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2011 Volkswagen GTI Recalls, Complaints & Specs

2 safety recalls list the 2011 Volkswagen GTI, and owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

2
safety recalls
55
owner complaints to NHTSA
0 / 1
complaints citing a crash / fire

2 safety recalls for the 2011 Volkswagen GTI

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Unknown or other

    NHTSA 18V329000 Reported 252 vehicles potentially affected Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not…

    Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact…

  2. Air bags: frontal

    NHTSA 15V483000 Reported 415,825 vehicles potentially affected Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag…

    Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires…

55 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2011 Volkswagen GTI have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a fire. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 57,827 miles. Complaints peaked in 2017 with 10 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“The contact owns a 2011 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated that he lost the function of the steering wheel, horn, controls, and air bag. The air bag warning indicator light was illuminated. The contac”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 10, 2022 · Electrical system

“My horn had stopped working and I brought it to the dealership to get it diagnosed. They identified it as a clockspring issue, and with the knowledge that VW has an active recall for the clockspring,”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 15, 2022 · Unknown or other

Compare Volkswagen GTI model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Volkswagen GTI model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1985 Volkswagen GTI22
1986 Volkswagen GTI32
1987 Volkswagen GTI22
1988 Volkswagen GTI10
1989 Volkswagen GTI10
1990 Volkswagen GTI20
1991 Volkswagen GTI11
1992 Volkswagen GTI10
1993 Volkswagen GTI20
1994 Volkswagen GTI20
1995 Volkswagen GTI218
1996 Volkswagen GTI19
1997 Volkswagen GTI010
1998 Volkswagen GTI010
1999 Volkswagen GTI28
2000 Volkswagen GTI345
2001 Volkswagen GTI274
2002 Volkswagen GTI2124
2003 Volkswagen GTI153
2004 Volkswagen GTI17
2005 Volkswagen GTI18
2006 Volkswagen GTI243
2007 Volkswagen GTI177
2008 Volkswagen GTI167
2009 Volkswagen GTI2167
2010 Volkswagen GTI153
2011 Volkswagen GTI255
2012 Volkswagen GTI240
2013 Volkswagen GTI234
2014 Volkswagen GTI110
2015 Volkswagen GTI697
2016 Volkswagen GTI466
2017 Volkswagen GTI252
2018 Volkswagen GTI317
2019 Volkswagen GTI4179
2020 Volkswagen GTI38
2021 Volkswagen GTI14
2022 Volkswagen GTI628
2023 Volkswagen GTI56
2024 Volkswagen GTI229
2025 Volkswagen GTI10

Checking a specific 2011 Volkswagen GTI

How do I know if my 2011 Volkswagen GTI has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 2 campaigns currently list the 2011 Volkswagen GTI; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Volkswagen dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 15V483000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Volkswagen models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.