Vehicle recall R/1998/056

Volkswagen Passat recall: The drivers air bag could have been unintentionally deactivated

DVSA recall R/1998/056 names the Volkswagen Passat and a line with no model name. It was launched 15 July 1998. DVSA does not record the build dates for this recall.

Recall data updated 22 September 2026

Recall: R/1998/056
Launched: 15 July 1998
Issued by: VW
Vehicles: DVSA lists 121 on each model line

What can go wrong

On certain vehicles were the owner had requested to have the passengers air bag deactivated it is possible that during the deactivation process the drivers air bag could have been deactivated instead of the passengers.

The fix

Interrogate the air bag control unit and reconnect the wiring to the drivers air bag

Models and build dates

As listed in the DVSA recall file. DVSA lists the same vehicle number on each line: 121. It may be a figure per line or for the whole recall.
Model	Built	Vehicles
Volkswagen Passat	not recorded	121
Volkswagen (model not named in the DVSA file)	not recorded	121

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/1998/052 1) air mass meter grid may detach and jam throttle open & fuel pipes & 2) metal brake pipes may chafe on rear subframe 17 July 1998, Volkswagen Passat
R/1999/001 Tow bar ball end may loosen 15 January 1999, Volkswagen Passat
R/1996/008 Insecurity of fan blade 12 February 1996, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Passat
R/1995/008 Failure of headlamps 6 September 1995, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Passat
R/2004/108 Rh shock absorber mounting may not be correctly torqued 29 July 2004, Volkswagen Passat
R/2004/211 Bolts of the tandem fuel pump cover may break 3 March 2005, Volkswagen Bora, Volkswagen Beetle, Volkswagen Golf and others

Found one you might buy?

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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