Selling a non-running or junk Volkswagen Corrado

A Corrado that overheats, won't start or has sat for a decade can still be sold. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.

The car in brief

Wikipedia calls the Corrado a sport compact built from 1988 to 1995 by Karmann in Osnabrück, Germany, and styled by Herbert Schäfer. It sits on Volkswagen's A2 and B3 platforms, is related to the Golf Mk2, and is front-engine, front-wheel drive with a 5-speed manual. Its infobox lists 1.8-liter, supercharged 1.8-liter and 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engines. It replaced the Scirocco Mk2 and was followed by the Scirocco Mk3.

EPA's fuel economy file covers model years 1990 to 1994, sold as the Corrado and the Corrado SLC.

What the complaint file shows, year by year

Owner reports in NHTSA's file, counted through October 10, 2026. A 1994 has had a few fewer years than a 1990 to draw them. The 1995 row falls past EPA's last year; that complaint was filed under 1995. Each recall number is the count of campaigns NHTSA attaches to that year.

1990-1991

The 1990 has 39 complaints. Besides engine and engine cooling, owners named seat belts (8) and visibility (8). Three recalls reach it. Recall 91V068000 replaced the fuel filter on 1990-1991 cars because its housing, which holds the in-tank fuel pump, could deform and let the pump come loose. Recall 92V058000 covered 1989-1992 cars: the hose on the fuel rail could shrink until the clamps no longer held it tight, letting fuel escape. Recall 96V115000 replaced the heat exchanger on 1989-1990 cars, since an engine run while overheated could push coolant pressure high enough to make it leak.

1992-1993

These two years hold 98 of the 149 complaints. On the 1992, visibility leads with 30, then engine and engine cooling (11) and electrical (4), and seven people were reported injured. On the 1993, engine and engine cooling leads with 21, then visibility (20) and electrical (5), with three fires reported.

Recall 93V102000 rerouted an underhood wiring harness on 1992-1993 cars that could chafe on a sheet metal edge and short. Recall 95V178000 replaced the radiator fan assembly on 1993-1995 cars whose fan motor shaft was made of the wrong material and could wear and get noisy. Recall 98V295000 covers 1992-1994 cars with VR6 engines: if the thermo switch, radiator fan or water pump acted up, coolant temperature and pressure could climb, so dealers fitted a 5 mm pressure reducer in the heater core inlet hose.

A note on vehicle counts

Each recall's vehicle total spans its entire campaign, and other models can be in it. The 358,000 on the fuel rail hose recall, for instance, is not a count of Corrados.

Worth fixing?

• Look up the VIN first at NHTSA's recall lookup, then ask a Volkswagen dealer whether any of the cooling campaigns still show open.
• Running hot or losing coolant? Our head gasket and overheating guide covers what to check before you commit to the repair.
• Half apart in a garage? See old project car for how to sell one that never got finished.

A big repair deserves a written quote, weighed against the price of a running Corrado of similar year and condition.

Selling the Corrado whole

1. List the essentials: VIN, miles, the fault, and SLC or not.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Say where it's kept and whether the wheels turn. A car stored on flat tires is fine; just tell us.
4. Sell the whole car as it sits. Leave the wheels, engine and converter where they are, and list any parts you've sold.
5. On pickup day, the title and your photo ID are what's needed. Plates depend on your state; see after you sell.

Other Volkswagens of the era: the Scirocco, Golf and Rabbit, or every Volkswagen we cover.