Total Complaints
16 filings
VOLKSWAGEN FOX · model year
1990 VOLKSWAGEN FOX
16 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990VOLKSWAGENFOX carries 16 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 FOX is fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump with 3 filings, followed by visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:heater core (2) and seat belts:front:webbing (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 1990 FOX, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
16
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 3 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010329ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WIRES THAT CONTROL CAR BURNED OUT ON HIGHWAY, AND VEHICLE SHOOK AND KEPT CUTTING OFF. FUEL PUMP WAS NOT PUMPING FUEL THROUGH OUT CAR.*AK
20010329FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
WIRES THAT CONTROL CAR BURNED OUT ON HIGHWAY, AND VEHICLE SHOOK AND KEPT CUTTING OFF. FUEL PUMP WAS NOT PUMPING FUEL THROUGH OUT CAR.*AK
20000725FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
LEFT TURN ONLY AND HARD ACCELERATION ENGINE WILL FALTER LIKE STARVED FOR FUEL. WILL OCCUR WITH FULL OR EMPTY FUEL TANK. REPLACED FUEL PUMP TWICE.
19980603UNKNOWN OR OTHER
RECALL LOCATION.
19980427FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP
FUEL FILLER FAILURE.
19970609POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
OWNER TRIED TO PUT THE CAR IN THIRD GEAR AND THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER BROKE OFF. *AK
19970303FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
OWNER STATES WHILE IN THE GAS STATION HIS VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, OWNER NOTES THAT FIRE STARTED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, HE BELIVES IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE FUEL PUMP. *AK
19961104ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
RECALL NO- 95V105000, THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM, NO PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. *AK
19960911FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
THE FUEL TANK CRACKED, CAUSING A LEAK. PLEASE DESCRIBE .*AK
19960828FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
DRIVING THE VEHICLE SAW UNDER THE DASH SMOKE, APPARENT ELECTRICAL SHORT, WIRING CAUGHT ON FIRE, VEHICLE COMPLETE BURNED. *AK
19960401STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD
HOOD FLEW UP WHILE DRIVING HIT WINDSHIELD TWICE. PLEASE GIVE MORE DETAILS. *AK
19951211VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN RECALL NO 95V105000, DEALER REPLACED HEATER CORE WHICH RUINED THE ENGINE. TT
19951020ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THE OIL LEAK DEALER FIXED IS STILL HAVING THE PROBLEM PURCHASED USED HAVING MORE PROBLEM . TT`
19950830POWER TRAIN
PURCHASE CAR NEW REPLACED THE SPEEDOMETER HEAD TWO TIMES AND HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM NOW . TT
19950420VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
HEATER CORE FAILED. *SKD
19950314SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
SHOULDER BELT NEEDS TO BE FASTEN TO START THE ENGINE. COPPER WIRES MOVED AND BROKE. TT
Compare 1990VOLKSWAGENFOX to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA24004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
RQ24010Recall QueryClosed
Inadvertent Door Opening
RQ23007Recall QueryClosed
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
PE23017Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
EQ22001EQClosed
LGES High Voltage Battery Failures
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 VOLKSWAGEN FOX have?▼
The 1990 VOLKSWAGEN FOX has 16 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 VOLKSWAGEN FOX?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 VOLKSWAGEN FOX is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING.
Is the 1990 VOLKSWAGEN FOX safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.