1990 Volkswagen Passat

The 1990 Volkswagen Passat has 3 recalls, the most serious involving a loose tube inside the throttle housing that can block the throttle and prevent the engine from returning to idle, causing unintended acceleration when a gear is engaged.

On the cooling side, if the engine overheats and continues to run, coolant pressure can rise until the heater core inside the cabin leaks, spraying hot coolant onto the driver's feet or filling the interior with steam that temporarily blinds the driver. On vehicles equipped with heated front seats, the seat back heaters can concentrate heat in one spot or run hotter than the controls allow, and the only way to stop them is to shut the heaters off entirely.