Vehicle recall R/1997/001

Volkswagen Golf recall: Possible failure of headlamps

DVSA recall R/1997/001 names the Volkswagen Golf and Volkswagen Vento. It was launched 27 February 1997. It covers vehicles built 1 November 1994 to 28 February 1995.

Recall data updated 22 September 2026

Recall: R/1997/001
Launched: 27 February 1997
Issued by: VW
Vehicles: DVSA lists 9,700 on each model line

What can go wrong

The wiring harness can cause the headlamp switch to overheat with consequent failure of the headlamps.

The fix

Recall the affected vehicles for modification to the light switch cable and replacement of the headlamp switch.

Models and build dates

As listed in the DVSA recall file. DVSA lists the same vehicle number on each line: 9,700. It may be a figure per line or for the whole recall.
Model	Built	Vehicles
Volkswagen Golf	1 November 1994 to 28 February 1995	9,700
Volkswagen Vento	1 November 1994 to 28 February 1995	9,700

Is a specific car affected? A recall lists models and build dates, not individual vehicles, so these pages cannot tell you whether one car is included. Enter the registration on the DVSA vehicle recall checker on GOV.UK, or give the vehicle identification number (VIN) to the manufacturer or one of its dealers. Buying used? Ask the seller for proof that any recall work was done.

Other recalls for these models

R/1996/008 Insecurity of fan blade 12 February 1996, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Passat
R/1995/089 Possibility of coolant leakage into passenger compartment 25 January 1996, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Golf
R/1995/008 Failure of headlamps 6 September 1995, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Passat
R/1994/069 Ball joint to wishbone security 14 November 1994, Volkswagen Golf
R/2001/006 Child seat security concern 22 January 2001, Volkswagen Golf
R/2001/011 Passenger airbag concern 26 February 2001, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Bora

Found one you might buy?

A recall is one part of the picture. See how often it fails its MOT at each age, or what the VetTheCar Buying Report tells you about a specific car.

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Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA vehicle recall records (RecallsFile.csv), recalls launched 1992 to 2026. Recall data updated 22 September 2026.

Recall wording is DVSA's, with capitals and punctuation tidied and American spellings such as tire, center and windshield given in British English. We list a recall when its make and model match a car or van family with at least 1,000 DVSA MOT tests from 2022 to 2025, and when the maker of the vehicle issued it.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. Methodology · Data sources