Research · complaint index
Volkswagen Cabrio years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 7 model years of the Volkswagen Cabrio by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2001 stands out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 30 | 1 | 1.7 | 0 | 4 | Typical |
| 2001 | 38 | 1 | 2.0 | 1 | 6 | Most complaints |
| 2000 | 16 | 1 | 0.8 | 1 | 1 | Typical |
| 1999 | 29 | 1 | 1.4 | 0 | 4 | Typical |
| 1998 | 21 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 4 | Typical |
| 1997 | 14 | 0 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 | Typical |
| 1996 | 6 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 2 | Fewest complaints |
- 200230 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 200138 complaints · 1 recallMost complaints
- 200016 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 199929 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 199821 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 199714 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 19966 complaints · 0 recallsFewest complaints
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 10, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 1996.
About this comparison
What Volkswagen Cabrio years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2001 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 7 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.