1990 Volkswagen Cabriolet

Routine

Owners filed 8 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. It has been recalled 4 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags4
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control1
000
Air Bags › Frontal1
000

4 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings92V058000
Filed Apr 14, 1992358,000 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. THE FUEL HOSE ATTACHED TO THE FUEL DISTRIBUTION RAIL ON THE ENGINE MAY SHRINK BEYOND THE CLAMP FORCE OF THE FUEL HOSE CLAMPS, ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK.

Risk. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAN CAUSE AN UNDERHOOD FIRE IF THE FUEL COMES IN CONTACT WITH A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Remedy. REPLACE THE FUEL HOSE ATTACHED TO THE FUEL RAIL AND INSTALL A NEW SPRING TYPE SELF-TIGHTENING CLAMP.

Air Bags91V215000
Filed Dec 13, 19918,500 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. THE AIRBAG HARNESS WIRE MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY ROUTED THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE DASHBOARD CROSSMEMBER AND COULD BE PINCHED AND CHAFED BETWEEN TWO PANELS EVENTUALLY RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE WIRE.

Risk. IF THE AIRBAG HARNESS WIRE IS DAMAGED, THE PASSIVERESTRAINT SYSTEM WILL BECOME INOPERATIVE. THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT WILLILLUMINATE, BUT THE PASSIVE RESTRAINT WILL NOT FUNCTION UNTIL THE WIRE ISREPAIRED.

Remedy. SECURE WIRE TO THE CROSSMEMBER WITH A CLIP.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly91V201000
Filed Nov 18, 199151,000 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. A CRACK CAN DEVELOP IN THE FUEL TANK ADJACENT TO A SEAM WELD IN THE REAR OF THE TANK.

Risk. FUEL CAN LEAK FROM THE CRACKED FUEL TANK WHICH COULDCATCH FIRE IN THE PRESENCE OF A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Remedy. CHECK VEHICLE WITH A SPECIALLY DESIGNED TOOL FOR THE PRESENCE OF A FUEL TANK CRACK, AND REPLACE FUEL TANK IF DEFECT IS FOUND.

Vehicle Speed Control91V162000
Filed Sep 11, 199111,300 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. THE CENTER OF THE WATER SEPARATOR PANEL LOCATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BETWEEN ENGINE AND FIREWALL COULD BEND IN THE EVENT SOMEONE LEANS ON IT DURING ENGINE MAINTENANCE, REPAIRS OR CHECKING OF FLUID LEVELS. A BENT PANEL COULD INTERFERE WITH THE FREE MOVEMENT OF THE ACCELERATOR LINKAGE.

Risk. INTERFERENCE WITH THE FREE MOVEMENT OF THE ACCELERATORLINKAGE COULD RESULT IN UNWANTED ACCELERATION WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

Remedy. INSTALL REINFORCEMENT BRACKET TO SECURE SEPARATOR PANEL.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Sep 15, 2003NY

CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER 91V215000 CONCERNING THE AIR BAGS. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO SEND ANOTHER LETTER TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED. THE AIR BAG DEFECT HAS OCCURRED. *AK THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHICH MEANT THE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF A COLLISION. *PH *JB

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Apr 9, 2002MA

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 91V201000 FOR FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE IS LEAKING GASOLINE. DEALERSHIP INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND PROBLEM WASN'T SOLVED. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

Air Bags
Filed May 8, 2000CA

AFTER A TURN, ARIBARG WARNINGS LIGHTS TURNED ON AND WONT TURN OFF. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control
Filed Sep 30, 1999CA

VAPORS APPEAR WHEN CONSUMER FILLS UP VEHICLE. ALSO, CONSUMER CAN ONLY GET A HALF TANK OF GAS WHEN FILLING UP VEHICLE DUE TO A SHORTAGE WITHIN THE TANK.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Jun 24, 1999NJ

GAS TANK FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE, RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. (92V-058). MJS

Air Bags
Filed Feb 8, 1997AZ

DEFECTIVE AIR BAG.

Air Bags › Frontal
Filed Feb 20, 1996NJ

WHILE DRIVING, AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT STAYS ON CONTINUOUSLY, DUE TO AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT MALFUNCTIONED, DLR/MFR WON'T ASSIST. TT

Air Bags
Filed Oct 26, 1995CA

AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON, AIRBAG CENTRAL CONTROL UNIT IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TT

8 of 8 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Apr 14, 1992. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.