2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 2011

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI repairs by problem area

Engine (45%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (4%)

Brakes and Traction Control (3%)

Suspension and Steering (6%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (24%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (11%)

Other (7%)

Chart based on 374 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI.

2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI engine repair cost distribution

$2500+ (4%)

$1000 - $2499 (11%)

$500 - $999 (18%)

$100 - $499 (16%)

< $100 (50%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 125 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI

Engine not specified

24000 mi Stuck direct injection fuel injector flooded engine with fuel. 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch

twincharged 160hp 1.4L I4 6-speed manual FWD

18600 mi Replaced a leaking valve on the vacuum system used for Turbocharger control. The leaking valve caused the car to ping under heavy acceleration. 
22196 mi Dismantled complete supercharger-turbocharger complex & reassembled without finding fault. ECU firmware updated & problem improved 
24180 mi Severe loss of power on change over between supercharger and turbocharger 
24580 mi On switch over from the supercharger to the turbocharger the engine would exhibit a severe loss of power. 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch

turbocharged 210hp 2.0L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD

40300 mi

$300
Failed coil pack replaced 
75640 mi

$1750
Intake manifold flapper motor failure, intake manifold replaced and valve carbon cleaning carried out. 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch

turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed manual FWD

34000 mi

US $50
Coil pack failure. This is the second coil pack to go. Dealer said once the first goes, the rest usually follow within 12-18 months. 
37100 mi

US $50
Coil packs 
45400 mi

US $4000
Cam tension tightener skipped a gear, required tearing down engine to replace a small part. Labor was $2000. 
53000 mi

US $500
Carbon build-up on intake valves 
36300 mi intake manifold needed to be replaced, valves had carbon build up so that was not covered under warr. and elected to have that cleaned. 
81000 mi Cyl. 4 misfiring. Injector replaced under warranty extended due to common problem. Also replaced ignition coil. 
49000 mi

US $250
Radiator cracked 
80000 mi

US $5000
Engine replacement. Slipped timing chain 
85000 mi Intake rail failed. This was covered as part of VW agreement with government. 
61000 mi

US $100
failed pressure diverter valve replaced and chain case gasket replaced (oil leak detected) 
67000 mi

US $130
check engine light on due to low turbo boost pressure; turbocharger needs to br replaced 
68700 mi turbo charger replaced 
55180 mi

C $100
Oil filler cap failure, dirt entering through oil filler hole. 
60760 mi

C $3000
Rear main seal failed. 
25000 mi Intake Manifold i nternal flaps broke. Common issue with VW GTI. Intake manifold was replaced free of charge. Vehicle is under warranty. 
86125 mi

US $1000
Got the intake manifold replaced on the car. Fortunately the malfunction was under an extended warranty and didnt cost anything. But if i had to pay for it out of pocket the price would be 1000-1500 dollars. Cleaned the intake manifold from carbon and oil deposits. When intake was replaced was informed that there was excess carbon deposit in the intake manifold. Cleaning would of cost 1000 dollars if my brother who is a mechanic would not of helped me do the cleaning. He is a mechanic and cleaned the intake manifold and the car is now working like new. 
17500 mi Water pump leaking coolant. Replaced water pump. 
57800 mi

US $12
Mass Airflow sensor throw check engine light needed to be cleaned 
79000 mi

US $600
Waterpump fail 
85000 mi

US $115
plastic intake manifold 
73500 mi

US $600
actually my second waterpump/thermostat replacement within the year. TBS on the part, finally got a revised part. intake manifold, flap actuator 
28200 mi Radiator developed small pinhole leak, radiator replaced under warranty 
10000 mi Installed "clip" on wastegate actuator rod to eliminate rattle that could be heard between ~ 2k and 3.5k RPM. 
37200 mi Replaced intake manifold under warranty after check engine light came on. Dealer noted "intake valves have excessive carbon on them", but would not clean them unless I agreed to pay for this this. I refused, as I see this as a VW issue. 
46000 mi Update to ECM software to fix discovered (by VW) issue with low pressure fuel pump duty cycle. Also includes extension of high pressure fuel pump warranty to 100k miles. 
52000 mi

US $1900
soda blast cleaning of intake valve carbon buildup. fixed misfire at cold startup. 
25000 mi Replaced failed (leaking) water pump. 
43700 mi Leaking water pump replaced - recall 
45000 mi High pressure fuel pump failed 
3000 mi HPFP failed. Car randomly died. 
71500 mi

US $910
Intake manifold failed causing lack of vacuum. Intake manifold was replaced. 
39000 mi

US $1150
Replaced Oil separator components to stop leak. Repair unsuccessful. Returned to shop and repaired by replacing drain bolt. Repaired drooping headliner 
40000 mi Water pump leaked and replaced under warranty 
47300 mi Symptom was low coolant. Found bad water pump. Replaced under warranty. 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch

turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD

56000 mi The timing belt tensioner was defective causing the timing chain to rattle. The clip and chain where replaced under warranty. 
28000 mi Faulty fuel pump had to be replaced 
33500 mi Leak Detector broken 
53000 mi Intake manifold replaced 
70000 mi

US $1000
Water pump replacement 
63000 mi

US $800
During 60k maintenance evidence of oil leaking was found so repair was performed 
75000 mi

US $80
Oil Change and code read. Car is indicating misfires on cylinders 3 and 4. Spark plugs were replaced at 60k service so this is likely due to known carbon build up issue with direct injection engine. This was a diagnostic only, no action taken at this time. 
77000 mi

US $2000
Carbon buildup. Required manual cleaning. Also replaced tires. 
95000 mi

US $1500
Timing chain tensioner failure 
39000 mi

US $1200
Replaced two oxygen sensors and a high pressure fuel line. 
90900 mi

C $1010
Air intake manifold died. Also had the engine decarbbed at the same time (I was over due for this one). 
96720 mi

C $800
Had misfires, replaced spark plugs. 
97960 mi

C $1500
Fuel injector died. So I asked to replace all of them while they were opening the engine up. For some reason my injectors had double seals on them. This may have caused the early failure. 
75600 mi

US $275
Water pump leak found, replaced water pump. Misfires on cylinders 2 & 3, injectors replaced 
104300 mi

US $640
Injector on cylinder 2 failed. Replaced all 4 as a precaution since these injectors are not known to be reliable. 
46000 mi Camshaft failure coolant pump leak 
32000 mi Water Pump 
44700 mi Water pump failed for the second time. 
65000 mi

US $75
New ignition coils installed myself after getting stage 1 tune from certified APR dealer. Took 10 minutes, been good since. 
28000 mi Timing chain tensioner bracket broke causing timing issue & misfiring on all cylinders 
31500 mi Replaced intake manifold. Was setting off CEL. No driveability issues. VW extended warranty to 10 years/120,000 miles on this part. 
45500 mi

US $350
Check Engine light on with code P0299 (Underboost). Problem was Overrun Cutout valve (also called Diverter valve) rubber diaphragm ripped causing boost leak. Shop replaced part with new design part that does not use a rubber diaphragm. 
48000 mi Replaced turbo under warranty as a preventive maintenance item due to wast-gate issue (rattling) 
55000 mi Car had a code for bad thermostat and temp gauge was moving funny. Brought car in and they replaced integrated water pump/thermostat under warranty. 
3000 mi "Low oil pressure. Do not exceed 4000 RPM" was displayed on dashboard. Dealer could not replicate the problem but changed the oil filter. Dealer speculated that the valve in the oil filter was faulty. 
46700 mi

US $203
4 coil packs replaced. 
58000 mi

US $50
Check engine light came on, indicating a problem with the cooling system. Initial estimate for thermostat repair was $500. System was leaking at water pump, making repairs warranty-eligible. Woohoo! 
69500 mi

US $200
Intake manifold replaced under warranty and valves cleaned at the same time. 
79000 mi

US $900
I brought my car in to have the timing chain tensioner replaced, as failure can result in bent valves and a destroyed head. The tensioner was replaced, but the car was returned with a chain rattle and oil leak. Returned to have that rectified, car returned but timing chain was thrown within 10 miles, resulting in bent valves and a destroyed head. Dealer admitted fault and replaced head and camshaft. It took them another three weeks to resolve the resulting oil leak. Car was returned, leak was finally fixed and all is well-fingers crossed! 
119000 mi

US $500
Diagnosis of cold misfire. Shop reported no issue. 
58280 mi

C $485
Engine began misfiring. Check engine and EPC indicator lights came on. Fuel injectors replaced in cylinders 1,2, and 3 and ignition coil in cylinder 3. Intake manifold ports were also cleaned. Injectors were covered under warranty. 
90000 mi

US $850
Carbon buildup on intake valves caused a misfire code. The valves were cleaned by the dealer. A rusty exhaust system clamp was replaced. 
44000 mi Change water pump due to leaking coolant. Car randomly dies and cannot restart. 
56000 mi Coolant leaking, change water pump under warranty due to less than year since last replacement. Water pump and gaskets replaced 
59000 mi The random dying, trouble restarting was never fixed. They could not duplicate problem. 
76260 mi Intake manifold runner position sensor error. Replaced intake manifold and #3 fuel injector. 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch

turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 6-speed manual FWD

27500 mi Diagnose and replace intercooler with redesigned cold weather model. Currently condensed water pools in intake, leading to MIL and limp mode. Parts on order; should arrive in 5-6 weeks. 
16120 mi Intercooler replaced with a cold weather model incorporating a bypass to prevent ice buildup under near-freezing conditions. 
39800 mi

US $735
Car would not start when it was hot. Check Engine light and ECP error all illuminated. Problem solved by replacing ECM and exhaust flap. Covered under warranty. 
65000 mi Emissions light illuminated. Exhaust flap failed; replaced under the extended warranty. 
21080 mi Hard start and loss of power due to intercooler icing. Wanted to apply VW TSB for issue, dealer refused, "unable to reproduce" (problem arises under very specific conditions) 
27280 mi Hard starts when cold due to intercooler icing/water ingestion from melted ice. Well-documented problem with Mk VI TDIs 
33460 mi Previous Feb. repair was incorrectly done. Dealer forgot to clip rad hose in place. Fan sectioned rad hose, car lost its coolant. Car had to be towed. dealer paid for repairs. 
57040 mi

C $1900
Car would occasionally lose power at approx. 3000 rpm during vigorous acceleration. High-pressure fuel pump not performing to spec. HPFP replaced. Not covered by powertrain warranty. Complained, VW paying 2/3 of cost 
60420 mi Car occasionally and suddenly loses all power at 3000 rpm during acceleration. Car still in the shop, VW unable to diagnose issue (HPFP changed in June for same issue-repair unsuccessful). VW HQ involved; 3d attempt to solve issue. 
65100 mi Hard start in near freezing conditions, power loss. Dealer found intercooler hose choked with ice. TSB already carried out did not cure problem. Removed air intake duct to draw intake aire from engine compartment instead of outside. 
68200 mi Exhaust flap failed, check engine light on. Fixed under VW TSB and extended warranty for the part 
44000 mi Engine had hard start. Inter cooler filled with water. 
40000 mi Bad fuel injector 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch

turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 6-speed automated manual FWD

20800 mi

US $400
glow plug died, after only 24K miles. Since I was passed the 3 year warranty limit, I had to pay 100% out of pocket. 
26000 mi

US $582
Sensor needed to be replaced. Pretty expensive, for my taste. 
6820 mi Coolant reservoir sensor replacement Coolant reservoir sensor replaced 
70500 mi

US $900
Assistant fuel pump went out. 
36100 mi

US $145
Check engine light came on and exhaust gas temperature sensor #3 gave erratic signal and needed replacing. Not covered under warranty because more than three years since purchase ;may dispute. Update: dealer later refunded $460 labor charge. 
49300 mi Red'd notice form VoA re: ECM software update. Real improvement and no charge! 
57000 mi

US $316
ECU light diagnosed as throttle valve electrical connectors; ECU came on 3 weeks later and advised throttle valve needed replacing. VW picked up 50%; remainder covered by good will package. 
82000 mi

US $300
MIL tripped, codes p0181 and p0183 for fuel temp sensor, wiring damaged 
46000 mi

US $650
Bad Glow Plug 
57000 mi Dead turbocharger Dead intermediary fuel pump. Dealer initially denied that this was due to recent turbo repair. Complained to VW and they split cost 75/25 with dealer. I think a fuel line fused together due to incorrect reinstallation causing the fuel pump to fail. 
12000 mi Rear O2 Sensor needed to be replaced 
55000 mi Exhaust actuator valve stuck open 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch

turbocharged 105hp 1.2L I4 6-speed manual FWD

30380 mi

$1000
Timing belts stretched and had to be replaced 
46500 mi

$20
Engine light kept coming on and ESP kept malfunctioning. Required cleaning and reset of sensors. 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch

170-horsepower 2.5L I5 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

10000 mi One part of emission system was replaced after warning light appeared. Didn't hinder car's performance. 
11700 mi Replaced defective fuel pressure regulator valve. 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch

12800 mi Defective engine mounts had to be replaced after a recall was issued by the manufacturer. Slight noise now gone. 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4-door

4-cylinder manual 2WD

15000 mi heat shield loose 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed manual FWD

10000 mi Wastegate rattle 
24500 mi Misfire cylinder 4 
19800 mi

US $140
Engine misfire. Coil pack replaced 
66000 mi

US $1103
Check engine light. Low high side fuel pressure sensor. Timing tensioner known to fail. Replace with updated version. 
66000 mi

US $6300
Oil pick up clogged. Engine needed replaced. All regular maintenance followed to a T prior to failure. 
42000 mi

US $128
Ignition cool went out 
40000 mi

US $700
Water pump was leaking and got replaced with a new one 
20000 mi Intake manifold flaps were broken, resulting in illuminated check engine light, replaced entire intake manifold. Wastegate rattle at low revs under load (heavy throttle). Replaced wastegate actuator rod clips per TSB. 
22700 mi Main intake hose came off on road trip; dealer had not properly reinstalled hose/clamp when they replaced intake manifold at previous visit. No turbo boost, unable to continue trip. 
61000 mi Check engine light came on, scanned and pulled code P2015 - Intake manifold flaps. Dealer replaced intake manifold at no cost under VW's extended warranty (10yrs/120k miles) for this part. Second time it's been replaced. 
8200 mi Engine rattle which has no fix as of yet per Volkswagen North Scottsdale (TSB 211001). "Silenced by more than 50%" but is still present. 
7000 mi Engine vibration/rattle when accelerating between 2,000-3,000 RPM. VW released a TSB over the summer of 2011 to attach a small metal clip onto an engine component. The rattle/vibration is nearly gone, just barley audible now.  
41000 mi

US $85
Radiator failed and leaked coolant 
41200 mi

C $600
slight stumble noticed in idle. Flushed fuel system and replaced spark plugs. 
57200 mi

C $150
Had slight misfire at high idle, replaced spark plugs and coils. Improved situation but not a complete solution. Only a problem in cold weather, so song it less with the warm weather. 
80600 mi Intake manifold actuator arm failed. New manifold installed covered under warranty, known issue of the engine. Cleaned intake carbon at the same time. 
87000 mi Recall issue. Intake problem. 
18500 mi The vibration that comes from the turbo when accelerating thru 2K rpm's needed the clip installed. Done by the dealer at no charge, fixed the vibration noise. I noticed it, read about other cars having it on the web, asked dealer and they knew of the TSB. 
32000 mi The water pump was found to be bad. My temp light indicated the coolant might be low and I should check the maintanance hand book. After looking I noticed all of the coolant was gone from the resaviour so I called the dealer right away. 
53000 mi CEL came on and code P2015 was pulled. Intake Manifold Runner Flap was stuck in the open position. VWoA extended the warranty to 10yr/120k miles to cover this defect. 
49000 mi

US $50
Coil pack failed causing engine misfire in one cylinder. Replaced faulty coil pack and normal operation resumed. 
70300 mi

US $2100
Replaced clutch and flywheel after the clutch lining wore out. 
72900 mi Intake manifold replaced under warranty after causing CEL 
71000 mi

US $595
Oil leak around lower timing chain cover. 
57000 mi Rattling noise coming from turbo wastegate under acceleration. TSB for the problem was available. A clip was installed that fixed rattling noise. 
58800 mi Leak developed at the water pump. Replaced water pump, all o-rings on pipes. Recall on item pending, will get reimbursed when issued. 
75000 mi Also addressed small coolant leak at lower hose. 
16000 mi CEL came on. Took car to dealer. Faulty part related to turbo intercooler was fixed. Loose passenger door was also fixed. 
11600 mi Engine leaking coolant, filled it leaks out every month 
23000 mi Engine was leaking coolant badly. 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD

21000 mi Coolant was low, dealer found the cooling system seals leaked. Replaced seals and water pump. 
48000 mi Seals in engine degraded and coolant suddenly leaked out. Water pump and seals were replaced under warranty. 
53000 mi Intake manifold replaced 
64000 mi Took car in to get CEL diagnosed. There was a fuel rail problem with intake manifold. (Car drivability remained unchanged). Replaced free of charge. This is a well known problem that has warranty extended to cover it out to 100k miles. 
95000 mi

US $7000
Connecting rod endcap disintegration 
39500 mi

US $500
Car started surging and losing power while driving. Wouldn't restart. Dealer replaced the in tank fuel pump & seal. 
74850 mi Carbon cleaning of engine intake, replaced fuel injectors Mechanic found a code showing an intermittent misfire in cylinder 4. Car misfires when started from cold and then the misfire goes away. Mechanic said it could be fixed with a carbon cleaning but wasn't urgent so I will fix it soon. 
104000 mi

US $100
Carbon cleaning, engine misfired and ran rough before it was done. 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 2dr Hatch

turbocharged 140hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 6-speed manual FWD

92000 mi Problem was diagnosed by dealer as likely being water in a vacuum line that, in unseasonably cold temperatures, froze and prevented delivery of fuel to the engine. The next day the weather was warmer and the car started and ran fine. 
45700 mi

US $50
Oxygen sensor replaced 
31111 mi Right after 30,000 miles check-up, check engine light came on, dealer replaced glow plug. Problem was considered fixed by dealer. Within days of previous repair, CEL came on again. Dealer replaced glow plug wiring harness. Problem considered fixed by dealer. 4th Time back to fix CEL. Replaced ECM (computer), Diesel Particulate Filter (2nd time, 1st time was at 14,500 miles approx) and Valve flap as part as a recall or tech bulletin. Est. parts and labor to date is just shy of price of car. 
67000 mi High Pressure Fuel System (HPFS) failure. Was covered by VW out of warranty, but normally is approximately $4,000 Replaced water pump due to slow leak. $318.00 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 2dr Hatch

170-horsepower 2.5L I5 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

25000 mi Hose came loose, Dealer hooked hose back up, engine light returned to normal. 
94240 mi

C $600
replace catalyst sensor 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 2dr Hatch

170-horsepower 2.5L I5 5-speed manual FWD

82000 mi

US $680
Check engine light came on, code indicated idle speed problem. 
87500 mi

US $780
Vacuum pump 

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2011 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI Engine Problems

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