2009 Volkswagen Gti

WHEN BRAKING IN SLIPPERY CONDITIONS, THE ABS LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS COME ON AND THE ABS CEASES TO FUNCTION, ALLOWING THE BRAKES TO LOCK UP AND THE CAR TO SLIDE. THE LIGHTS RESET WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND ON BUT THE FAILURE HAPPENS EVERY TIME ABS SHOULD BE ENGAGED. EFFECTIVELY, THE ABS DOES NOT WORK. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, MULTIPLE DASHBOARD LIGHTS INDICATING LOSS OF TRACTION CONTROL, ANTI-LOCK BRAKES, AND POWER STEERING WERE ILLUMINATED. THIS THEN CAUSED ISSUES BECAUSE THOSE SYSTEMS ARE NOT WORKING WHILE THE SPEEDOMETER (WOULD STAY AT 0MPH WHEN DRIVING) AND THE FUEL GAUGE (MOVED AROUND RANDOMLY FROM 1/4 TO 3/4 FULL). LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE I FOUND THAT SEVERAL OWNERS OF THE SAME MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR HAVE HAD THE EXACT PROBLEM AS ME. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING EAST IN THE RIGHT LANE ON INTERSTATE 44 AT APPROXIMATELY 0645 IN THE AM. IT WAS NORMAL HEAVY MORNING WORK TRAFFIC GOING INTO OKLAHOMA CITY, TRAVELING THE POSTED SPEED OF 70 MPH. I WAS FOLLOWING A FULL SIZE PICKUP TRUCK AND MODERATE TRAFFIC WAS PASSING ME ON MY LEFT. WITHOUT NOTICE, TRAFFIC SUDDENLY SLOWED TO APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, CAUSING ME TO HIT MY BRAKES HARD. THE ABS SYSTEM ENGAGED AND MY CAR WAS THROWN SIDEWAYS OFF THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. I PULLED THE CAR BACK LEFT, CAUSING VEHICLES IN THE LEFT LANE TO SWERVE TO MISS HITTING ME. THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON MY CAR, INDICATING A FAILURE HOWEVER, A DUMMY COULD FIGURE OUT THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND, HAD MY CAR BEEN THROWN LEFT WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES I WOULD HAVE BEEN SMEARED BY ON COMING TRAFFIC, LIKELY A FATALITY. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY CAR TO VOLKSWAGEN AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED A PUMP/ABS MODULE; A 2500 REPAIR. UNDERSTAND WHEN I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON, THE ABS/BRAKE FAULT LIGHTS CLEAR. I HAD NO INDICATION MY ABS SYSTEM WAS MALFUNCTIONING UNTIL I NEEDED BRAKES. AND BAM!. AFTER READING FORUMS, ITS APPARENT THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH 2009 GTIS AND IT SHOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY CONCERN OF VOLKSWAGEN. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED. I'VE ASKED FOR MY OLD PARTS SO I WILL HAVE THEM WHEN THERE ARE COURT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST VOLKSWAGEN FOR THE INJURY OR DEATH OF SOMEONE AS A RESULT OF A FAILED ABS SYSTEM. THIS REALLY DOES NEED INVESTIGATING. THANK YOU *TR

I WAS DRIVING AROUND A TURN AT ROUGHLY 60MPH ON A HIGHWAY OFF-RAMP DURING DRY CONDITIONS WHEN THE DASHBOARD CHIMED AND SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. BOTH THE ESP AND ABS LIGHTS LIT AND REMAINED LIT CONTINUOUSLY, AND THE BRAKE LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK CONTINUOUSLY. THE CAR STILL DROVE NORMALLY, SO I CONTINUED TO DRIVE ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES TO MY HOME. UPON TURNING OFF THE IGNITION COMPLETELY AND RESTARTING THE CAR, ALL THREE INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE CLEARED. THIS SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OVER THE FOLLOWING MONTHS, DURING SNOWY/ICY CONDITIONS. ON ANY SLIPPERY ROAD SURFACE DURING HEAVY BRAKING, THE THREE INDICATOR LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE AND THE DASH WOULD CHIME. THIS FAULT WAS ALWAYS CLEARED BY SIMPLY RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE ABS SYSTEM NEVER FUNCTIONED PROPERLY; THE BRAKES WOULD SIMPLY LOCK UP WHEN THIS FAULT OCCURRED. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO HAVE A PROPER DIAGNOSES COMPLETED, AT WHICH POINT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ABS MODULE WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR COST WAS ESTIMATED AT $1700.00. I CONTACTED VW'S CORPORATE NORTH AMERICAN OFFICE SEVERAL TIMES THROUGH PHONE CALL AND MAIL, AND I WAS DENIED COVERAGE OR PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, AS THE VEHICLE WAS BEYOND THE BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY. I DECIDED NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE PROBLEM UNTIL THIS WINTER, BUT LAST WEEK I HAD THE FAULT OCCUR AGAIN WHEN DRIVING AT ABOUT 55MPH ON A WET ROADWAY AND HITTING MY BRAKES HARD TO AVOID A DEER THAT RAN ACROSS THE ROAD. I WAS FORTUNATE TO MISS THE DEER, BUT THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE REAR-END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLIDE AROUND BEFORE I LET OFF THE BRAKES. I HAD ANOTHER DEALER DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE AGAIN, AND THIS TIME THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE ABS PUMP AND MODULE WERE BOTH FAULTY. I JUST HAD THE REPAIR PERFORMED AT A COST OF ABOUT $2,450.00. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL. *TR

INSTRUMENT PANEL DISPLAYS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, STEERING LIGHT, ABS LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT. ABS NO LONGER WORKS IN A HARD BRAKE SITUATION, WHEELS LOCK AND CAR WILL SKID. ENGINE ALSO REFUSES TO REV PAST AROUND 3900 RPM UNLESS MANUALLY UPSHIFT TO A HIGHER GEAR. STEERING ASSIST NO LONGER WORKS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE CANYON AND WENT INTO A TURN AT 40MPH. I HEARD A BEEP AND MY ABS, BRAKE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ALL WENT ON AT ONCE. THE LIGHTS STAYED ON BUT THE PARKING BRAKE LIGHT FLASHED. THE CAR FELT WEIRD WHILE DRIVING AND I WAS AFRAID TO KEEP DRIVING SO I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. AFTER CHECKING THE CODES THROUGH MY VAGCOM CABLE I HAD A 01130 - ABS OPERATION CODE. THE LIGHTS WENT AWAY AFTER I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON BUT THIS SAME ISSUE KEPT HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE CANYON UNTIL I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION. I STOPPED PULLING OVER AND JUST DROVE WITH THE LIGHTS CAREFULLY ALL THE WAY HOME. THE ABS SEEMS TO BE TURNED OFF AS THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURS. THIS IS DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY ON WET ROADS AND ON CANYONS. I TRIED CONTACTING VW OF AMERICA AND THEY SAID THEY DO NOT COVER THIS PROBLEM. THEY WANTED $2000+ FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. I THINK THIS IS NOT FAIR AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. THIS ISSUE IS KNOWN FOR ALL 2009 VW GTI'S. MANY 2009 GTI'S HAVE FAULTY ABS UNITS. I HOPE THIS WILL BE LOOKED INTO AND HOPEFULLY VWOA WILL START A RECALL CAMPAIGN. THANK YOU FOR READING. *TR

ON 8/8/2014, I TURNED ON MY CAR TO GO WORK. ONCE I TURNED ON THE IGNITION/ENGINE, ALL WARNING LIGHTS (POWER STEERING, ENGINE, ELECTRONICS, ABS, ESP AND BRAKING) CAME ON OR FLASHING. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS (3 TIMES) TO RESTART THE CAR, THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND OFF PERIODICALLY. WITH A LAST RESTARTING ATTEMPT THAT MORNING, ALL WARNINGS LIGHTS WENT AWAY AND I DROVE OFF TO WORK. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WAY, ALL WARNING LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AGAIN. THIS TIME, POWER STEERING, ABS, SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGE, ETC. ALL MALFUNCTIONED PERIODICALLY DURING MY DRIVE. DURING THE DRIVE, I HAD NO IDEA HOW FAST I WAS DRIVING OR HOW MUCH GAS I REALLY HAD AND WITH NO POWER STEERING AND ABS ETC. I DID ARRIVE AT WORK SAFELY BUT NOT WITHOUT SOME SERIOUS AND PERHAPS DANGEROUS MANEUVERS WITH A NONWORKING POWER STEERING, ABS, AND OTHER ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS. I TOOK THE CAR TO A VW DEALERSHIP IN BRAINTREE MA THE NEXT MORNING. AFTER A WEEKEND OF DIAGNOSIS AND A RANDOM REPAIR TO THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS THE ABS CONTROL MODULE FAULT AND IT NEEDED A REPLACEMENT. SINCE THAT VW DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO GIVE ME A PRECISE DIAGNOSIS WITHOUT REPAIRING RANDOM PARTS OF MY CAR AND HAD ME PAID FOR IT, I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER VW DEALERSHIP IN DANVERS MA. AFTER HOURS OF DIAGNOSIS, I GOT THE SAME RESULT THAT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE IS AT FAULT. I HAD THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ABS CONTROL MODULE AND PAID THOUSANDS FOR THE REPAIR. NOW THE CAR IS RUNNING FINE. BUT KNOWING THAT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE FAULT IS VERY COMMON AMONG MY MODEL OF THE CAR AT ALL MILEAGE FROM RESEARCH AND TALKING WITH LOCAL MECHANICS, I WANT TO MAKE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THE DANGERS BEHIND A RANDOM FAILURE IN THE ABS CONTROL MODULE THAT CAN CAUSE FAILURE OF BOTH ELECTRONIC AND MECHANIC COMPONENTS IN THE CAR WHICH CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, OR EVEN DEATHS WITHOUT SLIGHTEST WARNING ON THE ROAD. *TR

ABOUT A MONTH AFTER BUYING THE CAR DURING ONE OF THE LARGER SNOW STORMS THIS YEAR IN VA. I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK AND WAS STOPPING AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN I GET "CHRISTMAS LIGHTS," ON MY DASH, BEEPING THREE TIMES AND FLASHING ECS, AS WELL AS ABS. I DROVE TO WORK WITHOUT HUGE INCIDENT KNOWING MY ABS AND ECS WERE TURNED OFF AT THIS POINT, AND PARKED TO SEE IF TURNING THE CAR ON AND OFF WOULD RESET THE LIGHTS. I DIDN'T WORRY UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING WHEN ON MY HOME AFTER A 12 HOUR NIGHT SHIFT WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THIS TIME I WAS MOVING AND TRYING TO SLOW DOWN ON ICE AFTER THE NIGHT OF SNOW, AS SOON AS I HIT THE BRAKE THE DASHBOARD LIT UP AGAIN, CAUSING ME TO SLIDE INTO A CURB, ALMOST HITTING ANOTHER CAR. I THEN DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND IT TO BE A FAULTY OR BAD ABS CONTROL MODULE, I THEN TOOK MY CAR INTO VW A FEW WEEKS LATER TO GET SERVICED FOR THE ISSUE, AND THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE SHIPPED THE CAR TO SPAIN WHILE I AM HERE FOR A COUPLE YEARS AND HAVE REPRODUCED THE PROBLEM WITHOUT ICE, SNOW, OR EVEN WATER, TWICE IN A WEEK PERIOD. NOW SINCE MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER A CERTIFIED PRE OWNED WARRANTY WHILE IN SPAIN I WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO GET IT FIXED, SOMETHING THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE! HERE IS A LINK TO OTHERS WHO'VE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM: HTTP://WWW.GOLFMKV.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=151505 AS YOU CAN SEE, IT IS S PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN FIXED WITH A NEW PART. MAKING THIS A PRETTY GOOD REASON TO BE RECALLED. *TR