2017 GTI SE repeated issues, normal?

I purchased a 2017 VW Golf GTI SE DSG in Jan of 2018. The build date of the car was 5/2017. I love the car but it has had a rash of issues that make me really question whether I should keep it, even at this early date. Can anyone comment on how common these problems are?

101 miles - passenger side of engine bay smelled like antifreeze, no cause identified. Passed pressure test twice. Doesn't appear to be leaking coolant, but smell is un-nerving.

1500 miles - sunroof rattled bad and had to be re-seated. Appears fixed so far.

3000 miles - Adaptive Headlights failure (AFS) 3 dealer visits and over 30 days in the shop they replaced both headlight housings, the wiring, and the electronics that control the headlights and it finally seems to be fixed.

8000 miles - Secondary air pump valve failure caused a check engine light. Replaced pump. Driver rear window clunks going up and down, re-attached a "loose" clip to the regulator.

10000 miles - check engine back on, same code for secondary air. window still clunking, will replace regulator. window washer fluid reservior appears to be leaking.

In addition, this car still at 1.5 years from its build date (I've owned it 6 months) off gasses "new car" smell really strongly. Enough to be bothersome. It seems worse with the Heater or AC on. Does this ever go away with these cars? I noticed the SE/Leather one was worse than the cloth one, but I'd think either way at this point it would have died down.

I love driving this car, it gets great gas mileage, its small and easy to park etc but it has had a ton of issues for a brand new car. I am no stranger to owning German cars, I've previously owned 2 BMWs and a VW. None of them had this many issues this early in the ownership experience. What am I in for here? Should I try to get out of this car now, or will this settle down?

Sounds like you got a lemon.

Jacobmk7 said:

Sounds like you got a lemon.

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Could be, but the sunroof rattle is common. I have almost 8k on my '17 SE and haven't had any issues at all, other than a very faint sunroof rattle occasionally. Doesn't happen often enough for me to bother with a dealer warranty trip.

Sitting a long time on a lot. How many miles were on it?

I would check your state's lemon laws. Headlights may be considered a safety issue, and those 30-days out of service along with your other issues, you might get VW to give you a 2018. You can try that now, what do you have to lose? If they won't do it try to get them to give you the 2018 waranty. If they won't even do that consult a lemon law lawyer.

asus389 said:

I purchased a 2017 VW Golf GTI SE DSG in Jan of 2018. The build date of the car was 5/2017. I love the car but it has had a rash of issues that make me really question whether I should keep it, even at this early date. Can anyone comment on how common these problems are?

101 miles - passenger side of engine bay smelled like antifreeze, no cause identified. Passed pressure test twice. Doesn't appear to be leaking coolant, but smell is un-nerving.

1500 miles - sunroof rattled bad and had to be re-seated. Appears fixed so far.

3000 miles - Adaptive Headlights failure (AFS) 3 dealer visits and over 30 days in the shop they replaced both headlight housings, the wiring, and the electronics that control the headlights and it finally seems to be fixed.

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Come the second, or certainly third, visit to the shop I would have engaged a lemon law lawyer and taken the opportunity to get rid of this turd.

8000 miles - Secondary air pump valve failure caused a check engine light. Replaced pump. Driver rear window clunks going up and down, re-attached a "loose" clip to the regulator.

10000 miles - check engine back on, same code for secondary air. window still clunking, will replace regulator. window washer fluid reservior appears to be leaking.

In addition, this car still at 1.5 years from its build date (I've owned it 6 months) off gasses "new car" smell really strongly. Enough to be bothersome. It seems worse with the Heater or AC on. Does this ever go away with these cars? I noticed the SE/Leather one was worse than the cloth one, but I'd think either way at this point it would have died down.

I love driving this car, it gets great gas mileage, its small and easy to park etc but it has had a ton of issues for a brand new car. I am no stranger to owning German cars, I've previously owned 2 BMWs and a VW. None of them had this many issues this early in the ownership experience. What am I in for here? Should I try to get out of this car now, or will this settle down?

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My 2017 Autobahn was built 5/17 and I took delivery mid-December. I've had zero issues to date (knock on wood). 13K miles. And it has leather, and it's never had a "smell" problem.

It might not be too late to talk to a lemon law lawyer.

You don't even need to talk to a lawyer. Just open up a case with VWoA Customer Care and inquire about a buyback/new vehicle replacement. It might help to do the research on lemon laws in your state to see if you qualify. If you qualify, or are even close to qualifying (which it seems you are), see how they respond to your request for a buyback/replacement vehicle (if you're interested in another GTI, they'll be much more willing to replace the car than to buy one back). If they fight you, pull out the ammunition. Explain your circumstances and how close to lemon law you are (or, if you're within lemon law statutes, make that clear). If they still fight you, which they most likely will not, you can go to a lawyer, and you'll win. But you probably won't have to go through all that bullshit.

LEMON LEMON LEMON LEMON LEMON LEMON LAW LAW LAW LEMON LAW SUE SUE SUE SUE

i wonder if the antifreeze smell is the windshield washer....VW's has a strong smell.

Strange Mud said:

i wonder if the antifreeze smell is the windshield washer....VW's has a strong smell.

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Yeah could be. Although the reservoir for the washer fluid is on the drivers side and it seems to leak down on that side as well. The smell consistently comes from the passenger side. I guess it could drip over to the other side and burn...

Mine was also built in May 17, and I bought it in Dec 17. So it sat on a lot somewhere for a while....I haven't had any issues whatsoever, not even a squeak or rattle anywhere.

It seems like there's no rhyme or reason as to why one car has issues while others are trouble free.

Mine was March '17 I have the rattle on the sunroof slightly but I guess there is an easy DYI fix for that. I also get a bit of a gas smell here and there that I've read could be just a loose DP clamp but I have yet to really dive into that one. I have my 10k appt next week so I may bring it up

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My 2017 GSW has a build date of 5/17. I purchased it in Jan, 2018. Only 5,000 miles and so far the only visit was for the smell of hot oil coming through the cabin vents, especially after a hot start or after idling at a long traffic light.

Are you sure the "off-gassing" smell you are describing isn't hot oil? The two can be very similar, as the plastic off-gassing is basically vapors of petroleum distillates. The fact that you smell it more when the HVAC is on is what makes me suspect this. There have been numerous threads here and on Vortex about it. It can be a PCV system failure. In my case, it was traced to oil seeping from the oil cap. After the first visit, tech claimed he couldn't reproduce it, but after the second visit, the smell was confirmed and the shop foreman immediately looked at the oil cap. Had to order it, so I had to return a third time for that. The smell is 90% gone now, but I still swear I can smell it faintly on occasion.

Knock on wood, this has been the only problem I've experienced.

asus389 said:

Yeah could be. Although the reservoir for the washer fluid is on the drivers side and it seems to leak down on that side as well. The smell consistently comes from the passenger side. I guess it could drip over to the other side and burn...

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Do you get the stink inside the car through the dash vents?

The Fed said:

Do you get the stink inside the car through the dash vents?

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It seems worse with the Heater or AC on

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I took this to mean yes.

1) sounds like a problem car

2) you probably have a very sensitive sense of smell, which contributes to your perception here