Total Complaints
2 filings
VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO · model year
1978 VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1978VOLKSWAGENSCIROCCO carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 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 1978 SCIROCCO is service brakes, hydraulic with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (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 1978 SCIROCCO, 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.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110725SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
VIN NUMBER = [XXX] VW DEALER 4724 ROOSEVELT WAY NORTHEAST, SEATTLE, WA (206) 634-3322 HAS NOT BEING HELPFUL WITH 1978 VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC RECALL 83V116000. MY BRAKES FAILED GOING DOWN A HILL IN OCT 2010 FORTUNATELY I DOWNSHIFTED AND USE THE HANDBRAKES TO COME TO A STOP. I HAD TRULINE POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL IN 1983 AND I MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAVE VW MAKE THE REPAIR SINCE SAFETY RECALLS AE FOREVER. UNIVERSITY VW HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL WITH MY PROBLEM AS I LEFT MY CAR THERE FOR NEARLY A MONTH AND ALL THEY COULD SAY WAS THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PARTS OR THEY ARE WAITING FOR FEEDBACK FROM VW HEADQUARTERS. I'D TRIED EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS TO UNIVERSITY VW AND STILL GETTING THE SAME REPLY. *TR
Mileage: 220,000
20110725SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
VIN NUMBER = [XXX] VW DEALER 4724 ROOSEVELT WAY NORTHEAST, SEATTLE, WA (206) 634-3322 HAS NOT BEING HELPFUL WITH 1978 VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC RECALL 83V116000. MY BRAKES FAILED GOING DOWN A HILL IN OCT 2010 FORTUNATELY I DOWNSHIFTED AND USE THE HANDBRAKES TO COME TO A STOP. I HAD TRULINE POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL IN 1983 AND I MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAVE VW MAKE THE REPAIR SINCE SAFETY RECALLS AE FOREVER. UNIVERSITY VW HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL WITH MY PROBLEM AS I LEFT MY CAR THERE FOR NEARLY A MONTH AND ALL THEY COULD SAY WAS THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PARTS OR THEY ARE WAITING FOR FEEDBACK FROM VW HEADQUARTERS. I'D TRIED EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS TO UNIVERSITY VW AND STILL GETTING THE SAME REPLY. *TR
Mileage: 220,000
Compare 1978VOLKSWAGENSCIROCCO 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 1978 VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO have?▼
The 1978 VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1978 VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1978 VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS.
Is the 1978 VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO 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.