1987 Volkswagen Fox

The 1987 Volkswagen Fox has 3 recalls, the most serious involving both a hood that can fly open at speed and a steering wheel that can loosen on its shaft, either of which can result in loss of vehicle control.

The hood latch mechanism can corrode and seize, and if neither the primary nor secondary latch is properly engaged, the hood can flip up while driving and block the driver's forward view. On the steering side, the wheel can work loose from the steering shaft, reducing the driver's ability to steer predictably. There is also a heating system concern: if the vehicle is driven after a cooling system component fails, pressure can build until the heater core leaks hot coolant into the cabin, which can burn a passenger's feet or fill the interior with steam that obscures the driver's vision.