This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
2009 Volkswagen Gti ABS control module failure. This appears to be a common problem. Driving down the highway and complete system failure occurred. Numerous dash board annunciator lights and loss of speedometer.
Purchased this car brand new from the dealership. Because I lived in the D.C. area, I didn't drive it much, so the car today has about 34K miles. A week ago, I was driving on the highway about 65 mph when the brake light and ABS came on, along with the three warning dings. Took it to the VW dealership on austin, who diagnosed as ABS brake module failure. I found a VW repair shop who would change out the module for $400 less, and I drove it home. Strangely, the lights are off. Based on everything we've found online, this is a serious safety issue for this car. First, the lights should not be shutting off as if the problem has disappeared. Second, a car with this few miles should not have the ABS system failing. VW needs to issue an immediate recall to replace all of these 2009 Gti ABS modules before someone is killed.
I bought this Gti used from a fabulous VW dealer with 55,000 miles on it. I've owned the vehicle roughly six or seven months and under hard braking, sharp turns/maneuvers or quick acceleration I would randomly get the ABS, traction control and flashing E-brake light illuminated in my gauge cluster. These warning lights would stay on until the ignition was switched off and when the car was restarted would go away. While driving home from work yesterday, now with 62,000 miles, I applied the brakes while going 45-50 miles an hour. The car that was a good 6 car lengths in front of me had slammed on their brakes so I had ample room to come to a stop. After applying the brakes all of my wheels locked up and my car began to spin out of control off the road. After spinning twice my car came to rest on the shoulder facing the opposite direction. The car came to rest not more than a foot from a 30 or 40 foot steep unguarded grade. Had the car gone any further I might have been severely injured, or worse, killed. The same lights were illuminated on the gauge cluster. After gathering my nerve and driving home I parked the car in my drive way. Turned it off and turned it back on. Again, all the warning lights were gone. I did some online research and found numerous accounts of this issue indicative of the 2009 model year VW's but no recall has been issued. VW customer service stated that they would not cover any costs which I reject as I feel that I should not have to pay the hefty fee of replacing and recoding the ABS module as it shouldn't have failed to begin with.
ABS control module fault. Several times my brake light warning has come on, suddenly, and have lost ABS function and lost braking power while driving. Very scary on highway. VW shop found 7 different fault codes and could not gain response or contact with the control module. It is essentially dead now whenever I turn on car. I have read dozens of complaints online about similar problems with other 2009 vws. Since this has happened after my extended 60,000 mile warranty (68,000miles now) VW will not cover issue despite it being endemic. Please investigate, this is dangerous and needs to be covered by the company and recalled to keep people safe.
ABS, traction control and brake light come on all together. The ABS module is failing. This appears to be a rampant problem with many 2009 Gti's. the bad module also makes power steering go out, as well as the fuel gauge and speedometer not work.
- Alhambra, CA, USA
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While accelerating onto highway, multiple warning lights came on in the instrument cluster. "esp" light on solid, "ABS" light on solid and "handbrake" light flashing. I pulled off the highway turned the car off then back on and lights disappeared. After research online I found hundreds of other owners with similar issues. The problems stems from a faulty ABS control module where repairs costs thousands of dollars. When this part fails the vehicle has no ability to use ABS system or traction control system. This is a major safety system with in the car. The number of owners experiencing this problem leads me to believe this is a wide spread issue with the part used within the system.
When braking hard today (it was raining and I got cut off by a distracted driver) my car went into a (barely) controlled skid. ABS, esp. Steering wheel lights all flashing with three beeps. The lights went away when I turned the car off/on. My wife is 7 months pregnant, and was with me in the car. I'm not impressed with what I'm reading online regarding the sheer volume of others experiencing complete ABS failure. Someone is going to get killed if VW doesn't recall the malfunctioning control module. I've booked my car in for service next week. I truly hope VW steps up and finally accepts responsibility for this life-saving repair. Ps I'm in british columbia, Canada (victoria).
2009 Volkswagen Gti - ABS control module or pump failure. Under normal driving conditions, several dash lights came on including "brake" and "ABS", as well as being accompanied by beeping. The ABS system in the vehicle was no longer active as soon as this happened. Once the car was turned off and back on, the lights were gone and ABS was active. Now, in any inclement weather, this happens and immediately disables the ABS, which is a huge safety hazard. Volkswagen does not currently acknowledge this issue.
ABS and traction control warning lights on the dash had intermittently appeared on several occasion over the past three months while driving at various speeds and conditions. The warning lights would stay on until I turned the car off. Once restarted the lights would be off. On 12-Aug-15 the same warning lights came on when I started the car. They remained on after turning the car off and restarting. Three warning beeps were then heard at several minute intervals until I reach my destination. Other warning lights came on briefly then went out. I was informed by a mechanic that the ABS control module had failed. Based on an internet search I understand this is a common issue with the 2009 VW Gti.
As I am driving or accelerating, not braking or otherwise slowing down, I get a warning beep and then the ABS light comes on and the 'brake' light on the dashboard starts flashing. This has happened twice in the past 3 months. The lights go off when the car is shut down and restarted. When I reported the second incident to the dealer, they reported that the ABS module is failing and that lack of repair could cause the brakes to lock or otherwise fail in the case of a sharp or severe stop. After doing research online, I have found that this issue is endemic among 2009 vws, particularly Gtis and there are known instances of crashes as a result of brake failure. VW has not issued a recall for this part (made by Bosch) and they have in some cases replaced the part at no cost to the owner, but there is a lack of communication/admission from the manufacturer that the issue even exists! I have a filed a complaint online with VW directly and hope that there is some movement in this case--that it will be covered and that there will be some public mention of this problem.
Driving on highway 34 from greeley co towards loveland co at speed limit of 65. I applied the breaks to adjust my speed for traffic, as I applied the breaks the ABS control module failed causing wheels to lock up causing the loss of control of the car. After a moment I was in a ditch with bent wheels and body damage to my Gti from the speed limit and mile markers signed I stuck. Most likely these two post were probably what kept the car from rolling and killing me. Police and insurance have been informed of the crash.
ABS warning light started coming on. Then a warning light that the right, rear turn signal had failed. One week later the entire dashboard is covered in warning lights, including a "faulty engine workshop" warning light. It appears that ABS control module has failed, leaving me with no ABS braking on a well maintained, 50K mile car. This seems to be rampant problem with the tsi mkv Gti at this mileage. VW of America offered me no assistance. VW should recall this part before they see any accidents lead to serious injuries.
The ABS module failure has been reported many times online. The module will fail causing ABS, traction control, power steering, and engine lights to all come on. Much of the dashboard is lit now. The car reads "engine fault workshop" and the speedometer will drop to 0 mph. The fuel gauge will change from empty to 3/4 to 1/2 while driving. Audible beeps are heard from dash.
I purchased my 2009 Gti Feb 2015 and the carfax was great; however, the ABS control module randomly failed about two months later causing lose of steering and control, this occurred while driving in traffic and it was very scary. Loud warning beeps went off and warning lights started flashing. The warning lights continued flashing until I turned it off. When I restarted the engine, the warning lights were no longer lit and drove it home. I tested my car again minutes after arriving home. It seemed fine, but then it happened again after just a minute of driving it. I took it to the VW dealer service center. They diagnosed the issue to be the ABS module. It needs to be replaced and the cost is $2,260. I called VW and they do not cover the repair costs. This needs to be addressed immediately considering the numerous complaints and the danger this malfunction imposes.
Driving at speed, the ABS control module randomly fails, causing ABS brakes to skid under hard braking. Lose of steering and control is the result. In addition the partial steering is affected. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen, I can not understand why Volkswagen of american does not replace faulty units as this can cause fatalities and injuries. Many people are replacing these units through non-certified technicians, or diy. This should be installed by a VW certified tech. NHTSA should mandate a recall or someone could get seriously injured or die. There are so many cases of this floating around the internet forums and other social media. Does someone have to die for people to finally listen"???"
I was driving under normal conditions on dry city street at approximately 25 mph, when suddenly a loud warning tone went off and 3 warning lights (ABS, traction control, and brake) started flashing. This was in heavy two-way traffic and it was terrifying to think these systems had failed. Fortunately I was able to pull over and stop safely. The warning lights continued flashing until I turned off the engine. When I restarted the engine, the warning lights were no longer lit, so I thought it might have been some type of fluke. But to be safe I brought it to my VW dealer service center. Initially they diagnosed the issue as the dsg mechatronic unit, which they replaced. However shortly after getting the car back, the same symptoms occurred again under normal driving. This time when I brought it to VW they indicated that the ABS module and pump need to be replaced, at the cost of $3,600. VW refuses to cover the cost of repair. Due to the high cost initially I postponed the repair, but since then the same sequence of events has occurred approximately 6 more times and I have read about near-death experiences related to the same issue, so I am getting the work done. I am the original owner of the car. When this problem started it had only 29,000 miles and has always been serviced by the dealer and driven responsibly. Every time this has occurred during mild driving conditions and I was not applying the brakes. It just fails at random. Usually but not always this occurs while turning.
The VW dealer has diagnosed the problem as a failure of the ABS control module. While driving a car with a failed control module, there a no symptoms, but if you hit the brakes hard enough to trigger the ABS system, the ABS system doesn't work. The tires lock, and the car slides. Thereafter, several warning lights come on, but power cycling the car turns the lights off, giving the impression that the problem has resolved. I wasn't involved in an accident, but the risk of someone being is a serious accident because of an ABS failure is high. You would only find out the part had failed after you needed it.
The vehicle severely wondered under hard braking without any alarm being triggered before the incident. Only after the incident, ABS and red brake light went on. As a result of the incident, the ABS control module and pump were replaced. The ABS system does not appear to be designed as a fail-safe system which does not seem good engineering practice.
While driving North on I-895 at 55 mph, nearly all of my warning lights appeared on the dashboard, along with "engine fault workshop" on the mass display. The VW dealership indicated that it was the ABS control module. Upon research online, this appears to be a common issue with 2009 VW Gti's. some have reported that the their brakes have completely locked up on them. I called Volkswagen of America, and they deny any issues with this.
Turning right from a stop. Car's ABS failed at approximately 5 mph and continued to stay off until the engine was turned off and restarted. The ABS light disappeared until next turn at approximately 10 mph when ABS failed again. Issue has persisted in any type of inclement weather over the past 10 months.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Fishers, IN, USA