GTI. COILPACKS FAIL AND CAUSE CAR TO LOSE MAJOR LOSS OF POWER AND RELIABILITY. UNDRIVEABLE. ALMOST CAUSED A ACCIDENT WHEN PASSING A LARGE TRUCK. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE.
2002 VOLKSWAGEN GTI 1.8T VIN #9BWDE61J824005932 ISSUE: COIL PACK REPLACE AT 19K MILES MILD WEATHER, 60 DEGREES. STARTED FINE IN MORNING. CEL AT 3:30PM, ENGINE SOUNDED AWFUL. VW OF AMERICA TOWED TO ALEXANDRIA VW FOR REPAIR.
CLUTCH DEFECTIVE AT 19000 MILES. CLUTCH PLATE FOUND WITH EXCESSIVE WEAR, FUSED TO FLYWHEEL.
4TH IGNITION COIL PACK FAILURE ON MY 2002 VW GTI. MY VOLKSWAGEN HAS LESS THAN 25K MILES ON IT AND HAS HAD 4 FAILED COIL PACKS. EACH TIME WAS A DIFFERENT SITUATION/WEATHER/SPEED.
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***)
COIL PACK WENT OUT ON MY VW GTI 1.8T PART ON NATIONAL BACKORDER QUOTED 2+ WEEKS WITH RENTAL CAR
THE IGNITION COIL WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY. PH SCC
CONSUMERS SON WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM THE STOP SIGN, HITTING A MINOR POT HOLE, ALL THE AIRBAGS IN THE VEHICLE DEPLOYED. THERE WAS A LOUD GUN SHOT-LIKE EXPLOSION, WHITE POWDER FILLED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO MAG FOR IMMEDIATE INSPECTION. MAG DETERMINED THAT THE INTERIOR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED. A VOLKSWAGEN REPRESENTATIVE INVESTIGATED THE SITUATION AND THE JUDGEMENT WAS FOR THE THE EXPENSE FOR REPAIRS BE VOLKSWAGEN'S. A TOTAL OF FIFTEEN TO TWENTY PARTS WERE REQUIRED FOR REPAIR. *JG
WIDESPREAD PROBLEM KNOWN BY MANUFACTURER- APPARENTLY ONLY REPAIRING AS PART FAILS. UNACCEPTABLE- SHOULD BE REPLACED ON A RECALL-TYPE BASIS FOR KNOWN PROBLEM. SAFETY RELATED DUE TO SUDDEN NATURE OF PART FAILURE CAUSING DRIVER DISTRACTION. NLM
WE PURCHASED THIS CAR 8/17/02. ON 8/21/02, WHILE PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY WE ATTEMPTED TO PUT DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WINDOW UP AT WHICH POINT WINDOW GLASS FELL DOWN INTO DOOR PANEL. WE HAD TO DRIVE 30 MILES TO THE DEALER TO HAVE REPAIRED. THE REPAIR WAS NOT FINISHED UNTIL 8/21. WE WERE NOT TOLD OF ANY POSSIBLILY OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN NOR THAT THERE WAS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION OR ANY ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE. TODAY, 9/14/02, WHILE AGAIN PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY, WHILE PUTTING PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW UP, THE GLASS FELL DOWN INTO THE DOOR PANEL JUST AS THE DRIVER SIDE HAD LESS THAN A MONTH AGO. THESE ARE POWER WINDOWS. WE AGAIN DROVE CAR TO DEALER 30 MILES AWAY - WITH A THUNDERSTORM BREWING. THIS WAS A SATURDAY AND SO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT OPENED. NUMEROUS SALES PEOPLE MADE COMMENTS THAT THEY HAVE SEEN MANY VEHICLES COMING IN WITH THIS PROBLEM - THEY SHOWED US A BOX OF BROKEN CLIPS MADE IN USA FROM CARS ALREADY REPAIRED AND SAID THE VW WAS GOING TO REPLACE ALL CLIPS WITH METAL ONCE MADE BY PANZER. WE WERE TOLD THAT IN TEMPS ABOVE 75 THE CLIPS ARE FAILING. WHY IS THERE NO DEFECTS INVESTIGATION. IF THIS DEALER HAS FIXED THIS MANY CLIPS ALREADY. ALSO, IF THE DEALER KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM, THEN WHY, 3 WEEKS AGO WHEN THE FIRST CLIP FAILED, WOULD THEY NOT HAVE REPAIRED THE PASSENGER SIDE WHILE THEY WERE FIXING THE DRIVERS SIDE. PLEASE HELP. NLM
PARTS HAVE BEEN ON BACK ORDER FOR OVER A MONTH, THIS FIRST HAPPENED ON 8/14/2002 ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND THEM THE LEFT SIDE FAILED ON 9/13/2002. NLM
VEHICLE #1 FAILED 4 TIMES IN 6 WEEKS, DEAD BATTERIES, ALTERNATORS, WOULD NOT START....VEHICLE REPLACED, SAME PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE # 2 8 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE......VW WILL NOT ADMIT TO DEFECTS
MY CAR WINDOW FAILED ONLY 3 DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT IT. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERS AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE VOLKSWAGEN CORPORATE OFFICES THAT THE REASON THEY CAN'T GET IT FIXED IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME IS IT IS ON BACK ORDER FROM THE FACTORY BECAUSE THE DRIVER'S SIDE OR PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW CLIPS BREAK IN OVER 50% OF NEW VOLKSWAGEN GTIS AND GOLFS WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR.*AKY
VW CANNOT BRING VEHICLE INTO COMPLIANCE WITH WARRANTY......REFUSES TO REPLACE VEHICLE. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE THAT OWNS A MK IV JETTA OR GOLF HAS A WINDOW CLIP FAILURE IN THIS CAR, DROPPING THE WINDOW INTO THE DOOR!*AK
I WAS DRIVING MY COMPANY CAR (GOLF GTI 1.8T - MI LICENSE VVD 493) ALONG 86TH STREET IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN ON SATURDAY 25TH MAY 2002 WITH MR DARIO ROSSI (SALES MANAGER OF MAGNETI MARELLI MOTORSPORTS) SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT; WHEN CROSSING DITCH RD AT ABOUT 20 MPH I HIT A POTHOLE THAT WAS NOT SIGNALED WITH THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AND THE TWO SIDE AIRBAGS ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WENT OFF (FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT AND FROM THE ROOF), HITTING MR.ROSSI. ALSO THE IGNITION CUT OFF AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE.
THE CAR STALLED REPEATEDLY WHILE BEING DRIVEN. IT ALSO STALLS OUT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS YET TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TS *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS***762226
WHILE DRIVING I ENCOUNTERED AN UNEVEN SPOT IN THE ROAD ( LIKE A POTHOLE) AND THE AIRBAGS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR ( SIDE AIRBAG AND SIDE CURTAIN) DEPLOYED. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THE CAR. THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR OTHER THAN THE AIRBAGS NOW REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. EVEN THE ALAIGNMENT SEEMS FINE ALTHOUGH THE DEALER IS CHECKING IT OUT TO BE SURE. I BELIEVE THE AIRBAG SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE (TOO SENSITIVE) AND SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED THE AIRBAG. WHEN THE AIRBAGS ARE DEPLOYED (FOR NO APPARENT GOOD REASON) IT IS OBVIOUSLY DISTRACTING TO THE DRIVER AND CAN CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. FOR ME IT WAS DOWNRIGHT SCARY. I THOUGHT SOMEONE SHOT AT THE CAR. THE DEALER SEEMS PERPLEXED AS TO WHY THE BAGS WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED WITHOUT AN IMPACT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO DAMAGE THE CAR. NOW, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T WRECK THE CAR, I AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY ARE LEFT WITH THE COST OF REPAIRS ON A COMPONENT THAT I BELIEVE WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED THIS WHOLE MESS.*AK
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2002 Volkswagen GTI → · Every GTI year → · How the figures are calculated →