The 1978 Volkswagen Scirocco has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 2,848,305 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE FUEL PUMP MAY STOP FUNCTIONING WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAN OCCUR BECAUSE AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR IN THE FUSE PANEL MAY OVERHEAT AND INTERRUPT THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT.
Remedy
DEALER WILL INSPECT THE FUSE BOX AND ITS CONNECTORS FOR CORROSION, AND CORRECT WHERE NECESSARY. A BYPASS ADAPTER TO THE FUEL PUMP ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT WILL BE INSTALLED.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC83V1160001983-11-09661,585 affected
Defect
BRAKE LINES INSTALLED UNDERNEATH THE CARPETING IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT MAY RUST DUE TO THE ENTRY OF WATER AND ROAD SALT. IF RUSTING REMAINS UNCHECKED, IT PRODUCES LEAKS IN THE LINES AND BRAKE FLUID MAY BE LOST.
Remedy
THE DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE INTERIOR BRAKE LINES AT NO COST TO OWNER. OWNERS ARE ALSO ADVISED THAT ALL BRAKE LINES SHOULD BE INSPECTED AT TWO-YEAR INTERVALS.
STRUCTURE81V1130001981-09-24448,167 affected
Defect
CORROSIVE DAMAGE AND INCREASED ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE MAY CAUSE THE FUEL PUMP RELAY TO STOP FUNCTIONING. THE FUEL PUMP RELAY IS ONE OF SEVERAL RELAYS ON A RELAY BOARD LOCATED NEAR THE FIREWALL. CORROSION CAUSED BY RAIN ENTERING AN IMPROPERLY SEALED ANTENNA HOLE HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF PREVIOUS CAMPAIGNS, BUT…
Remedy
VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE MODIFICATION HAS BEEN PERFORMED. IF NOT, A BYPASS WILL BE INSTALLED TO LOCATE THE FUEL PUMP RELAY AWAY FROM THE RELAY BOARD. ANY CORRODED RELAY BOARDS OR CONNECTORS WILL ALSO BE REPLACED.
THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WHICH LEADS FROM THE TRANSMISSION LEVER TO THE THROTTLE HOUSING MAY MALFUNCTION. ACCELERATOR CABLE MAY HAVE BEEN BENT DURING INSTALLATION OR DURING SERVICING OF ENGINE COMPONENTS. THIS COULD CAUSE THE STEEL BAND CABLE TO BIND AND CAN RESULT IN DELAYED RESPONSE DURING DECELERATION, HIGH ENGINE…
Remedy
THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE. IN ADDITION, OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE ACCELERATION SYSTEM WILL BE CHECKED, LUBRICATED, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACED. THIS WILL BE DONE WITHOUT CHARGE.
STRUCTURE80V0350001980-03-26140,000 affected
Defect
ON SOME VEHICLES, THE FENDER OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE ANTENNA CABLE IS ROUTED MAY NOT BE PROPERLY SEALED. AS A RESULT, SPLASHED WATER FROM THE TIRES COULD ENTER PASSENGER COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE OPENING, ENTER THE FUSE RELAY BOARD AND CAUSE CORROSION OF THE TERMINALS. ALSO, BECAUSE WATER IS A GOOD CONDUCTOR OF…
Remedy
DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, SEAL THE RADIO ANTENNA HOLES AND REPLACE CORRODED COMPONENTS WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER..
DUE TO AN IMPROPERLY SEALED ANTENNA MOUNTING HOLE, WATER COULD SEAP INTO THE FUSE RELAY BOARD. THE WATER ENTERING THE FUSE RELAY BOARD ACTS AS A CONDUCTOR OF CURRENT, THEREBY CHARGING THE STARTER.
Remedy
THE DEALER WILL SEAL ALL RADIO ANTENNA CABLE HOLES. IN ADDITION, ELECTRICAL PARTS OF THE RELAY/FUSE BOARD WILL BE CHECKED AND REPLACED IN THE CASE OF CORROSION.
PARKING BRAKE78V1180001978-06-0153 affected
Defect
THE REAR AXLE BRAKE CABLE BRACKET IS ATTACHED TO THE OUTSIDE OF A FLANGE BOLT OF THE REAR AXLE. THIS BRACKET WAS NOT CORRECTLY INSTALLED DURING ASSEMBLY.
Remedy
THE DEALER WILL RELOCATE THE BRACKET AND INSTALL A NEW FLANGE, IF NECESSARY, WITHOUT CHARGE.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC77V1820001977-10-1818,500 affected
Defect
ON THE INVOLVED VEHICLES, THE TWO RUBBER ELBOWS, LOCATED AT EACH END OF THE PLASTIC PIPE LEADING FROM THE THROTTLE VALVE BODY HOUSING TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM PUMP, MAY BE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF IMPROPER CLAMP INSTALLATION.
Remedy
THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE RUBBER ELBOW CONNECTIONS AND INSTALL NEW TYPE CLAMPS, WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
Complaints by component
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
1
Total complaints2
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Vin number = [xxx] vw dealer 4724 roosevelt way northeast, seattle, wa [REDACTED] has not being helpful with 1978 volkswagen scirocco service brakes, hydraulic recall 83v116000. My brakes failed going down a hill in oct 2010 fortunately I downshifted and use the handbrakes to come to a stop. I had…”
“Vin number = [xxx] vw dealer 4724 roosevelt way northeast, seattle, wa [REDACTED] has not being helpful with 1978 volkswagen scirocco service brakes, hydraulic recall 83v116000. My brakes failed going down a hill in oct 2010 fortunately I downshifted and use the handbrakes to come to a stop. I had…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1978 Volkswagen Scirocco as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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