There are 1 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2012 Volkswagen GTIin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
WHEN THE SUN BEATS DOWN ON MY PASSENGER DOOR OR ON A VERY HOT DAY, AND THE DOOR IS THEN OPENED, IT WILL NOT LATCH.IT WILL SWING OPEN WHEN DRIVING. I HAVE TO HOLD SHUT WITH A ROPE. IF THE CAR IS PARKED WITH SUN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAR THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN. APPARENTLY THE CABLE STRETCHES WHEN IT GETS HOT PREVENTING THE LATCH FROM OPERATING. IT WILL RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION WHEN PARTS COOL DOWN EITHER DURING THE RIDE OR ONCE AT HOME IN DARK GARAGE. AT THAT POINT THE LATCH WILL WORK AND DOOR WILL CLOSE. THIS HAS PREVIOUSLY HAPPENED ON MY DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. I AM NOW PAST MY MAXIMUM MILEAGE WARRANTY SO IT WILL NOT BE COVERED.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026