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2021 Volkswagen GLI

Gas
Compact Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
A
Safety Signal
97 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns1
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA2
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA30 mpg
2027202620252024202320222021

The 2021 Volkswagen GLI is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The EPA did not publish a separate 2021 certification; fuel-economy figures below are carried over from the 2022 listing. The most efficient version, the GLI, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 2 complaints, most often about the air bags.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
GLIGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo263630$2,100
GLIGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo263730$2,100

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 44240, 44241. Figures carried over from the 2022 EPA listing; no separate 2021 certification was published.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2021 Volkswagen GLI is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database
○minor

Back Over Prevention

91DV
43,091 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainment system may cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."RiskA rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DV.
NHTSA campaign 22V514000reported Jul 20, 2022Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
2complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2021: 1 · 2022: 1

Most-cited components

Unspecified1
Air Bags1

What owners describe

“I bought a 2021 VW Jetta GLI in June 2021. There was a recall notice issued in August regarding issues with the front airbag not deploying and/or unexpectedly deploying. I took the car to VW of Kearny Mesa in San Diego, CA, in September 2021. They made the appointment, then when I was at the dealership they said the fi…”Mar 3, 2022 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other GLI model years

A

2027 Volkswagen GLI

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2026 Volkswagen GLI

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2025 Volkswagen GLI

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2024 Volkswagen GLI

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2023 Volkswagen GLI

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2022 Volkswagen GLI

0 recalls · 0 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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