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Your vehicleHome›Volkswagen›GLI› 2021
Volkswagen · Compact Sedan

2021 Volkswagen GLI

Gas
Compact Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-11-04
A
Safety Signal
97 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1
Complaintsnone reporting a crash, fire or injury 2
Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 30 mpg
2027202620252024202320222021

The 2021 Volkswagen GLI is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact sedan 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.

2021 Volkswagen GLI

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
GLIGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo263630$2,250
GLIGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo263730$2,250

*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.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
GLI7 / 10California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body styleSedan/Saloon
Doors4

Engine Basics

Cylinders4
Displacement2 L

Engine Output

Horsepower228 hp

Fuel Economy

FuelGasoline

Seating

Seat rows2
Seating capacity5 seats

Transmission

DrivetrainFWD/Front-Wheel Drive
TransmissionAutomatic
Transmission speeds7

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes one configuration rather than every trim (seen: S / Autobahn). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada
Length185.8 in
Width (body, without mirrors)71.3 in
Height57.5 in
Wheelbase105.9 in
Track, front60.6 in
Track, rear60.6 in
Curb weight3,225 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear59/41

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: Jetta 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

Also on file Beside the 2021 GLI
Other years The 2027 GLI Recalls Volkswagen recalls
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Factory warranty running out?

The 2021 Volkswagen GLI is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.

What to check before you buy →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database
○minor

Back Over Prevention

91DV
43,091 vehicles 92% reported repaired
Problem Volkswagen 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." Risk A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers 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.
Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDF
NHTSA campaign 22V514000 reported Jul 20, 2022 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above.

Whether any of this applies to one specific GLI

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2021 can differ. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report sets aside the campaigns that name a different engine or drive, and narrows the rest to its build month.

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2021 Volkswagen GLI, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2021 Volkswagen GLI

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this GLI →

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

Unspecified 1
Air Bags 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

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 fix wasn't available.
Air Bags Mar 3, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11455105

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.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 10
Most recentmanufacturer date 2023-05-30
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 10 service bulletins

Most often about: Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Engine, Air Bags, Equipment.

  • V171901201285562 Service bulletin
    2023-05-30 · Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Oil/Lubrication
  • Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
  • V171901201285560 Service bulletin
    2023-04-24 · Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Oil/Lubrication
  • Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
  • V941901201152119 Service bulletin
    2022-12-12 · Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
  • Update model year applicability to include 2023.
  • V271901201189422 Service bulletin
    2022-12-06 · Electrical System
  • Battery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger. Updated to include additional model year applicability.
  • V9122012067083_4 Service bulletin
    2022-07-06 · Electrical System
  • In-car WIFI inop or malfunctioning. Updated to include additional labor operation number to warranty table.
  • A002155201173212 Service bulletin
    2021-12-15 · Electrical System — Software
  • This bulletin contains general instructions for software updates.
  • 10213836 Service bulletin
    2016-01-22 · Air Bags
  • Airbag Issues.
  • VOS1603 Service bulletin
    2016-01-20 · Unknown Or Other
  • Release Notes Supplement.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 26, 2026, the 2021 Volkswagen GLI failed the emissions check on 3.0% of first inspections — higher than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.2% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%).

New York inspections 3.0%

failed emissions

232 initial inspections of 229 vehicles.

MeasureThe 2021 GLIEvery 2021 vehicleBehind it
Failed the emissions check3.0%1.9%230
Failed the safety inspection2.2%1.5%232
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit0%0.19%232
Miles driven a year10,09710,341odometer at inspection
Average odometer53,56555,061odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2021 vehicle” is every 2021 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

GLI by model year

all years, side by side →
Year Safety Recalls Complaints
2027 A* 0 0 29 mpg2026 A* 0 0 29 mpg2025 A* 0 0 30 mpg2024 A* 0 0 30 mpg2023 A 0 0 30 mpg2022 A 0 0 30 mpg2021 this page A 1 2 30 mpg

Common questions about the 2021 GLI

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2021 Volkswagen GLI have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2021 Volkswagen GLI. The most serious on file is 22V514000, covering Back Over Prevention. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2021 Volkswagen GLI?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2021 Volkswagen GLI yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it A (97/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Volkswagen GLI?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2021 Volkswagen GLI, the best EPA combined figure is 30 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2021 Volkswagen GLI?

Transport Canada measured it at 185.8 in long, 71.3 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.5 in tall, on a 105.9 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,225 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2021 Volkswagen GLI?

Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Volkswagen GLI, most often about unspecified, air bags. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2021 Volkswagen GLI?

The EPA smog rating for the 2021 Volkswagen GLI is 7 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Volkswagen GLI?

The manufacturer has filed 10 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 Volkswagen GLI, most often covering electrical system, unknown or other, engine. The most recent is dated 2023-05-30. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2021 Volkswagen GLI do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 26, 2026, the 2021 Volkswagen GLI failed the emissions check on 3.0% of first inspections — higher than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.2% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations2 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates2 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls1NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints2NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratingsnoneNHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins10NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
InvestigationsnoneNHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationNo defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA11 fieldsNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWhat the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions7 fieldsTransport Canada, Canadian Vehicle SpecificationsLength, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipmentnoneManufacturer press kitWe have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-11-04. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Where to go next

pages beside this one
Other years The 2027 GLI The GLI model year with the cleanest record on file — grade A, 0 recalls.Recalls Every Volkswagen recall on file All campaigns filed against Volkswagen vehicles, newest first, with the manufacturer's own number.Recall Watch Watch this GLI by VIN Give it the VIN and you hear the night a campaign is filed — from $29 a month for a lot, free for ten.

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). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

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

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