Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1993 Volkswagen Corrado, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine and engine cooling23
- Visibility20
- Electrical system6
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Steering1
- Seat belts1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1993 Volkswagen Corrado failed the safety check 0.79% of the time — 34% less often than the average 1993 passenger car (1.20%). Median odometer at inspection: 130,000 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 1993 Volkswagen Corrado cars on Dutch roads are the 2.9 petrol (140 kW, 188 hp) and 2.0 petrol (100 kW, 134 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.9 petrol | 140 kW 188 hp | 57 |
| 2.0 petrol | 100 kW 134 hp | 24 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
109 first registered in 1993 are on Dutch roads; 74% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Stofhoes stuurinrichting beschadigd, dicht niet af5
- Remverschil op 1 as te groot5
- Waarschuwingsinrichting antiblokkeersysteem geeft defect aan4
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht3
- Schijf-, trommelrem loopt niet vrij3
- Remleiding door corrosie aangetast3
- Onderdeel veersysteem ondeugdelijk (bevestigd)2
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld2
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
124 cars built in 1993 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 413 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 176 of these cars first registered in 1993 took their annual MOT test. 68% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1993 the figure was 67%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1993 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.2% | 17.2% |
| Brakes | 11.9% | 11.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 8.5% | 9.7% |
| Suspension | 8.5% | 10.0% |
| Visibility | 8.0% | 6.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.3% | 7.0% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
5 of these cars first registered in 1993 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 215,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 1993 Volkswagen Corrado.
| 1998231 24 Nov 1998 | Heater And Defroster On certain vehicles, excessive temperature and cooling system pressure could result in coolant leakage in the system including leakage from the heat exchanger. … |
| 1995221 11 Dec 1995 | Engine NOTE: INCLUDES PASSAT, GOLF AND JETTA TURBO DIESEL. ON 1993-94 MODELS, THE RADIATOR FAN MOTOR SHAFT COULD SEIZE AND RENDER THE FAN MOTOR INOPERATIVE. 1994-95 M… |
| 1994025 8 Feb 1994 | Electrical AN ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD BECOME DAMAGED DUE TO CHAFING. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL… |
| 1993143 27 Oct 1993 | Fuel System THE FUEL HOSE ATTACHED TO THE FUEL DISTRIBUTION RAIL, LOCATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY CLAMPED. THIS COULD LEAD TO FUEL SEEPAGE AT THE H… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH VR6 ENGINES. A COOLANT SYSTEM COMPONENT SUCH AS THE THERMO SWITCH, RADIATOR FAN, OR WATER PUMP, CAN MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE COOLANT TEMPERATURE AND COOLANT SYSTEM PRESSURE TO INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY. OVER TIME, EXCESSIVE PRESSURE CAN CAUSE LEAKAGE OF COOLANT FROMTHE SYSTEM, INCLUDING LEAKAGE FROM THE HEAT EXCHANGER.
IMPROPER MATERIAL WAS USED IN MANUFACTURING THE RADIATOR FAN MOTOR SHAFT CAUSING THE SHAFT TO WEAR AND BECOME NOISY.
AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS MAY HAVE BEEN ROUTED TOO CLOSE TO A SHEET METAL EDGE. THE WIRING CAN BECOME DAMAGED DURING NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION DUE TO CHAFING, RESULTING IN AN ELECTRICAL SHORT.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 1993 Volkswagen Corrado: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 621613 | SUBJECT REGARDING LATCH SYSTEM LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS FOR CHILDREN, INSTALLING / RETROFITTING. *TT |
| 53604 | CONDITIONS WITH ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY WILL NOT START. *YC |
| 10213836 | Airbag Issues. |
| 10159010 | The part number listed in the document is to be returned if it meets the criteria provided. |
| 10157383 | VAS 6154 Replacement Part Setup Guide |
| 10155644 | This special notice is to inform dealers to return all part numbers listed in the document and order the superseded part numbers going forward. |
| 10128105 | This document contains the VW Elsa Newsletter that contains a general overview of wiring diagrams updates, technical bulletins, pending service solutions, tech tips, campaigns, updates, and suggestions. |
| 10128104 | This document contains the VW Elsa Newsletter that contains a general overview of wiring diagrams updates, ElsaPro infomedia icons grayed out, workshop equipment tool storage application, technical bulletins, pending service solutions, tech tips, campaigns, updates, and suggestions. |
| 10128055 | This communication is to update our ProFi dealers of the current status of the latest inbound and outbound ProFi requests. |
| 10126785 | Update model year applicability to include 2017. |
| 10026848 | VOLKSWAGEN: EXHAUST HEAT SHIELD, REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES. HEAT SHIELDS ARE TO BE INSPECTED AFTER COMPLETION O ANY TYPE OF REPAIR TO THE UNDERBODY (EXHAUST SYSTEM TRANSMISSION, ETC.), AND IF DAMAGED, REPLACED. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)