- Vehicles
- 51,000
- Built between
- Aug 1986 – Aug 1989
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 13 December 1991
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 1986 and August 1989. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1987-1990 Volkswagen CabrioletBuilt August 1986 to August 1989
- 1987-1988 Volkswagen SciroccoBuilt August 1986 to August 1989
What the defect is
A crack can develop in the fuel tank adjacent to a seam weld in the rear of the tank.
What could happen
Fuel can leak from the cracked fuel tank which couldcatch fire in the presence of a source of ignition.
What gets fixed
CHECK VEHICLE WITH A SPECIALLY DESIGNED TOOL FOR THE PRESENCE OF A FUEL TANK CRACK, AND REPLACE FUEL TANK IF DEFECT IS FOUND.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 1986 to August 1989
- Recall reported to NHTSA18 November 1991
- Owners notified13 December 1991
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 18 November 1991.
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
System: fuel tank.vehicle description: passenger cars.
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.