The 1987 Volkswagen Golf has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 938,520 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE END CAP CONNECTING THE HEAT EXCHANGER'S CORE TO THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM COULD RUPTURE AND ALLOW HOT COOLANT TO ESCAPE INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.
THE COOLANT ESCAPING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT COULDCONTACT THE DRIVER'S FEET AND INJURE THE DRIVER. ALSO, STEAM FROM THE HEATEDLIQUID WILL CLOUD ON THE WINDOW SURFACES AND IMPAIR THE DRIVER'S VISION ANDCOULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
REPLACE THE HEATER CORE WITH AN IMPROVED HEATER CORE.
THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL LUG NUTS MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY TORQUED.
AN IMPROPERLY TORQUED WHEEL MAY LOOSEN OVER A PERIOD OFTIME AND COULD EVENTUALLY SEPARATE, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.
INSPECT AND RE-TORQUE LEFT FRONT WHEEL LUG NUTS.
FUEL PUMP, LOCATED INSIDE FUEL TANK, COULD SEIZE DURING HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES BECAUSE OF AN EXTREME FINE MESH FUEL FILTER RESTRICTING THE FUEL FLOW.
FUEL SUPPLY TO ENGINE WOULD BE PARTIALLY INTERRUPTED,RESULTING IN STALLING.
INSTALL A MODIFIED FUEL PUMP AND FILTER.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Transfer fuel pump would not work properly. It would fail to supply fuel to the pump. This caused the vehicle to stall out. Its an intermittent problem. Only happens when the weather is warm or vehicle has been running for a while. *ak”
“Consumer was traveling about 70mph on the highway and the car just stopped. No prior warning as has he was driving. Consumer drifted to the shoulder. He tried to restart the vehicle, and it started. *ak”
“After rain, the driver's side seat belt becomes wet/mouldy and presents a foul odor. *ak”
“When applying the brakes, the mounting bracket that attaches to the brake pedal and clutch pedal is starting to break, causing an extended stopping distance. *ak”
There is no summary currently available
There is no summary currently available
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1987 Volkswagen Golf as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.