Vehicle recall R/1999/001

Volkswagen Passat recall: Tow bar ball end may loosen

DVSA recall R/1999/001 names the Volkswagen Passat. It was launched 15 January 1999. It covers vehicles built 1 January 1996 to 30 June 1998.

Recall data updated 22 September 2026

Recall: R/1999/001
Launched: 15 January 1999
Issued by: VW
Vehicles: 224 across the lines below

What can go wrong

Advised by manufacturer for vehicles with PEKA tow bar the description of the ball end installation in the instruction manual is unclear. In isolated cases the ball end can loosen because of a wrong installation.

The fix

A new instruction manual will be sent to owners of affected vehicles.

Models and build dates

As listed in the DVSA recall file. Vehicle numbers are DVSA figures for each line.
Model	Built	Vehicles
Volkswagen Passat	1 January 1996 to 30 June 1998	224

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/1998/056 The drivers air bag could have been unintentionally deactivated 15 July 1998, 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