- Vehicles
- 448,167
- Built between
- Sep 1975 – Aug 1979
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 22 October 1981
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1975 and August 1979. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1977-1979 Volkswagen RabbitBuilt September 1975 to August 1979
- 1976-1979 Volkswagen SciroccoBuilt September 1975 to August 1979
What the defect is
Corrosive damage and increased electrical resistance may cause the fuel pump relay to stop functioning. The fuel pump relay is one of several relays on a relay board located near the firewall. Corrosion caused by rain entering an improperly sealed antenna hole has been the subject of previous campaigns, but additional measures are required to ensure that the problem is corrected.
What gets fixed
VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE MODIFICATION HAS BEEN PERFORMED. IF NOT, A BYPASS WILL BE INSTALLED TO LOCATE THE FUEL PUMP RELAY AWAY FROM THE RELAY BOARD. ANY CORRODED RELAY BOARDS OR CONNECTORS WILL ALSO BE REPLACED.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1975 to August 1979
- Recall reported to NHTSA24 September 1981
- Owners notified22 October 1981
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 24 September 1981.
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 with electric fuel pumps.system: electrical; relay panel; fuel pump bypass modification.consequences of defect: corrosion, electrical failure at the fuel pump relay,and resulting failure of the fuel pump would cause engine stalling. A stalledvehicle could present a traffic hazard and an accident could result.
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.