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Volkswagen · NHTSA safety record

2022 Volkswagen GTI

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 28 safety complaints about the 2022 Volkswagen GTI with the US government. Of those, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. 6 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is forward collision avoidance, named in 15 complaints, 54% of the total.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers July 2022 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

28 complaints on file

28

Complaints

0

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

1

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 15 · 54%
LANE DEPARTURE 8 · 29%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 · 21%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 · 18%
STEERING 4 · 14%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 · 7%
ENGINE 2 · 7%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 2 · 7%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 7%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 · 4%
WHEELS 1 · 4%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 28.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 11.

12 9 6 3
22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2022 Volkswagen GTI. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

6 on file

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

25V103000 · February 19, 2025

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Golf GTI vehicles. A software error may delay or deactivate the rearview camera image, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the camera control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91SB.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 8,237 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

24V480000 · June 27, 2024

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Golf R, Golf GTI, 2024 Atlas, and 2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The rearview camera image may be delayed or deactivated after shifting into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
A rearview camera with a delayed or deactivated image reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2024, and July 16, 2024. Owners may contact VW customer service at 1-800-893-5298. VW's number for this recall is 91US.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 84,432 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

22V823000 · November 2, 2022

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf R A8, Audi S3, RS3 Sedan, Q4 E-Tron SUV, A3 Sedan, and 2022-2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI, and ID4 vehicles. The rearview camera image may be blank or unresponsive when the vehicle is placed in reverse gear or when the park function is manually activated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed to Audi owners February 14, 2023. Volkswagen owners will receive an owner notification letter once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Volkswagen) 91EK and (Audi) 91EL.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 2,607 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY

22V707000 · September 21, 2022

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The radiator may not have been attached correctly to the intercooler, which can result in a damaged coolant hose.
The risk
A damaged coolant hose can leak, causing the engine to overheat, and increasing the risk of fire. In addition, large amounts of coolant spilling onto the roadway can increase the risk of a crash to other vehicles.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the radiator and replace any damaged parts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 19Q8.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 8,038 vehicles across all model years covered

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

22V542000 · July 27, 2022

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf R A8 and Golf GTI vehicles. The touch switch for the sunroof may be too sensitive, allowing it to be inadvertently pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
The risk
A sunroof switch that is inadvertently pressed can result in unintended auto-closure of the sunroof, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the roof module switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 23, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 60F6.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 2,238 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE

22V163000 · March 16, 2022

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Golf GTI and Golf R vehicles. Certain driving situations, such as high acceleration driving maneuvers, may loosen the engine design cover.
The risk
A loose engine design cover may contact hot surfaces in the engine compartment and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will remove the engine design cover, free of charge. Once parts become available, Volkswagen will provide a free updated engine design cover under a separate Service Action. Owner notification letters were mailed by March 29, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 10H5.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 4,269 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

1 injured

Sunroof exploding in the highway at 70mph. No traffic nearby, no rock hit it. It just exploded super loud

NHTSA complaint 11619566. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
While driving, the vehicle developed uneven acceleration and an audible metallic rattling/buzzing sound. Shortly after, the engine locked up, stalled, and jerked the car to a stop while in traffic. A Volkswagen dealership has confirmed the engine failed and locked up, at 26,127 miles, but could not yet identify the specific internal components which failed. They indicated the engine cannot be turned over and the oil is full of metallic flakes. This created substantial danger to myself and others as the vehicle suddenly died in traffic, not only losing power, but suddenly jerking to a stop. Fortunately I was slowing down and not in an intersection, or on a highway or crossing train tracks.

NHTSA complaint 11761265, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
On July 16, 2026, a remote Over-the-Air (OTA) software update was initiated by Volkswagen. Prior to this update, the infotainment system functioned correctly (backup camera and other safety features are displayed on this screen. Immediately following the installation, the system module failed, rendering it unusable and multiple safety features negated by this failure. Although the vehicle is outside the standard factory warranty period, this failure is a direct result of a manufacturer-instigated remote software transmission rather than standard wear and tear. Furthermore, because this failure has disabled the backup camera, the vehicle is no longer compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle

NHTSA complaint 11751273, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Travel assist, the VW system that controls Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Departure Warning, is repeatedly and randomly failing on the 2022 VW GTI. This is a well-known defect readily documented on the internet, due to a faulty capacitive sensor mat inside the steering wheel. This intermittent failure is clearly safety related and should be subject to a recall and repair at the manufacturer's expense. Itis not.

NHTSA complaint 11748626. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
Sos travel assist, Warning lights come on with such frequency the are very distracting. they even come on and the emergency braking system starts up This is a know problem that VW refuses to address. They have replace the entire system on future models. leaving current owners left hanging with this safety issue with random sensors going off whenever they dam please I'm on my 3rd steering wheel, yea the thing that controls the whole vehicle. This is a known problem and VW chooses not to help their consumers with this safety issue. When this happens you loose control of our vehicle and have to re=orient yourself after you realize the problem is a VW safety issue Fortunately there has not been

NHTSA complaint 11744831, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The warning "Travel Assist" chimes and lights up on dashboard repeatedly. It is a defective warning, signifying nothing. The dealer said the repair requires a new steering wheel, an extremely expensive yet uncertain remedy.

NHTSA complaint 11743849. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Recurring intermittent failure of the backup camera on this vehicle. The camera intermittently turns off while vehicle is in Reverse. - This has occurred numerous times while the vehicle was moving and in the presence of pedestrians and other vehicles creating a hazardous driving situation due to the sudden loss of visibility. - The dealer claimed to remedy the problem by using a software update, but the issue remains. - The component has not received inspection from any other entity or organization except for the dealer. - The car will often flash warning lights on the instrument cluster associated with all the advanced driver assistance systems. This will sometimes occur during a camera

NHTSA complaint 11725088, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Volkswagen GTI

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2024 28 2 —
2020 8 3 —
2019 179 4 —
2018 17 3 2
2017 52 2 —
2016 66 4 —
2015 97 6 —
2014 10 1 —
2013 34 2 1
2012 40 2 —
2011 55 2 —
2010 53 1 —

Other 2022 Volkswagen models

Every Volkswagen on this site — 155 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst