Steam from right-front when parking

[enobiko]

Sometimes when I turn off my 2016 GTI S, I see steam from the right-front, but when I open the hood to look, I can't see anything obvious. I haven't been running the car hard (like, when I autocross), but driving with the normal flow of traffic. I have had to fill up the radiator overflow, but only a few times, not "once a month" or something like that.
Is there something that is a common failure point? This is a manual car, so no auto trans cooler (if they have that). I do not think it coincides to using the AC, I use AC infrequently. I'm guessing a leak in the radiator, or perhaps a connector? I find it odd that I can see steam (not every time), which dissipates fairly quickly, but I don't seem to be losing fluid at a rapid rate. It doesn't seem to happen all the time, either.

Dean

 

[gixxerfool]

Probably a thermostat/water pump housing leaking. Super common.

 

[2018gti]

Is it cold and rainy out when you see the steam? It happens to me all the time. You would know if it’s coolant, you’d smell that sickly sweet scent. If there’s no smell then probably just water vapor hitting the hot radiator.

 

[cbenjes]

Agreed, as long as it doesn't smell like coolant, you are fine.