- Vehicles
- 140,000
- Built between
- Sep 1974 – Jun 1979
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 9 June 1980
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1974 and June 1979. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1975-1979 Volkswagen RabbitBuilt September 1974 to June 1979
- 1975-1979 Volkswagen SciroccoBuilt September 1974 to June 1979
What the defect is
On some vehicles, the fender opening through which the antenna cable is routed may not be properly sealed. As a result, splashed water from the tires could enter passenger compartment through the opening, enter the fuse relay board and cause corrosion of the terminals. Also, because water is a good conductor of electricity, the starter can be activated accidentally; the high flow of electricity may exhaust the battery within a short period of time. Thus restarting the engine would become impossible and parking lights and emergency flashers would become inoperative.
What gets fixed
DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, SEAL THE RADIO ANTENNA HOLES AND REPLACE CORRODED COMPONENTS WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER..
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1974 to June 1979
- Recall reported to NHTSA26 March 1980
- Owners notified9 June 1980
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 26 March 1980.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions.system: structure; antenna cable opening.consequences of defect: vehicle would become disabled and a vehicle accidentcould occur if traffic is present.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.