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Volkswagen Recalls by VIN

Paste the VIN of any Volkswagen below to see every recall for its model and year. Every one of the 312 NHTSA campaigns across 30 Volkswagen models is listed underneath — including how long Volkswagen takes to admit a defect: 3.63 years on average.

NHTSA campaigns · 312 campaigns · 30 models · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Quick answer

Volkswagen has 312 recall campaigns across 30 models. A defect is admitted 3.63 years after the car was built on average, and 29.1% of campaigns come five years or later.

What gets recalled on a Volkswagen

By number of separate campaigns, not by cars affected — one campaign can cover a million vehicles or a thousand.

FIG.01·Volkswagen — what gets recalled
SystemCampaignsShare
Fuel System, Gasoline4514.4%
Air Bags3310.6%
Electrical System309.6%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic278.7%
Equipment196.1%
Exterior Lighting185.8%
Engine And Engine Cooling185.8%
Steering165.1%
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA recall campaigns

How long a defect stays unadmitted

Campaign numbers encode the year they were announced, so we can measure how quickly Volkswagen acts once a defect exists.

FIG.02·Volkswagen — how fast defects are admitted
MeasureValueWhat it means
Average gap3.63 yearsBetween the car being built and the defect being admitted
Admitted 5+ years later29.1%Share of campaigns on cars already well used
Campaigns on record312Across 30 models, 1981–2026
ROWS 3·SOURCE ForCar, computed from NHTSA campaign numbers

Across all brands the average is 3.79 years. Faster is better, but a low figure can also mean a young line-up — read it next to the number of campaigns.

Volkswagen recalls by model

30 Volkswagen models have campaigns on record. The gap between them is wider than the brand average suggests: on the Taos a defect is admitted in 0.4 years, on the Rabbit it takes 7.2 — the same company, the same paperwork, 6.8 years of difference.

FIG.03·Volkswagen recalls by model
ModelCampaignsYears coveredMost recalled systemAvg gap before admission
Volkswagen Jetta861981–2026Service brakes, hydraulic4.9 yrs
Volkswagen Golf601985–2021Service brakes, hydraulic4.6 yrs
Volkswagen Passat561989–2022Air bags4.7 yrs
Volkswagen Atlas482018–2026Air bags1.3 yrs
Volkswagen Tiguan392009–2026Air bags1.8 yrs
Volkswagen Beetle321998–2019Exterior lighting5 yrs
Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport302020–2026Air bags0.8 yrs
Volkswagen ID.4262021–2026Electrical system1.4 yrs
Volkswagen Golf GTI242016–2026Back over prevention2 yrs
Volkswagen GTI181989–2025Exterior lighting3.5 yrs
Volkswagen Golf R162013–2026Back over prevention1.3 yrs
Volkswagen Touareg122004–2018Fuel system, gasoline4.7 yrs
Volkswagen CC112012–2018Air bags2.9 yrs
Volkswagen Vanagon111983–1991Equipment1.8 yrs
Volkswagen Golf SportWagen92015–2020Fuel system, gasoline3.2 yrs
Volkswagen e-Golf82015–2020Unknown or other1.6 yrs
Volkswagen Rabbit81981–2009Fuel system, gasoline7.2 yrs
Volkswagen Routan82009–2014Electrical system3.3 yrs
Volkswagen Taos82022–2026Fuel system, gasoline0.4 yrs
Volkswagen Arteon62019–2023Back over prevention0.8 yrs
Volkswagen Corrado61989–1995Engine and engine cooling2.4 yrs
Volkswagen EuroVan61992–2004Fuel system, gasoline4 yrs
Volkswagen Jetta GLI62021–2026Back over prevention0.4 yrs
Volkswagen FOX51987–1993Engine and engine cooling2.8 yrs
Volkswagen Scirocco51981–1989Fuel system, gasoline1.6 yrs
Volkswagen Golf Alltrack42017–2020Unknown or other2.5 yrs
Volkswagen R3242004–2008Exterior lighting2.3 yrs
Volkswagen ID. Buzz22025–2026Electrical system0 yrs
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen22009–2014Air bags4.5 yrs
Volkswagen Dasher11981–1981Service brakes, hydraulic—
ROWS 30·SOURCE NHTSA + ForCar

Check your own car

Volkswagen has 312 campaigns on record across 30 models, but none of them covers a whole model — only a production range inside it, sometimes a few weeks of assembly. So the 312 figure says nothing about any particular Volkswagen: decoding the VIN narrows those 312 down to the recalls for one model and year. Whether the free fix was already carried out on that exact car, NHTSA's own VIN lookup or any Volkswagen dealer can tell you.

FIG.05·How to check a recall by VIN
StepWhat you get
Enter the VIN aboveEvery recall for that model and year, straight from NHTSA
Check the repair statusNHTSA's own VIN lookup or a dealer shows if this car was fixed
Book at any franchised dealerRecall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner
ROWS 3·SOURCE ForCar

Every manufacturer files recalls; what differs is how many and how fast — see where Volkswagen stands among all makes on record →

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Everything on Volkswagen
Fuel economy119 mpg bestReliabilityEvery model rankedCommon problems34,356 complaintsCheck a VINBy production runCargo space22 models measuredDimensionsSize and weightWhat yours is worthValuation by modelInsurance costPer model, per stateWindow stickersOriginal Monroney labelsDecode a VINWhat each character meansAbout the brand34 models tracked

Frequently asked questions

How many recalls does Volkswagen have?

312 campaigns across 30 models. On its own the number reflects how many models a brand sells — the response time says more.

Is Volkswagen slow to admit defects?

On average a Volkswagen defect is admitted 3.63 years after the car was built, against about 3.79 years across all brands. 29.1% of campaigns come five years or later.

Does a recall mean the car is unsafe?

It means a specific fault was found in a specific production range and must be fixed free of charge. A brand with many campaigns is not automatically worse — sometimes it simply reports faster.

How do I check my own Volkswagen?

By VIN. Campaigns cover production ranges, so the model alone does not tell you whether your car is affected.

Recall campaigns from NHTSA, published as filed. Years elapsed before admission computed by ForCar from the campaign number, which encodes the year it was announced. Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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