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2018 Volkswagen GTI

Verified July 23, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
not rated
Recalls
3
on record
MPG
27
combined

Do not drive until repaired

1 active "park it" recall — NHTSA advises against driving this vehicle until the remedy is complete.

Vehicle Summary

2018 Volkswagen GTI

3 recalls
16 complaints
27 MPG combined

Before You Buy

Confirm all 3 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 2 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 16 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
3
Owner complaints
16
Complaints citing a crash
2

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

3 Recalls on Record

1 of these is high-severity. Some may require you to stop driving the vehicle until repaired.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

3 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 18V369000critical Do not drive

    Brake system issue

    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.

  • 19V615000high

    Electrical issue

    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."

  • 24V110000high

    Fuel system issue

    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a problem with a suction jet pump seal inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system and possibly leak out of the charcoal canister.

Consumer complaints

16 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

16
Total
2
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries

Most reported components

  • BRAKES6
  • ENGINE4
  • OTHER2
  • ELECTRICAL1
  • STRUCTURE1

Serious Concerns

16 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 2 reports involve a death. 2 reports involve injuries. 2 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

brake problems (soft pedal, noise, failure)6
engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)4
miscellaneous issues2

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Compact Cars
Drive type
Front-Wheel Drive
Engine
2L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Automatic (AM-S6)
Seats
0

Fuel economy

24

City

32

Hwy

27

Comb

Annual cost
$2,200
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation RQ23007

    Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)

  2. Recall

    Recall 24V110000

    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

  3. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation RQ23007

    Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)

  4. Recall

    Recall 19V615000

    Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.

  5. Do not drive

    Do-not-drive recall 18V369000

    A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.