Vehicle recall R/2005/163

Volkswagen Transporter recall: Handbrake may fail

DVSA recall R/2005/163 names the Volkswagen Transporter. It was launched 7 December 2005. It covers vehicles built 1 May 2003 to 30 June 2004.

Recall data updated 22 September 2026

Recall: R/2005/163
Launched: 7 December 2005
Issued by: VW
Manufacturer reference: 46ES
Vehicles: 8,345 across the lines below

What can go wrong

The handbrake may not fully engage and a sudden release of the handbrake potentially allowing the vehicle to 'run away' cannot be ruled out.

The fix

Recall the likely to be affected vehicles and replace the handbrake lever and the push button.

Models and build dates

As listed in the DVSA recall file. Vehicle numbers are DVSA figures for each line.
Model	Built	Vehicles
Volkswagen Transporter	1 May 2003 to 30 June 2004	8,345

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/2004/210 Bolts of the tandem fuel pump cover may break 24 February 2005, Volkswagen Transporter, Volkswagen Caddy
R/2006/205 2nd row seat backrest may not latch correctly 15 January 2007, Volkswagen Transporter
R/2004/043 Steering rack mountings may loosen 2 June 2004, Volkswagen Transporter
R/2016/112 Side airbag of front left seat may not deploy correctly in collision & may have some passenger collision protection missing 27 May 2016, Volkswagen Transporter
R/1994/032 Loosening of steering u/j clamping bolt 1 September 1994, Volkswagen Caravelle, Volkswagen Transporter
R/2017/079 Airbag/belt tensioners may not trigger in event of an accident 22 March 2017, Volkswagen Scirocco, Volkswagen Transporter, Volkswagen Crafter and others

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.

See an example Buying Report Free car tools

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