Reliability & cost of ownership
Volkswagen Cabrio Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Volkswagen Cabrio? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Volkswagen Cabrio problems by model year
3 recall entries and 162 owner complaints on file across 8 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Cabrio | 0 | 23 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 Cabrio | 1 | 38 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2000 Cabrio | 1 | 16 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1999 Cabrio | 0 | 29 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1998 Cabrio | 1 | 21 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1997 Cabrio | 0 | 14 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1996 Cabrio | 0 | 6 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 1995 Cabrio | 0 | 15 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Volkswagen Cabrio, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system37 complaints
- engine and engine cooling27 complaints
- visibility21 complaints
- air bags19 complaints
- service brakes19 complaints
- power train18 complaints
- structure17 complaints
- hydraulic15 complaints