2015 Volkswagen GTI Fuel System Problems

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  00%
• 25k–50k
  114%
• 50k–75k
  229%
• 75k–100k
  114%
• 100k–150k
  343%
• 150k+
  00%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Volkswagen GTI owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, her husband exited the vehicle and noticed an abnormal odor. The contact's husband walked around to inspect the vehicle. The contact's husband noticed gasoline leaking from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that her husband noticed a trail of gasoline leading up to the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a fuel leak from an internal failure. The contact was informed that the charcoal canister and purge valve needed to be replaced, and the vapor side of the fueling system needed to be flushed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V110000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was previously taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and the intake manifold, fuel injector, spark plugs, carbon block, and camshaft adjuster magnet were replaced. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,630. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle, he received a warning notification informing him that the vehicle was leaking fluids. After a visual inspection, the contact observed gasoline leaking from underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel tank suction pump. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V110000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 90,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed; there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the vehicle, and the contact became aware of a fuel leak. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V110000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen GTI. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V110000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, she observed a strong fuel odor and gas leaking from under the passenger's side rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 53,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen GTI. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, she smelled a strong gasoline odor inside of the vehicle intermittently. The contact stated while attempting to refuel at the gas station, the gas pump lever shut off at only a 1/2 gallon of fuel. The contact drove to a second gas station and attempted to top off the tank however, the failure reoccurred. The contact was able to drive to her residence, where the vehicle remained parked for four days. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the suction pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V647000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine and Engine Cooling) which she associated with the failure. The dealer was not notified of the failure. …

Vehicle started to show intermittent coolant gauge fluctuation with simultaneous loss of cruise control function. The coolant gauge would show cold, then hot. After visiting a dealer, a coolant leak was identified from a crack in the Thermostat/Water Pump housing along with corrosion in the coolant bottle. In addition, the trunk latch failed, likely from a faulty windshield washer fluid valve leaking onto the electrical equipment. All parts were replaced. Within another 3 months the fuel pump failed and needed to be replaced. All parts were repaired at a Volkswagen Dealer. The overheating of the engine and failure of the fuel pump could have caused engine failure and the car to lose immediate power, causing a fire or crash. The faulty rear door latch could have caused the door to open while driving. All of these issues occurred without warning. …

Recall service was performed on the fuel system. The vehicle was operating normally before the recall. Shortly after the recall service, the fuel gauge failed and became stuck at mid-level. Dealer refuses to cover the repair and claims it is unrelated, but the timing and failure of another fuel system component suggests otherwise. This presents a safety issue because the driver cannot determine fuel level or range and may impact other recalled vehicles and should be included in the repair of the fuel system. The recall that was performed on the vehicle was "Safety Recall 20UF - Suction Jet Pump". I believe the timing of the failure suggests that the recall work impacted the vehicle fuel system and I don't believe it's fair for customers following safety recalls to be punished and required to pay for further damages caused from a recall on the vehicle.

I purchased a vehicle from a dealer and there was an open recall for said vehicle. I was looking on the NHTSA.gov website and discovered a document mentioning that it is illegal for a dealership to sell a vehicle with an open & not fixed recall, prior to selling said vehicle. I am not entirely sure what this means for me and my vehicle but, I wanted to submit a claim just in case. Please contact me back if you require more information. I have scheduled a service at a certified Volkswagen dealership in my area to repair the suction jet pump recall for next Thursday (March 6) but, am afraid to drive the car until then as I started experiencing issues 2 days after the purchase of my GTI. Thank you.

Fuel leak in the passenger rear wheel well. Called local Volkswagen dealership and was told the suction pump was replaced in 2016 as the originals were known for having defects causing the same issues I am currently having. Replacement part seems to be defective as fuel is leaking onto the ground and in the wheel well which is a hazard for the environment and potential danger as a fire hazard. The problem has been recent for me (within the past 2 days) reading online it has apparently been a persistent issue since 2015 with the same make and model of vehicles for the 2015 and 2016 models.

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Fuel System complaints in other GTI years