- Vehicles
- 36,258
- Built between
- Sep 1998 – Jan 1999
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 15 February 1999
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between September 1998 and January 1999. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1999 Volkswagen GolfBuilt September 1998 to January 1999
- 1999 Volkswagen JettaBuilt September 1998 to January 1999
What the defect is
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The sound absorbing mat attached to the inside of the b-pillar side trim panel could have been improperly installed. Surface and edges of the mat could have been damaged during the assembly process. It could ignite when exposed to the exhaust gas of the seat belt pre-tensioner igniter in the event of a severe front or side collision.
What could happen
This could result in a fire.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE MATTING MATERIALS FROM INSIDE THE B-PILLAR ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtSeptember 1998 to January 1999
- Recall reported to NHTSA5 February 1999
- Owners notified15 February 1999
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 5 February 1999.
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
- Manufacturer's recall number
- UF
- 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
Owner notification began february 15, 1999.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 vwoa at 1-877-270-4178.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
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.