Owners filed 8 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › ignition › switch. It has been recalled 2 times.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
6
0
0
0
Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
1
0
0
0
Exterior Lighting › Headlights
1
0
0
0
2 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Air Bags › Frontal97V175000
Filed Oct 8, 199739,300 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc
Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE DISCHARGE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY UNDER LOW HUMIDITY CONDITIONS CAN ACTIVATE THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WHEN THE DRIVER ENTERS OR EXITS THE VEHICLE AND FORMS AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BY TOUCHING CERTAIN AREAS OF THE STEERING WHEEL.
Risk. ACTIVATION OF THE AIR BAG UNDER THESE CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A GROUND WIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG.
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch96V017000
Filed Jan 29, 199624,000 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc
Defect. DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCHES WERE IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED AND CAN CAUSE SOME ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES TO MALFUNCTION.
Risk. SOME ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES, SUCH AS, TURN SIGNALS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, LAMPS, POWER WIND0WS AND AIR CONDITIONERS CAN MALFUNCTION WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Jul 20, 2007GA
IGNITION SWITCH IS BAD. CAUSING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS: TURN SIGNAL FAILURE, A/C FAILURE, POWER WINDOWS FAILURE, HEADLIGHT FAILURE. THESE OCCUR WHEN CAR IS STARTED. *TR
Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
Filed Oct 4, 200596,000 milesTX
DT: THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. THE LATCH BROKE INSIDE THE DOOR. ALL THE OTHER MECHANISMS WORKED. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED ON APRIL OF 2005. THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR THE LATCH WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS STILL NOT GUARANTEEING THAT THEY COULD FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Jan 4, 2005NJ
NHTSA RECALL 96V017000 CONCERNING IGNITION SWITCH. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, BUT EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL REGARDING IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. *AK
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Nov 5, 200380,317 milesDC
THIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SAME IGNITION SWITCH DEFECT AS STATED IN RECALL 96 V 017 000; BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILS, IT AFFECTS THE WIPERS, RADIO, LIGHTS AND WINDOWS. *PH
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Aug 1, 200338,900 milesCA
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING ALL ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES WORK, BUT THE IGNITION DOES NOT START. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK. A DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED THE STARTER TO REMAIN ENGAGED. *TS *JB
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Jul 14, 200390,000 milesNJ
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED CAUSING THE STARTER TO "BURN" OUT.*AK
Electrical System › Ignition › Switch
Filed Sep 10, 2001MA
IGNITION SWITCH WAS FAULTY AND CAUSED STARTER TO BURN OUT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Filed Jun 2, 2000NC
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY HEADLIGHTS/ LEFT AND RIGHT TURN SIGNALS/HORN/ WINDSHIELD WIPERS, AND POWER WINDOWS MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Oct 8, 1997. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.