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2006 Volkswagen GTI Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 43 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Volkswagen GTI, most often about the transmission (26% of complaints, typically around 42,000 miles). It is 14th of 25 GTI model years by number of complaints and has 2 recalls.
Most common 2006 Volkswagen GTI problems
Transmission
11 complaints · 26%Half of these problems showed up before 42,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, clutch assembly, driveline.
Car will jerk between downshifts while coming to a light, also when accelerating the car will pause before shifting and almost forget what it was doing. It will lose all power and just hang there causing my car to just die out in traffic. Also seems to shift into neutral for no reason.
Was trying to pull out into traffic from a gas station, I go to hit the gas and then car completely falls on its face. The display starts flashing gears, and I lose all power. I almost got rear ended by like 3 other cars. I managed to limp the car off the road. Had it towed to the dealer where they replaced the…
Fuel system
10 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 67,000 miles. Parts named most often: delivery.
The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds she noticed loud noises coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that the vehicle was included in a manufacturer's recall for the cam follower in the fuel system. After having the…
Car lost acceleration at approx 40 MPH on 4 lane road. Dealer diagnostic claims broken cam chain. Dealer did not check warranty extension part cam follower which is known to fail (per cory from vwoa) but has another warranty extension part intake camshaft on repair list. There are several hundreds of these incidents…
Engine
10 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 81,000 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system, engine.
My 2006 vw GTI has been serviced every 5000 miles by a vw dealer. I purchased the car under the assumption that it would be in good condition since the dealer was the one who performed all service. I took the high pressure fuel pump off to check the condition of the camshaft follower. The camshaft follower was…
Owner of a 2006 vw GTI, threw engine code for known tsb regarding cam follower and cam shaft wear at the high pressure fuel pump. Mechanic inspected site and discovered that cam shaft wear/ damage was extreme and would require replacement of high pressure fuel pump, cam shaft, and cam follower all outside of warranty.…
Air bags
7 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 87,500 miles.
Passive occupant detection system module not functioning after warranty work done by Volkswagen. This is extremely problematic, as the passenger airbag will no longer engage, regardless of how much weight is in the passenger seat. In the event of a car accident, the airbag would not deploy for the passenger, and the…
The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen GTI. While driving various speeds, the front passenger air bag warning indicator remained illuminated, which was a safety concern. The contact also stated that the bulb from the headlight socket detached when the vehicle drove over a bump in the road. In addition, the contact stated…
Electrical
5 complaints · 12%Vehicle was running rough, pulled over and shut off engine. Restarted and vehicle still idled very rough. While calling vw roadside assistance, I noticed smoke coming from under the hood. When I opened the hood I found a large amount of what looked and smelled like electrical smoke. Within one minute, the engine…
Car information: 2006 Volkswagen GTI 2.0t, 59,279 miles. Incident: went to start car after eating in a restaurant, ignition coil exploded. Melted the wiring harness, valve cover and damaged other electrical components. This could have resulted in a serious car fire and endangered people's lives. There is currently a…
Other or unspecified
3 complaints · 7%Body and structure
3 complaints · 7%Parts named most often: body.
I own a 2006 vw GTI (new body style). The passenger door was damaged last week when I opened the door. From what I've gathered it looks like its a design flaw or manufacturer's defect. What has happened is water froze in the lower lead edge of the door area and caused damage to my door when it was opened. Here are the…
The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated that the roof headliner was falling down. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the adhesive on the headliner was failing. As a result, the headliner needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2006 Volkswagen GTI recalls
Lights: headlights
Risk: Noncompliance can inhibit proper headlamp aim adjustment for roadway illumination, improperly aimed headlamps could cause reduced road visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect for the presence of a cap in the socket of the low beam horizontal aiming screw and install one if missing, and inspect for the presence of a cap in the socket of the vertical aiming screw and if present, the cap will be removed. The recall will begin on october 31, 2007. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.
Full defect summary
Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." some vehicles may not have had a required cap installed which disables the headlight horizontal aim and some vehicles may contain a cap that disables the vertical aiming screw.
Lights: switch
Risk: The brake lights could become inoperative, or remain on. Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.
Fix: Dealers will install the newly designed brake light switch free of charge. The recall began on april 27, 2007, and will be conducted in several staggered mailings through september 21, 2007. Vehicles within the make, model, and model year of this population may be involved in either this recall or 06v-183, but not both. The remedy is the same for each recall. Volkswagen dealers will apply the remedy based on the VIN number of the vehicle. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.
Full defect summary
On certain passenger, wagon, and convertible vehicles equipped with or without cruise control, a brake light switch may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2006 Volkswagen GTI
- What are the most common problems with the 2006 Volkswagen GTI?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (11 complaints, typically around 42,000 miles); fuel system (10 complaints, typically around 67,000 miles); engine (10 complaints, typically around 81,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2006 Volkswagen GTI have?
- 2 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 24, 2007 (lights). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2006 a bad year for the Volkswagen GTI?
- It is 14th of 25 GTI model years by number of complaints, with 43 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.