2009 Volkswagen Gti

2009 VW GTI. ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE, EPC, CEL AND STEERING WHEEL LIGHT COME ON. 3 BEEPS SOUND. SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK. AFTER SEARCHING, THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. POWER STEERING SEEMS TO TURN OFF AND ON UNEXPECTEDLY AND IS QUITE DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING. ABS WON'T WORK AND TRACTION CONTROL TURNS OFF AND ON UNEXPECTEDLY.

BEGINNING AROUND 55K MILES (CAR WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 YEARS OLD) I OCCASIONALLY WOULD EXPERIENCE A CHIME FOLLOWED BY ABS LIGHT FLASHING WHEN TAKING TIGHT TURNS. IT TURNED OFF WHEN CYCLING THE ENGINE OFF/ON. ALSO, SOMETIMES THERE WOULD BE THREE CHIMES UPON STARTING THE CAR FOLLOWED BY ABS AND ESC WARNING LIGHTS FLASHING. THIS COULD NOT BE REMOVED BY CYCLING THE ENGINE OFF/ON. IT WOULD STAY ON WHILE DRIVING AND ONLY GO AWAY RANDOMLY THE NEXT TIME I RESTARTED IT LATER; SOMETIMES IT WOULD STAY ON FOR MANY CONSECUTIVE STOPS/STARTS. THE SYMPTOM OF THE THREE CHIMES UPON STARTUP GOT MORE FREQUENT RECENTLY (70K MILES). IT WOULD APPEAR ALMOST EVERY DAY. I RESEARCHED THIS ON WEB CHAT FORUMS AND THE SYMPTOMS APPEARED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH OTHER 2009 VW GTI DRIVERS EXPERIENCING ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. I ALSO CONSULTED MY LOCAL VW MECHANIC AND HE CONCURRED MY SYMPTOMS WERE 'EARLY ONSET' FAILURE AND ANECDOTALLY HE SAID THE 2009 VW GTI CONTROL MODULES HAVE A REPUTATION OF EARLY FAILURE. IT IS WORTH NOTING THE CONDITION RENDERS THE ESC AND ABS NON-FUNCTIONAL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AT 73500 MILES AND HE DIAGNOSED ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE AND SAID IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I ASKED FOR A GOODWILL WARRANTY EXTENSION AND GOT IT; THE UNIT WAS REPLACED WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE FIXED THE ISSUE. LUCKILY, I DID NOT EVER ENCOUNTER A SITUATION THAT TESTED THE DRIVEABILITY OF THE CAR WITH THOSE SYSTEMS DISABLED.

MY ABS PUMP & MODULE WERE DETERMINED TO NEED REPLACEMENT. SEARCHING ONLINE, IT SEEMS A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH THE 2009 MODEL ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE. I WAS QUOTED AT $2200 TO FIX IT. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET TO A RESTAURANT AFTER MY WEDDING AND THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL AND BRAKE LIGHTS ALL CAME ON. DAYS LATER THE CAR STARTED TO REV WEIRD AND THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD NOT WORK.

FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, SOLID ABS, SOLID TRACTION CONTROL, AND FLASHING "BRAKE" LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD OCCASIONALLY UPON TURNING ON THE VEHICLE, ACCOMPANIED BY 3 AUDIBLE BEEPS. THEN, THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE, EPC, STEERING, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS BEGAN TO COME ON WHILE DRIVING. ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL STAY ILLUMINATED, WHILE THE EPC, STEERING, CHECK ENGINE, AND BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY, ACCOMPANIED BY 3 AUDIBLE BEEPS. THE MESSAGE "ENGINE FAULT - WORKSHOP!" ALSO SHOWS UP ON THE MESSAGE DISPLAY CENTER IN THE DASH. IN ADDITION, WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION, THE SPEEDOMETER WILL REPEATEDLY ALTERNATE BETWEEN THE ACTUAL SPEED READING AND A READING OF 0 MPH. WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER DROPS TO 0 MPH, THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASE. FINALLY, THE CAR SPUTTERS AND BUCKS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY, AND STEERING FEELS A BIT STIFF. THE DEALER HAS INDICATED AN INTERNAL FAULT IN THE ABS CONTROL MODULE.

THE ABS PUMP AND MODULE DIED ON MY '09 VW GTI AT JUST OVER 50000 MILES. WHEN ABS OR TRACTION CONTROL IS CALLED UPON, THE SYSTEMS FAIL, CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE CONTROL. IN MY CASE, IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME I HIT A SNOWY OR ICY PATCH WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, THE ABS, ESP, AND BRAKING INDICATOR ALL LIGHT UP ON THE DASHBOARD WITH THE BRAKING LIGHT FLASHING AND DINGING. ALL MAINTENANCE WAS CURRENT ON MY CAR. I WAS NOT DRIVING EXCESSIVELY WHEN THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED. VW WANTS OVER $2100 TO FIX THE ISSUE. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA DENIES THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE '09 GTI ABS SYSTEM, DESPITE NUMEROUS REPORTS ACROSS THE INTERNET, AND HAS REFUSED MY REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CORRECT A PROBLEM THEY SAY MAKES THE CAR UNSAFE TO OPERATE.

DURING ANY EMERGENCY BRAKING SITUATION, MY CAR WILL LOCK ALL FOUR TIRES AND THE TRACTION CONTROL, ABS, AND EMERGENCY BRAKE (FLASHING) LIGHTS WILL TURN ON. THE LIGHTS REMAIN ON UNTIL THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND ON. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS FAULT THAT APPEARS TO BE VERY COMMON ON THE 2009 GTI. THIS ISSUE IS VERY EASY TO REPRODUCE BY BRAKING HARD FROM ANY SPEED GREATER THAN 35 MPH. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS THE ABS CONTROL MODULE, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH ALL OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ABS SYSTEM. VWOA SHOULD RECALL THE ABS CONTROL MODULE ON THE 2009 GTI. *JS

PURCHASED THIS CAR BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP. BECAUSE I LIVED IN THE D.C. AREA, I DIDN'T DRIVE IT MUCH, SO THE CAR TODAY HAS ABOUT 34K MILES. A WEEK AGO, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT AND ABS CAME ON, ALONG WITH THE THREE WARNING DINGS. TOOK IT TO THE VW DEALERSHIP ON AUSTIN, WHO DIAGNOSED AS ABS BRAKE MODULE FAILURE. I FOUND A VW REPAIR SHOP WHO WOULD CHANGE OUT THE MODULE FOR $400 LESS, AND I DROVE IT HOME. STRANGELY, THE LIGHTS ARE OFF. BASED ON EVERYTHING WE'VE FOUND ONLINE, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE FOR THIS CAR. FIRST, THE LIGHTS SHOULD NOT BE SHUTTING OFF AS IF THE PROBLEM HAS DISAPPEARED. SECOND, A CAR WITH THIS FEW MILES SHOULD NOT HAVE THE ABS SYSTEM FAILING. VW NEEDS TO ISSUE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL TO REPLACE ALL OF THESE 2009 GTI ABS MODULES BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED.

2009 VOLKSWAGEN GTI - ABS CONTROL MODULE OR PUMP FAILURE. UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, SEVERAL DASH LIGHTS CAME ON INCLUDING "BRAKE" AND "ABS", AS WELL AS BEING ACCOMPANIED BY BEEPING. THE ABS SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER ACTIVE AS SOON AS THIS HAPPENED. ONCE THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON, THE LIGHTS WERE GONE AND ABS WAS ACTIVE. NOW, IN ANY INCLEMENT WEATHER, THIS HAPPENS AND IMMEDIATELY DISABLES THE ABS, WHICH IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD. VOLKSWAGEN DOES NOT CURRENTLY ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE.