Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1999 Volkswagen GTI, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system2
- Visibility2
- Unknown or other1
- Engine and engine cooling1
- Air bags1
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Seat belts1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1999 Volkswagen GTI failed the safety check 3.51% of the time — 99% more often than the average 1999 passenger car (1.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 163,500 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 12.0 L/100 km (about 20 mpg US), CO₂ 276 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTI VR6 · Compact · Regular gasoline | 13.7 | 9.8 | 12.0 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 1999 Volkswagen GTI.
| 2006122 24 May 2006 | Lights And Instruments On certain Golf, GTI, Jetta, Jetta wagon, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Passat and Passat wagon, the brake lamp switch may malfunction. If this happens, … |
| 2005107 14 Apr 2005 | Fuel System On certain vehicles equipped with a gasoline engine, fuel supply line tension may cause the fuel pump supply nipple to crack, which could result in a leak. A f… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER, WAGON, AND CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OR WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GASOLINE ENGINES AND DOUBLE-LAYER FUEL TANKS, TENSION ON THE FUEL SUPPLY LINE MAY CAUSE THE FUEL PUMP SUPPLY NIPPLE TO CRACK WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LEAK.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 1999 Volkswagen GTI: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 621613 | SUBJECT REGARDING LATCH SYSTEM LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS FOR CHILDREN, INSTALLING / RETROFITTING. *TT |
| 605990 | CONCERNS WITH INTERMITTENT WINDSHIELD WIPER, WIPES ACROSS WINDSHIELD ONCE THEN STOPS. *TT |
| 10243011 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242996 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242349 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10241340 | Engine Oils Which Meet Volkswagen Oil Quality Standard VW 502 00/505 00/505 01 and VW 504 00/507 00 |
| 10241266 | Squeaks, Rattles, Noise, Repair Materials |
| 10241265 | Fuel Additive to Help Prevent Sporadic Misfire Faults |
| 10241177 | Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards |
| 10240597 | 1999-2002 Jetta, Golf and GTI with VR6 Engine Update ECM Software for Catalytic Converter Monitoring System. |
| 10239831 | Battery, Testing and Charging Using Midtronics VAS6161, MCR340V, InCharge 940, or GRX3000 Charger |
| 10239789 | To detect which line(s) is inoperative, utilize a volt meter to check for 0 V, which will be present after the open in the grid line. The check must be performed with the engine running and heated rear window switched on. Switch OFF the ignition and visually locate the damage. Proceed with checking any other lines as necessary. Once the damaged line is identified, repair utilizing the Repair kit by Permatex ITEM 09117. |
| 10239592 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10239591 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10239590 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10239541 | Air Conditioning, Cleaning of the Refrigerant Circuit (U.S.Only) |
| 10239270 | Volkswagen Warranty Policies and Procedures ? April 2014 |
| 10239262 | In SAGA, the time units for the Volkswagen DoubleCheck labor operation were reduced in error from 50 time units to 30 time units during the system update posted on July 4th. |
| 10238572 | Fault code P1297 may be set and fuel mixtures may go lean if the vehicle is driven under load or revved up and then returned to idle. |
| 10237427 | Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments. |
| 10236426 | Contacting the parts helpline |
| 10235138 | Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments. |
| 10228180 | Update model year applicability to include 2023. |
| 10228178 | Battery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger. Updated to include additional model year applicability. |
| 10213836 | Airbag Issues. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
FUEL PUMP LEAKS
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation