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2019 Volkswagen GTI

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
not rated
Recalls
4
on record
MPG
27
combined

Open recalls on record

4 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2019 Volkswagen GTI

4 recalls
178 complaints
27 MPG combined

Before You Buy

Confirm all 4 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
No complaint on record reports a crash
Review the 178 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
4
Owner complaints
178
Complaints citing a crash
0

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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

4 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

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

Safety recalls

4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 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.

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 22V815000high

    Tire/wheel issue

    TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

    Consequence

    An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi’s customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.

    Full campaign record
  • 23V604000high

    Electrical issue

    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Golf, Golf Alltrack, Golf Sportwagen, 2019-2020 Golf GTI, and Jetta vehicles equipped with a conventional ignition switch. The ignition switch may fail, especially in high temperature environments.

    Consequence

    Ignition switch failure can cause the electrical system to shut down and the engine to stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 1, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 28H7.

    Full campaign record
  • 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.

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record

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 2019 Volkswagen GTI, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.

25

City

31

Hwy

27

Comb

Annual fuel cost
$2,300
Tailpipe CO₂
325 g/mi

How this compares

At 27 MPG combined, the 2019 Volkswagen GTI ranks 16th of 20 compact cars EPA rated for 2019 — 3 MPG short of the 30 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, $225 more than the $2,075 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $11,500, a $1,125 difference against a class-median vehicle.

Tailpipe CO₂ is 325 grams per mile — about 4.9 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.

Consumer complaints

178 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

178
Total
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE158
  • OTHER14
  • STRUCTURE2
  • FUEL SYSTEM2
  • ELECTRICAL2

Above Average

178 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)158
miscellaneous issues14
body/structure issues (rust, door problems, trim)2

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2019 Volkswagen GTI, newest first.

  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 23V604000

    Ignition switch failure can cause the electrical system to shut down and the engine to stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

  5. Recall

    Recall 22V815000

    An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.

  6. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP19003

    Vehicle Stalling - Manual Transmission

  7. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP19003

    Vehicle Stalling - Manual Transmission

  8. 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.

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-S7)
Seats
0

Fuel economy

25

City

31

Hwy

27

Comb

Annual cost
$2,300
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 23V604000

    Ignition switch failure can cause the electrical system to shut down and the engine to stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

  5. Recall

    Recall 22V815000

    An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.