1993 Volkswagen Passat: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 1993 Volkswagen Passat. The newest campaign is 95V178000. NHTSA received the report on 20 Sep 1995. The NHTSA record gives the component Engine and Engine Cooling / Cooling System / Fan. NHTSA has 68 complaints on file for this model year. 3 NHTSA investigations name 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, 95V178000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will replace the complete cooling fan assembly on vehicle having the potential shaft material problem. Dealers will install a new fan blade including a new lock nut on vehicle with loose fan blade lock nuts.

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 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 30 Sep 2026. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

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

3 campaigns, newest first. 393,200 units in total.

95V178000Received 20 Sep 1995. 34,000 units.
Engine and Engine Cooling / Cooling System / Fan
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Improper material was used in manufacturing the radiator fan motor shaft causing the shaft to wear and become noisy.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
A worn and noisy fan motor shaft can seize renderingthe fan motor inoperative, eventually causing the engine to overheat and stall. A stalled vehicle in traffic can increase the potential for a vehicle accident.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the complete cooling fan assembly on vehicle having the potential shaft material problem. Dealers will install a new fan blade including a new lock nut on vehicle with loose fan blade lock nuts.
Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 29 Nov 1995.
93V118000Received 14 Jul 1993. 1,200 units.
Suspension / Front
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Lock nuts used to hold the left and right front axles to the suspension struts may not have been properly manufactured. The lock nuts may break and cause separation of the axle from the suspension struts.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Separation of the axle can cause the vehicle to pull tothe side of the separation and result in loss of vehicle control and anaccident.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Replace the lock nuts.
Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 26 Aug 1993.
92V058000Received 14 Apr 1992. 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: 22 May 1992.

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

68 complaints, 90 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

1993 Volkswagen Passat
All 1993 vehicles

1993 Volkswagen Passat: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	1993 Passat	All 1993 vehicles	Passat, all years	Mentions
Engine and Engine Cooling	222.2	140.4	91.1	20
Visibility	200	46.9	32.9	18
Electrical System	177.8	82.2	118.6	16
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	77.8	185.6	64.7	7
Fuel System, Gasoline	77.8	52.5	44	7
Power Train	44.4	84.9	47.6	4
Equipment	44.4	21.9	10.3	4
Seat Belts	44.4	56	8.2	4
Exterior Lighting	44.4	32.6	30.4	4
Tires	33.3	30.4	9.9	3

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 13.

Complaints that report a crash: 3
Complaints that report a fire: 10
Injuries in the complaints: 4
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 3 Dec 2008

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 1993 Volkswagen Passat, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 1999, with 11 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 1993 Volkswagen Passat
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
EA00028	Engineering analysis	FUEL TANK PUNCTURE	Vehicle Speed Control / Linkages	28 Dec 2000	29 Jan 2002	02V026000
PE00033	Preliminary evaluation	FUEL TANK PUNCTURE	Vehicle Speed Control / Linkages	10 Aug 2000	28 Dec 2000
PE99036	Preliminary evaluation	FOG LAMP FIRE	Exterior Lighting	12 May 1999	21 Oct 1999

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.

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

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 1993 Volkswagen PassatThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 1993 Volkswagen Passat: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/volkswagen/passat/1993/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

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 1993 Volkswagen Passat?: 393,200 units in 3 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Volkswagen Passat have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 54 recall campaigns for the Volkswagen Passat, model years 1988 to 2022. 3 of them name the 1993 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 1993 Volkswagen Passat name most often?: Engine and Engine Cooling: 20 of 90 component mentions, or 222.2 per 1,000. For all 1993 vehicles the figure is 140.4 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 1993 Volkswagen Passat open?: No. Each of the 3 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.