The 2010 Volkswagen GTI has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 16,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 68 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
POWER TRAIN09V3330002009-08-2016,000 affected
Defect
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND AUGUST 2009. THE WIRING HARNESS OF A TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN THE DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX (DSG) MAY HAVE CONNECTOR WIRES THAT WERE INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED. WITH INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED CONNECTOR WIRES, A…
Consequence
THE ABRUPT SHIFT TO NEUTRAL COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy
VOLKSWAGEN WILL REPROGRAM THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE WITH UPDATED SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 20, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
Complaints by component
ENGINE
17
POWER TRAIN
9
1crashes1injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
7
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
5
1crashes
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
4
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
4
AIR BAGS
2
1crashes1injuries
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2
SEAT BELTS
2
1crashes
Total complaints68
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Under emergency braking at around 70mph all 4 wheels locked up and abs/traction lights illuminated on dash. Caused a minor accident and flat spot on all 4 tires. Abs did not work. This is a know recall for 2009 models of the same vehicle. I replicated the issue a second time at a slower speed on a…”
“The seatbelt is failing as it does not retract back into its holder and I am uncertain as to how safe and effective it is. Note that I have not done anything to cause this damage to it, it is through use and time. Volkswagen group should approve fixes to it without additional cost to the customer.”
“About a month ago, while driving , the abs light, brake light and esp light came on. After about 2 weeks of troubleshooting, a local mechanic troubleshot the issues to a faulty abs module. After many phone calls with my local vw dealership I was able to set an appointment for a diagnostic. They…”
“Steering lock mechanism has broke twice. Key cannot be removed from steering lock causing it to run and not able to turn off. Once car eventually can be turned off or dies you can no longer remove the key or start the car.”
“The contact owns a 2010 volkswagen gti. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle started jerking and failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2010 volkswagen gti. The contact stated that while her son was driving 25 mph, the gear shift warning indicator was flashing. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed about nhtsa campaign number:…”
“My vehicle will automatically go from being in drive to acting like its in neutral. And will not move or go anywhere. And this all happenened when I was in dr9ve drving down the road.”
“The vehicle I purchased was under used dealer warranty engine and transmission I went ahead and did almost $4000 in repairs to this car to make it drive somewhat normal from the original jerky start from after purchase (no it did not drive like this when I test drove) I attempted to get a new…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA18003 Opened 2018-04-18 · open
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
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…
InvestigationEA18003 Opened 2018-04-18 · open
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
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…
InvestigationEA18003 Opened 2018-04-18 · open
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
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…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2010 Volkswagen GTI as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.