Volkswagen of America,inc: Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Power Assist › Vacuum › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
Volkswagen of America,inc reported this defect to federal regulators on May 21, 1999 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 88,121. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. A CONTROL VALVE IN THE VACUUM HOSE CONNECTING THE BRAKE BOOSTER TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD MAY NOT OPEN OR CLOSE FULLY AT TEMPERATURES BELOW -4 F UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS.
The risk
THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE INSUFFICIENT VACUUM TO BE PROVIDED TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A VACUUM BY-PASS SYSTEM INTO VEHICLES OPERATED IN THESE STATES WHICH IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT VACUUM FOR FULL BRAKE ASSIST UNDER ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS.
7 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Audi A4 | 190 | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| 1999 Audi A6 | 217 | 9 | 23 | 12 |
| 1999 Volkswagen Passat | 664 | 6 | 13 | 11 |
| 1998 Audi A4 | 258 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| 1998 Audi A6 | 130 | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| 1998 Volkswagen Passat | 331 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| 1997 Audi A4 | 98 | 8 | 3 | 7 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 99V131001.
Full record for the 1999 Audi A4 → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →