Volkswagen Cabrio Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 186 consumer complaints across the 11 model years of the Volkswagen Cabrio (1991–2002) that have at least 5 complaints. 2001 has the most, with 38. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (42 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Cabrio model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 23 | 52,450 | 0 | 141 | — | Stable |
| 2001 | 38 | 42,750 | 1 | 123 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 16 | 39,500 | 1 | 120 | — | Stable |
| 1999 | 29 | 62,500 | 0 | 63 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1998 | 21 | 85,000 | 1 | 51 | — | Stable |
| 1997 | 14 | 92,500 | 0 | 29 | — | Not enough data |
| 1996 | 6 | 200,000 | 0 | 19 | — | Not enough data |
| 1995 | 15 | 63,000 | 0 | 14 | — | Stable |
| 1993 | 8 | 10,000 | 0 | 9 | — | Not enough data |
| 1992 | 9 | 125,750 | 1 | 9 | — | Not enough data |
| 1991 | 7 | 87,000 | 3 | 10 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system42 21%
- Engine cooling31 16%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)26 13%
- Brakes23 12%
- Air bags22 11%
- Body and structure19 9.6%
- Transmission and drivetrain18 9.1%
- Fuel system17 8.6%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1999: “The fuzebox in this car is unprotected from water and can cause a fire and any time water may leak into car. I parked my car and when I went to her back in it a hour later it wouldn't crank that's when we discovered the fuze box was melted from getting too hot due to it leaking thru the antenna o to the relays filling them with water and then cause a drip to come from relays onto fuze and burn out the fuze slit for the fuel pump which caused my car not to crank at all. This a common occurrence and could potentially be a huge problem”
NHTSA complaint #11398220, filed 2021-02, 80,000 miles2001: “I opened the windows part way to cool the car off, and when I tried to raise the driver's window, it dropped into the door and would not come up. I could hear the motor working, but the window would not come up. Having had problems with the dealer's service dept, I took it to my local mechanic and they were able to fix it. It needed a new regulator, $370 for the part + labor + tax.”
NHTSA complaint #10125053, filed 2005-06, 34,600 miles1997: “While driving my vw Cabrio home last night the highlights, dash lights, heater fan and radio all suddenly went off and the ABS failure light came on. I pulled the car off the road and the lights suddenly came back on and I was able to drive the last few miles home. I spoke to a service manager at vw today about this problem and it turns out it is an electrical part associated with the cars ignition switch and that it is well known and common failure with this car. …”
NHTSA complaint #10214882, filed 2008-01, 169,000 milesOther Volkswagen models
10,014 complaintsVolkswagen Passat
7,707 complaintsVolkswagen Beetle
2,588 complaintsVolkswagen Tiguan
2,338 complaintsVolkswagen Atlas
2,025 complaintsVolkswagen Golf
1,429 complaintsVolkswagen GTI
1,396 complaintsVolkswagen ID.4
1,025 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology