I was driving at night, in the rain, when all of a sudden my headlights went out. I had to pull over and see what was going on. I also noticed that my wipers and my fan also stopped working. I turned off the ignition and turned the car back on again, all was fine for about 10 sec., then it went out again. I noticed that when I touched the keys in the ignition that it went back on again, and I held the key forward and held it there, and the headlights, wipers, and the fan started to work again. When I let it go, it stopped working. I had to hold the key in the ignition forward all the way home to have headlights to see my way home. The next day I checked again and knew for sure that the ignition switch was the problem, it needed to be replaced. I looked it up online and found that this problem is very common on volkswagen golf's or gti's and that there wasn't a recall on this dangerous defect. I own a 1998 volkswagen gti. Thank you, and I would appreciate it if this problem was addressed to volkswagen and a recall were to be made of this problem. I heard it cost's a lot of money to replace the ignition switch.
The worst 1998 Volkswagen GTI problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Brakes3
- Engine3
- Airbags2
- Body1
- Electrical1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes3
- Engine3
- Airbags2
- Body1
- Electrical1
- Visibility1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Volkswagen GTI 47
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards
- Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
- Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
- Update model year applicability to include 2023.
- Battery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger
- Update engine oil quality standard lists (attachments)
- Tool number added to table
- Updated to include additional models and model year applicability.
- The part number listed in the document is to be returned if it meets the criteria provided.
- Alternative method for radio code retrieval.
1998 Volkswagen GTI fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 24 | 19 |
What 1998 Volkswagen GTI owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Side airbag (passenger) deployed upon impact with a pothole with the front drivers side wheel
1998 volkswagen gti vr6. Electric window regulator failure. Saw this site on www.vwvortex.com.
The engine stalled when the consumer made a turn.
The engine stalled when the consumer made a turn.
1998 volkswagen golf gti rolled into a ditch off 101 near gilroy. Three days prior it had had serviced entirely by michael's auto body in downtown san jose. With repairs totalling $2000. These repairs were supposedly merely "wear and tear" from a towing by the sjpd. The antilock brakes locked and the airbag did not release.
Vehicle stalled out and died without warning. Just before vehicle stalled engine check light illuminated. Consumer stated vehicle has stalled and died several times prior to this incident. Manufacturer will be notified.
Abs warning light came on when the car was started and never went
Door panels came off.
Abs light comes on and stays on when vehicle is started. Not sure if ABS is working during this time.
Compare the 1998 Volkswagen GTI
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Questions about the 1998 Volkswagen GTI
Is the 1998 Volkswagen GTI reliable?
Owners have filed 10 complaints about the 1998 Volkswagen GTI, fewer than a typical GTI model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Volkswagen GTI?
Brakes, with 3 complaints. Next is engine (3).
How many recalls does the 1998 Volkswagen GTI have?
No recalls on record.
What gas mileage does the 1998 Volkswagen GTI get?
Official estimates for the 1998 Volkswagen GTI range from 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.8L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 24 highway.
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