How many recalls does the 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon have?

The 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon has 2 NHTSA safety recall campaigns on record.

How do I check if my 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon?

Of 2 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is fuel system, gasoline.

1981 Volkswagen Vanagon Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 16,092 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 84V084000 1984-07-10 16,000 affected

Defect

SPRING, WHICH HOLDS THE LATCH ON THE FRONT DOOR LOCKS, MAY BREAK AND DOOR MAY OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY.

Remedy

SPRINGS WILL BE REPLACED ON ALL AFFECTED LOCKS WITHOUT CHARGE.

EQUIPMENT 81V076000 1981-06-23 92 affected

Defect

DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE POP TOP COULD LOOSEN FROM ITS ANCHOR DUE TO WIND PRESSURE. IT COULD OPEN AND SEPARATE ENTIRELY FROM THE VEHICLE.

Remedy

DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, MODIFY ANCHORAGES TO MAKE SURE POP TOP WILL BE SECURED UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS.

Complaints by component

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

Total complaints2

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Consumer states that while approaching a stop sign, a big cloud of smoke was coming from the rear of the vehicle, when lifting the cover to the engine compartment, consumer could see it burning with a bright white flame, consumer states the cause of the fire was due to a faulty fuel injection…”

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM · reported 2002-06-29

“When driving over a puddle of water, water gets trapped on top of fuel tank, causing tank to rust, resulting in a fuel leakage. Please provide details. *ak”

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

Defect investigations

Investigation PE90024 Opened 1989-12-04 · closed 1990-02-20

FUEL LEAK, EVAPORATIVE VNT

There is no summary currently available

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.