IllustrationWHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE WHEEL CAUSING A RIP AND TEAR UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE'S GAS TANK. *AK
1997 Volkswagen Gti
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Gti years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 10 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
4 reportsICE FORMED IN THE GAS FILLER CAP 3 TIMES AND CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. EACH TIME IT COSTS 70 DOLLARS TO HAVE THE DEALER TURN IT OFF.
VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, THIS DRIVETRAIN HAS HAD KNOWN FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEMS
VEHICLE'S AIR INTAKE BOX HAS FILLED WITH WATER 3 TIMES WITHIN 1 YEAR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL OR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.