- Vehicles
- 8,100
- Built between
- Oct 1987 – Dec 1990
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 10 October 1996
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between October 1987 and December 1990. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1989-1990 Volkswagen CorradoBuilt October 1987 to December 1990
- 1988-1990 Volkswagen PassatBuilt October 1987 to December 1990
What the defect is
In the event the engine overheats and the vehicle is operated continuously in that condition, the coolant pressure will rise to a level at which the heat exchanger could leak.
What could happen
A leaking heat exchanger will allow hot coolant to escape causing injury to the driver's feet or could steam up the interior of the vehicle temporarily impairing the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEAT EXCHANGER ON THESE VEHICLES.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtOctober 1987 to December 1990
- Recall reported to NHTSA1 July 1996
- Owners notified10 October 1996
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 1 July 1996.
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 vehicles. Owner notification: owner notification is expected to begin note: owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should 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.