1987 Volkswagen Scirocco Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1987 Volkswagen Scirocco, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Fuel system654.5%
- Transmission436.4%
- Powertrain (other)19.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
MY CAR BEGAN LEAKING GAS RECENTLY. WHEN I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR I COULD SEE (AND I HAVE WITNESSES) THAT GAS IS RUNNING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE GAS TANK WHEN I FILL THE TANK UP. I FOUND OUT FROM SPEAKING TO SCIROCCO OWNERS ONLINE THAT MANY EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM, AND SHOWED ME THE RECALL ON THE DEFECTIVE GAS TANK LISTED ON NHTSA.DOT.GOV. I THEN TOOK THE CAR TO A VOLKSWAGEN (VW) DEALER TO INSPECT IT. RICH AT THE VW DEALER IN BURLINGTON, NJ LOOKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR SAID "THE LEAK COULD BE FROM ANYWHERE SINCE I SEE RUST ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE LEAK IS COMING FROM, BUT I REPLACE EVERYTHING UNDER THE CAR FOR $2100. I THEN NOTIFIED VW USA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND RECALL AND ASKED THEM TO REMOVE AND TEST THE GAS TANK FOR LEAKAGE. VW USA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE A RECALL CAMPAIGN ON MY VEHICLE, AND THEY REFUSE TO REMOVE AND TEST THE GAS TANK FOR LEAKAGE, AND REPLACEMENT!! PLEASE NOTE: I HAVE THE MEMO THAT VA SENT TO DEALERSHIPS IN 1991, AND IT CLEARLY STATES WHAT MUST BE DONE TO TEST AND REPLACE THE GAS TANK. IT INCLUDES REMOVING THE TANK TO TEST IT AND ALL THE REPLACEMENT PARTS THAT MUST BE INSTALLED WITH THIS JOB. I WILL BE GLAD TO FAX IT TO YOU FOR YOUR RECORDS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT VW USA DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM/RECALL AND WILL NOT EVEN REMOVE, TEST AND REPLACE THE GAS TANK, AND I AM IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH GAS LEAKING. MY CAR CAN CATCH ON FIRE OR EXPLODE. I NEED HELP TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS THIS IS A SERIOUS DANGER TO MYSELF AND OTHERS. PLEASE HELP ! *LA
CONTACTED VW DEALERSHIP AFTER BEING NOTIFIED REPEATEDLY BY VWOA TO GET THE TANK REPLACED AND THEY REFUSED TO CHANGE IT AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR A DAY AND PUTTING 30 MILES ON IT...AM I GOING TO BLOW UP NOW? ALSO..CIRCLIPS IN TRANSMISSION CASING MADE THE TRANSMISSION GRENADE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NLM' **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*734286
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE VW TRANSMISSION, KNOWN AS THE 020, ON THE 16V MODELS ARE GARBAGE. RING GEAR RIVITS SHEAR AND ARE PUNCHED THROUGH THE HOUSING DESTROYING THE UNIT COMPLETELY. I HAVE GONE THROUGH FIVE AND HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS FALL VICTOM TO THIS POORLY MANUFACTURED PART. VW CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY AND OWNERS ARE LEFT TO FIX THEIR CARS OUT OF POCKET.*AK
ALL THREE OF THESE TRANSMISSION FAILURES COST ME A TOTAL OF $2700 DUE TO THE FACT THAT 2 CLIPS WERE TAKEN OUT OF THE DESIGN. THESE TWO CLIPS WOULD HAVE COST THE MFGR ABOUT $0.50 OR SO AND COST ME ALOT MORE THAN THAT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONTACTED VW DEALERSHIP AFTER BEING NOTIFIED REPEATEDLY BY VWOA TO GET THE TANK REPLACED AND THEY REFUSED TO CHANGE IT AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR A DAY AND PUTTING 30 MILES ON IT...AM I GOING TO BLOW UP NOW? ALSO..CIRCLIPS IN TRANSMISSION CASING MADE THE TRANSMISSION GRENADE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NLM' **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*734286
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .