1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Recalls, Complaints & Specs
3 safety recalls list the 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit, and owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
3 safety recalls for the 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Tie rod assembly (steering)
A lock nut which secures the tie rod to the inner ball joint of the steering system may not have been securely fastened on some of the involved vehicles during assembly. If this condition exists and the vehicle is driven along poor roads for an extended period of time, the tie rod could separate from the steering assembly.
Remedy: Dealer will check the lock nut for adequate tightness, correcting where necessary.
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Tie rod assembly (steering)
The left and right outer tie rod ends of the steering system may have circumferential cracks due to an improper machine set-up in the manufacturing process.
Remedy: The tie rod ends will be inspected and, if necessary, replaced at no charge to owner.
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Filler pipe and cap (fuel system)
On some vehicles, the pressure could increase inside the fuel tank from high surrounding temperatures when the fuel tank is more than half full.
Remedy: Dealer will install a restrictor valve into the fuel filler pipe, without charge to owner.
1 owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash. Reports cite 1 injury and 0 deaths. Complaints peaked in 1998 with 1 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Consumer had an accident and seat belts did not hold. Driver sustained several injuries. *ak”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 13, 1998 · Seat belts
Compare Volkswagen Rabbit model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Volkswagen Rabbit model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit | 5 | 0 |
| 1976 Volkswagen Rabbit | 5 | 0 |
| 1977 Volkswagen Rabbit | 6 | 0 |
| 1978 Volkswagen Rabbit | 9 | 0 |
| 1979 Volkswagen Rabbit | 6 | 0 |
| 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit | 3 | 2 |
| 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit | 3 | 1 |
| 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit | 1 | 5 |
| 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit | 1 | 1 |
| 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit | 1 | 1 |
| 1985 Volkswagen Rabbit | 1 | 1 |
| 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit | 1 | 13 |
| 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit | 2 | 54 |
| 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit | 2 | 23 |
| 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit | 2 | 62 |
Checking a specific 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit
How do I know if my 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 3 campaigns currently list the 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Volkswagen dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 81V058000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Volkswagen models
- Jetta10,000 complaints
- Passat7,705 complaints
- Beetle2,596 complaints
- Tiguan2,300 complaints
- Atlas1,999 complaints
- Golf1,439 complaints
- GTI1,405 complaints
- ID.41,007 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.