- 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
Before You Buy
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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.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.
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.
Consequence
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.
- 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."
Consequence
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.
- 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.
Consequence
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are VW: 20UF/Audi: 20YF. Vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-647 will need to have the new remedy completed. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 16V-647.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NHTSA holds no crash-test rating for this model year.
Not every model year is tested. A missing rating is not a poor rating.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2018 Volkswagen GTI, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
24
City
32
Hwy
27
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,300
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 322 g/mi
How this compares
At 27 MPG combined, the 2018 Volkswagen GTI ranks 11th of 18 compact cars EPA rated for 2018 — 1.5 MPG short of the 28.5 MPG median for that group.
That places it in the lower third of its class. If annual mileage is high, the running-cost gap against a class-average rival compounds quickly.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,300, $50 more than the $2,250 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $11,500, a $250 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 322 grams per mile — about 4.8 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
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
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Volkswagen GTI, newest first.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation RQ23007
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
- Recall
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation RQ23007
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
- Recall
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.
- Do not drive
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
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
- $2,300
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation RQ23007
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
- Recall
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation RQ23007
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
- Recall
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.
- Do not drive
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.