Recall Register

1988 Volkswagen Jetta: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 1988 Volkswagen Jetta. The newest campaign is 93V129000. NHTSA received the report on 2 Aug 1993. The NHTSA record gives the component Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings. NHTSA has 19 complaints on file for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation names this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 93V129000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will install a preheating tube support bracket to ensure proper positioning relative to the right front metal brake line.
NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.

NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on . Complaint file through . Recall file through .

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

7 campaigns, newest first. 1,096,384 units in total.

  • 93V129000Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
  • 92V058000Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
  • 92V050000Visibility / Defroster/Defogger/HVAC System / Heater Core
  • 89V221000Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings
  • 88V144000Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Power Assist / Vacuum
  • 87V182000Seat Belts
  • 87V175000Vehicle Speed Control

  1. 93V129000Received . 76,000 units.

    Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    An engine preheating tube may not be properly supported due to a missing support bracket, causing the preheating tube to chafe against the right front metal brake line. This can damage the hydraulic line, causing brake fluid leakage and diminished braking in one brake circuit.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Diminished braking can result in increased stoppingdistances and a possible accident.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will install a preheating tube support bracket to ensure proper positioning relative to the right front metal brake line.

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  2. 92V058000Received . 358,000 units.

    Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    The fuel hose attached to the fuel distribution rail on the engine may shrink beyond the clamp force of the fuel hose clamps, allowing fuel to leak.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Fuel leakage in the engine compartment can cause an underhood fire if the fuel comes in contact with a source of ignition.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Replace the fuel hose attached to the fuel rail and install a new spring type self-tightening clamp.

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  3. 92V050000Received . 650,000 units.

    Visibility / Defroster/Defogger/HVAC System / Heater Core

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    The end cap connecting the heat exchanger's core to the engine cooling system could rupture and allow hot coolant to escape into the passenger compartment.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    The coolant escaping into the passenger compartment couldcontact the driver's feet and injure the driver. Also, steam from the heatedliquid will cloud on the window surfaces and impair the driver's vision andcould result in a vehicle accident.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Replace the heater core with an improved heater core.

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  4. 89V221000Received . 8,000 units.

    Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Foundation Components / Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings

    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Prolonged chafing could eventually cause a leaking brakeline resulting in diminished braking in one brake circuit which would increasethe stopping distances and result in an accident.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Curve or replace right front brake line.

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  5. 88V144000Received . 1,700 units.

    Service Brakes, Hydraulic / Power Assist / Vacuum

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Brake boosters have been improperly assembled with the two halves of the booster unit insufficiently connected.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Brake booster halves could separate under heavy brakeapplication and braking power would suddenly diminish which could result in anaccident.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Replace brake boosters as necessary.

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC.

  6. 87V182000Received . 784 units.

    Seat Belts

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Seat belt retractor pawl may not meet hardening specifications contained in volkswagens design standard.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Vehicles do not meet volkswagens design standard.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Replace front passive restraint seat belt assembly as necessary.

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  7. 87V175000Received . 1,900 units.

    Vehicle Speed Control

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    Certain vehicles may not be marked with letters res to identify the resume function as required by FMVSS 101.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Vehicles do not comply with FMVSS 101.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Replace part of cruise switch portion.

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

19 complaints, 23 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. This model year has fewer than 50 component mentions, so the table shows the number of mentions only.

1988 Volkswagen Jetta: component mentions in complaints
ComponentMentions
Vehicle Speed Control4
Seat Belts4
Service Brakes, Hydraulic3
Structure3
Visibility3
Latches/Locks/Linkages2
Exterior Lighting1
Tires1
Fuel System, Gasoline1
Electrical System1
Complaints that report a crash
1
Complaints that report a fire
2
Injuries in the complaints
0
Deaths in the complaints
0
Date of the newest complaint
29 Oct 1999

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 1988 Volkswagen Jetta, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 1995, with 9 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1988 Volkswagen Jetta
NumberTypeSubjectComponentOpenedClosedCampaign
EA91054Engineering analysisHEATER CORE FAILUREVisibility / Defroster/Defogger/HVAC System9 Dec 199112 Jun 199292V050000

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

  1. 19801
  2. 19813
  3. 19821
  4. 19831
  5. 19841
  6. 19853
  7. 19862
  8. 19873
  9. 19887
  10. 19894
  11. 19905
  12. 19915
  13. 19922
  14. 19934
  15. 19945
  16. 19954
  17. 19961
  18. 19971
  19. 19982
  20. 19996
  21. 20004
  22. 20016
  23. 20025
  24. 20032
  25. 20042
  26. 20054
  27. 20064
  28. 20074
  29. 20084
  30. 20096
  31. 20104
  32. 20117
  33. 20125
  34. 20134
  35. 20144
  36. 20157
  37. 20164
  38. 20176
  39. 20182
  40. 201911
  41. 20206
  42. 20214
  43. 20221
  44. 20230
  45. 20240
  46. 20252
  47. 20261

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

Official channels

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1988 Volkswagen Jetta: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/volkswagen/jetta/1988/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through .

Sources

Source
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence
US government work, public domain
Recall file through
30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through
30 Sep 2026
First complaint in the file
1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file
VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 1988 Volkswagen Jetta?
1,096,384 units in 7 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Volkswagen Jetta have for all model years?
NHTSA lists 79 recall campaigns for the Volkswagen Jetta, model years 1980 to 2026. 7 of them name the 1988 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1988 Volkswagen Jetta name most often?
Vehicle Speed Control: 4 of 23 component mentions.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1988 Volkswagen Jetta open?
No. The 1 investigation that names this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.