Model year record

2013 Volkswagen GTI recalls & problems

The 2013 Volkswagen GTI has 2 safety recalls and 34 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is engine (11 complaints).

Recalls2safety recalls

Complaints34filed by owners

Crashes · fires1 · 1reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths1 · 1reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Unknown or otherMay 16, 2018

Unknown or other

Recall 18V329000252 vehicles

Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
Risk: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.

Air bagsAug 4, 2015

Frontal

Recall 15V483000415,825 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: 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 wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
Risk: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2013 Volkswagen GTI 2 DR FWD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	Not Rated

2013 Volkswagen GTI 4 DR FWD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	12.1%

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

GTI

27mpg combined

City / highway	24 / 33 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (AM-S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,050/year to fuel

GTI

25mpg combined

City / highway	21 / 31 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,300/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Engine	11	0	0	0	17,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	7	0	0	0	33,000 mi
Power train	5	0	0	0	36,000 mi
Air bags	4	1	0	1	—
Electrical system	3	0	1	0	15,000 mi
VisibilityWindshield	2	0	0	0	—
Electronic stability control (esc)	2	0	1	0	—
Service brakes	2	0	0	0	—
StructureBody	2	0	1	0	—
Visibility/wiper	1	0	0	0	—
Tires	1	0	0	0	—
Engine and engine coolingCooling system	1	0	0	0	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Power train
DSG automatic transmission started going into neutral at various speeds and driving conditions. It feels as though the clutch disengages momentarily, causing the vehicle to slow down and engine to rev. This is definitely not safe when trying to merge or drive on the highway. This is a know issue with VW DSG transmissions and warranted a safety recall on earlier vehicles. My vehicle is newer than the recall so VW has no obligation to help me. They inspected the car and told me it needed a transmission replacement, but that the transmission is no longer produced or available. I would need to source a used transmission and try my luck. It is unacceptable that VW has no liability in this issue…
Apr 21, 2025
Engine
I'M ON MY WAY TO WORK ON THE HIGHWAY GOING UPHILL AND THE TEMPERATURE RED LIGHT STARTS FLASHING. I DECIDED TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE THE FLASHING LIGHT HAD ME CONCERNED. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STAYED AT NORMAL POSITION SO I WAS ABLE TO BRING IT HOME. I WAITED AWHILE AND THEN CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD FOR COOLANT LEVEL AND IT WAS DOWN TO THE BOTTOM BARELY ANY LEFT. SO I BOUGHT THE RECOMMENDED COOLANT BY VW AND FILLED IT UP TO LEVEL. I DROVE THE NEXT DAY AND PARKED IN MY DRIVE WAY AND LATER THAT DAY I SAW COOLANT PUDDLE ON CONCRETE DRIPPED FROM ENGINE. I SUSPECT IT'S THE WATER PUMP AGAIN. I HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR BEFORE WITH COOLING SYSTEM TWICE. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALERSHIP DEALT WITH IT BY…
Feb 18, 2021 · 106,000 miles
Service brakes
I WAS DRIVING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND WHEN I WENT TO SLOW DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT MY BRAKES WERE NOT ENGAGING UNTIL MY PEDAL WAS PUSHED WELL OVER HALF WAY DOWN. THIS WAS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. I STARTED NOTICING THAT IF I PUMPED MY BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKES WOULD BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE, BUT THE VEHICLE REALLY WAS NOT SAFE. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL TIRES PLUS REPAIR SHOP WHO BELIEVED THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS BAD AND IT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. ONCE THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED I PICKED UP MY VEHICLE AND THE BRAKES STILL WERE NOT EFFECTIVELY ENGAGING. AT THAT POINT THE REAR BRAKE CALIPERS HAD GOTTEN REPLACED AND EVEN AFTER THAT, NOTHING HAD IMPROVED. TIRES PLUS DECIDED THE CAR NEEDED TO…
Nov 18, 2020
Structure › Body
SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED ON THE HIGHWAY.
Sep 4, 2020 · 57,000 miles
Engine
INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN 2015. IN LATE 2019 THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED A SERVICE ENGINE WARNING WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AGAIN. OUT OF WARRANTY THE SERVICE COST ME IN EXCESS OF $1000. I SEE THE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED ON OLDER YEARS FOR THE SAME EXACT REASON BUT NOT THE 2013. THIS NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Nov 1, 2019 · 120,000 miles
Power train
WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE PUTS ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL WAS TOLD NOTHING CAN BE DONE UNLESS IT'S ABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPLICATED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE ON EARLIER MODELS THAT RESULTED IN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY DUE TO THE SAFETY CONCERNS. DID CONTACT DEALER AND VOA
Apr 13, 2019 · 57,000 miles
Power train
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE GEAR SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND COMMUNICATION WAS LOST WITH THE GEAR BOX. ALSO, THE RPMS INCREASED. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK, SHUT OFF, AND RESTARTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VALLEY AUTO WORLD VOLKSWAGEN (910-867-7000, LOCATED AT 3810 SYCAMORE DAIRY RD, FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28303) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COMPUTER SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS NOT REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH ANYONE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000.
Jun 28, 2016 · 15,000 miles
Structure › BodyFire
CAR WAS DRIVEN IN A NEIGHBORHOOD. FIRST NOTICED SOME SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD, STOPPED THE CAR, MORE AND MORE SMOKE CAME OUT AND COULDN'T EVEN SEE ANYTHING IF ANYONE WERE TO BE IN THE CAR. NOTICE SOME FIRE START TO APPEAR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, CALLED 911. THE ENTIRE HOOD WAS ON FIRE BY THE TIME FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED. IT SEEMED THERE WAS GOING TO BE AN EXPLOSION IF FIREFIGHTERS WERE TO ARRIVE A MINUTE LATER.
Nov 10, 2018 · 35,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

Air Bag Clockspring FailureOpen
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models.Contamination of the clockspring can cause the ribbon cable to tear resulting in loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag and any steering wheel mounted controls.The loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag will result in illumination of the air bag warning light and will prevent operation of the front driver air bag in a crash of sufficient severity requiring a commanded deployment.In November 2017, the Office of…
EA18003 · opened Apr 18, 2018
Air Bag Clockspring FailureClosed
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models.Contamination of the clockspring can cause the ribbon cable to tear resulting in loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag and any steering wheel mounted controls.The loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag will result in illumination of the air bag warning light and will prevent operation of the front driver air bag in a crash of sufficient severity requiring a commanded deployment.In November 2017, the Office of…
RQ17009 · opened Nov 13, 2017 · closed May 4, 2018
Air Bag Clockspring FailureClosedLed to recall 15V483000
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of steering wheel clock spring/steering column control module (SCCM) failures in model year (MY) 2012 Volkswagen Passat and CC models.The SCCM is a module within the steering column that incorporates a spiral conductor (a ribbon cable) to electrically connect the steering wheel to the vehicle's electrical system while allowing for the turning of the steering wheel.Complainants alleged that that the clock spring failed while driving and without warning.When the SCCM fails electrically, an air bag warning light is illuminated on the dash of the vehicle.If a vehicle with a failed SCCM were to be involved in a crash of sufficient severity to require deployment, the driver air bag may not deploy properly, or deploy at all.As the result of an Information Request response from Volkswagen, ODI…
PE15010 · opened Mar 24, 2015 · closed Sep 28, 2015