- Vehicles
- 164,000
- Built between
- Oct 1986 – Jul 1993
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 22 September 1995
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between October 1986 and July 1993. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1987-1993 Volkswagen FOXBuilt October 1986 to July 1993
What the defect is
In the event of a cooling system component failure while the vehicle is driven, the coolant can overheat causing the cooling system pressure to rise to a level where a leak in the heat exchanger can occur.
What could happen
A leak or failure of the heat exchanger located under the dashboard can allow hot coolant to escape and cause injury to the feet of a passenger. Hot coolant can also steam up the interior of the vehicle temporarily impairing the driver's visibility, increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A BYPASS VALVE KIT WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ROUTE EXCESSIVELY HOT COOLANT TO THE ENGINE WITHOUT FLOWING THROUGH THE HEAT EXCHANGER. DEALERS WILL ALSO INSTALL A PLASTIC COVER UNDERNEATH THE DASHBOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE TO ENSURE THAT THE PASSENGER IS NOT EXPOSED TO HOT COOLANT IN THE EVENT OF A LEAK.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtOctober 1986 to July 1993
- Recall reported to NHTSA23 May 1995
- Owners notified22 September 1995
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 23 May 1995.
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
- MFR
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: engine cooling system.vehicle description:passenger cars.note: if your vehicle is presented to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and the remedy is not provided free of charge within a reasonable time,please contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987. Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
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.