1991 Volkswagen Corrado Problems and Recalls (7 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1991 Volkswagen Corrado is Engine (29% of 7 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 7 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 1991 Volkswagen Corrado?

2 of 7 filings named Engine (29% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Electrical (1 reports).

There are 2 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1990 has 39 reports on file; this year has 7. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 1991 Volkswagen Corrado

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 2 campaigns on file below.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  4. Lights. Walk around the vehicle: headlights, brake lights and turn signals all working.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Engine 2 complaints · 28.6% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 2
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 0
  • Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Engine (ENGINE) appears in 2 of 7 owner complaints (28.6%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 2 complaints, 28.6% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 2 · 28.6% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 1 complaints, 14.3% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 · 14.3% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 1 complaints, 14.3% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 · 14.3% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 1 complaints, 14.3% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 crash reports 1 · 14.3% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 1 complaints, 14.3% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 crash reports 1 · 14.3% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 1 complaints, 14.3% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 · 14.3% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 5 complaints, 71.4% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 5 · 71.4% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Engine (ENGINE) 2 28.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 14.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 14.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 14.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 14.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 14.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 5 71.4% 2 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 1995; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 1991. 1995-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 1997-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 1998-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 1999-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 1991 Jan 2017 Recall campaign 91V068000 ◆ Recall campaign 91V068000 Recall campaign 92V058000 ◆ Recall campaign 92V058000
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1995-Q2 Owner reports 2
1997-Q1 Owner reports 1
1998-Q4 Owner reports 1
1999-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 91V068000
Recall campaign 1 92V058000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (2)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system.

  1. Recall campaign 91V068000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    A LOOSE AND IMPROPERLY SEATED FUEL PUMP CAN CAUSEREDUCED FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE RESULTING IN POSSIBLE DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS ANDSTALLING OF THE VEHICLE.
    Remedy:
    REPLACE FUEL FILTER.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  2. Recall campaign 92V058000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAN CAUSE AN UNDERHOOD FIRE IF THE FUEL COMES IN CONTACT WITH A SOURCE OF IGNITION.
    Remedy:
    REPLACE THE FUEL HOSE ATTACHED TO THE FUEL RAIL AND INSTALL A NEW SPRING TYPE SELF-TIGHTENING CLAMP.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 7 of 7 complaints · page 1 of 1
2017-01-18Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 10946196
CrashFireInjuryDeath
FOUND VEHICLE HAS A BAD HEATER CORE. WHILE DOING RESEARCH I FOUND THE VEHICLE HAS A RECALL WITH RECALL ID IS 96V-115. THE VIN FALLS WITHIN THE COVERED RECALL PER THE DOCUMENT I'M ATTACHING AND VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA IS REFUSING TO COVER IT. *TR
2013-11-27Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10554038
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I WAS DRIVING DOWN HOPE ROAD HEADING TO BEARINGS & SEALS TO GET SOME OIL WHILE PASSING JAMAICA COLLEGE IN THE DUAL PASSAGE LANE I WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD (WITH THE ISLAND TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR) WITH ME IN THE LEFT DRIVER SEAT AND MY FRIEND IN THE RIGHT SIDE A BIG SUV DROVE UP BESIDE US WITH A ELDER LADY DRIVING SHE WAS IN THE LEFT LANE WE WERE BOTH HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE U.S EMBASSY SHE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A U TURN AND WHILE DOING SO HIT THE LEFT SIDE OF MY 1990 VOLKSWAGEN CORRODE THE REAR PANEL DOOR AND FENDER WAS AFFECTED. *TR
1999-08-18Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
NHTSA ODI 710142
CrashFireInjuryDeath
NO SUMMARY
1998-12-23Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 832625
CrashFireInjuryDeath
VEHICLE HAD BLOWN A FUSE FOR THE AIR CONDITIONER & POWER LOCK. TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC NOTICED ELECTRICAL WIRES LOOKED LIKE SAWED. THE MAIN WIRE HARNESS HAD RUBBED AGAINST THE GROUND STRAPS ON THE OXYGEN SENSORS. *AK
1997-02-20Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 514926
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DRIVER'S SIDE EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR IS HEATED, CAUSING SILVER TO ERODE FROM THE BACK OF THE GLASS, THE USABLE PART OF THE MIRROR GROWS SMALLER AND SMALLER/POOR VISIBILITY.
1995-05-26Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 965933
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THERE IS OIL IN THE COOLING SYSTEM OIL AND WATER MIX. TT
1995-04-07Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 963419
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ABS: ANTI-LOCK BRAKE PUMP FAILED; LOST ALL BRAKING POWER; CAUSED ACCIDENT. TT

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1991 Volkswagen Corrado?

Owners named Engine most often — 2 of 7 reports (29%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1991 Volkswagen Corrado?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 1991 Volkswagen Corrado?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources