2000 Volkswagen Cabrio Owner Complaints

PURCHASED A 2000 VW CABRIO FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP IN NEW JERSEY (THAT WAS MY FIRST MISTAKE AS I AM A NEW YORK RESIDENT.) TEST DROVE AND VISUAL INSPECTION APPEARED GREAT. DROVE THE CAR OFF THE LOT AND WITHIN 3 MILES, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CHECKED FLUIDS, PROCEEDED WITH OUR TRIP HOME. WITHIN 10 MILES, THE CAR'S MANUAL TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF FIFTH GEAR WHILE GOING 65MPS ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY. WITH THE DEALERSHIP CLOSED (AND BEING THE CAR WAS SOLD "AS-IS", WE LIMPED HOME. THE 2 HOUR TRIP ENDED UP TAKING NEARLY 3 HOURS. MECHANIC FOUND THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN REPLACED BUT NOT REFILLED WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID. BRAND NEW TRANNY INSTALLED ONLY TO FIND THE STARTER WAS ALSO MALFUNCTIONING. MEANWHILE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON DUE TO A $409.00 SECONDARY AIR PUMP FAILURE. I HADN'T EVEN OWNED THE CAR 2 WEEKS AND HAD ALREADY SPEND OVER $2000 IN REPAIRS. I FINALLY GOT THE CAR BACK FROM MY MECHANIC, DROVE IT FOR ONE DAY, AND NOW WE APPEAR TO HAVE A TIMING BELT ISSUE AND HAVE BEEN ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR AS THERE IS A POTENTIAL INTERFERENCE WITH MY PISTONS IF THE TIMING BELT BREAKS WHILE DRIVING. OH, AND TO BOOT, I NEED A NEW SET OF REAR BRAKES. BOTTOM LINE, IF ANYONE EVER DREAMS OF BUYING A CABRIO, DON'T DO IT UNLESS YOU HAVE UNLIMITED FUNDS AND A BACK UP CAR TO DRIVE. THIS CAR SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A HOBBY AND NOT A RELIABLE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10231227

Incident

May 28, 2008

Mileage

83,300 mi

MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN 2000 VW CABRIO WENT BAD SEPT. 05, REPLACED CAR GARAGED FOR WINTER DRIVEN VERY LITTLE APPROX 15OO MILES IN APRIL 06 TRANSMISSION WENT AGAIN - SAME SYMPTOMS PROBLEM - TRANSMISSION REPLACED AGAIN OCT 07 - TRANSMISSION BAD AGAIN AFTER APPROX 5000 MILES. GEARS CHIPPING ACCUSED OF DRIVER ERROR. HAVE HAD 3 OTHER CARS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS THAT I OWNED FOR 10 YEARS NEVER A PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID

10205843

Incident

Oct 15, 2007

Mileage

70,000 mi

THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER IN THE DASHBOARD FAIL INTERMITTANTLY. *NM

NHTSA ID

10146519

Incident

Sep 30, 2005

I HAVE HAD VARIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR THE SPEEDOMETER FREEZING OR THE SINCE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. SOMETIMES MY AIR CONDITIONER WON'T START. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, ABS OR THE CHECK TRUNK COMES ON HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS JUST THE SUMMER HEAT. RECENTLY LAST MARCH I TOOK IT TO FREEWAY THEY SAID IT WAS ONE PART THAT WAS FAILING. I BOUGHT THE PART FROM VOLKSWAGEN AND HAD IT INSTALLED. THE LIGHT STILL CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO VOLKSWAGEN RIVERSIDE THEY SAID IT WAS A FUSE YET I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE OTHER PART. I ALSO BOUGHT A TURN SIGNAL SWITCH BECAUSE FREEWAY SAID THAT IS WHY MY HAZARDS COME ON INSTEAD OF A RIGHT TURN SIGNAL. IT STILL BLINKS HAZARDS TILL THIS DAY. EVEN AFTER I TOOK IT TO VOLKSWAGEN RIVERSIDE SINCE FREEWAY VOLKSWAGEN COULD NOT FIGURE IT OUT. VOLKSWAGEN RIVERSIDE TOOK MY CAR APART AND STILL COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL. THE MECHANIC WAS LOOKING FOR THE PROBLEM ALL DAY AND WHEN HE PUT MY CAR BACK TOGETHER HE FORGOT TO PUT THE LIGHT FIXTURE BACK INTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY CAR. BECAUSE OF THAT A BULB MELTED SOME PLASTIC AND IT WON'T FIT BACK IN SO IT'S HANGING IN MY TRUNK. THIS IS HAZARDOUS BECAUSE I DRIVE TO WORK ON THE FREEWAY EVERY DAY. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THESE PROBLEMS ANYMORE. I JUST WANT SOMEONE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS REALLY WRONG AND FIX IT. I HAVE SPENT APPROX 1,000 -2,000 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS THAT DIDN'T SEEM TO EVEN BE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS . SO NOW I HAVE A NEW TURN SIGNAL SWITCH AND SOME OTHER PART THAT WAS LIKE 300. NOT TO MENTION THE FUSES I HAVE BOUGHT AND WATER PUMPS, RELAY SWITCH AND MANY OTHER PARTS. I HAVE BEEN PAYING FIXING PROBLEMS THAT HAVE EXISTED SINCE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG JUST THE HEAT. YET, AFTER SOCKING ALL OF THIS MONEY INTO THE CAR THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST. JUST THE OTHER DAY MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN. *NM

NHTSA ID

10131068

Incident

Jul 25, 2005

WATER CONTINUOUSLY ENTERS INTO THE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE THROUGH POORLY DESIGNED RUBBER SEALS ALONG THE CONVERTABLE TOP, PERMENANTLY DEFORMED DUE TO POOR DOOR DESIGN. REPLACEMENT SEALS EXCESSIVELY PRICED (500 PER SEAL, 4 SEALS TOTAL, PLUS LABOR).

NHTSA ID

10057111

Incident

Oct 1, 2003

Mileage

30,000 mi

WHILE CRUISING ON THE HIGHWAY, MANUAL TRANSMISSION BROKE. 5 TH GEAR DISENGAGED. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT BACK INTO GEAR IT BEHAVED AS IF IN NEUTRAL. CAR DE-ACCELERATED TO A HALT. *LA

NHTSA ID

10047633

Incident

Nov 24, 2003

Mileage

50,500 mi

MY ENTIRE EXHAUSE SYSTEM ALL THE WAY UP TO THE MANIFOLD WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. I HAVE HAD THE MAIN PART OF THE SYSTEM REPLACED BUT NOW AM TOLD THAT THE PIPE LEADING TO THE MANIFOLD AND THE HEAT SHIELD ARE ALSO BAD AND ARE VIBRATING BADLY. I WAS TOLD BY THE VW DEALER-WHERE I HAVE MY WARRANTY THAT THIS IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY THAT THIS IS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE MUFFLER PLACE THAT DID THE WORK TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE DONE MORE THAN 10 CABRIO'S WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK DONE AT VW AS THE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE DROPPED...THIS DOES NOT SOUND LIKE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10030715

Incident

Jul 9, 2003

Mileage

49,000 mi

I PURCHASED A CABRIO 2000 FROM JOE HEIDT IN RAMSEY NEW JERSEY THE CAR DID NOT START ONE MORNING IT WAS TOWED THEN WITHIN MONTHS IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN , IT WAS TOWED TWICE NOW IT HARDLY ACCELERATES IT GOES VERY SLOW WHEN YOU PRESS THE GAS PEDAL. THEY REFUSE TO REPAIR THE POWER TRAIN. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10014472

Incident

Mar 17, 2002

Mileage

20,000 mi

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *JB

NHTSA ID

10015212

Incident

Apr 2, 2003

THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE, THE DEALER REPAIRED/REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10015155

Incident

Apr 16, 2001

Mileage

2,000 mi

CAR WILL NOT START AT SEEMINGLY RANDOM TIMES. CAR EITHER HAS TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP OR IN SOME INSTANCES LEFT ALONE FOR HOURS AT A TIME. SOMETIMES AFTER LETTING IT REST, IT WILL START AGAIN AND OTHERS NOT. THIS HAS OCCURED 4 TIMES SO FAR AND EACH TIME THE DEALERSHIP TRIED FIXING THE ECM AND EVENTUALLY REPLACED IT, BUT IT CONTINUES TO OCCUR. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED A NUMBER OF TIMES WITH A NEW BABY AND VW CONTINUES TO TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM TO NO AVAIL.

NHTSA ID

10005352

Incident

Sep 4, 2002

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WITH A PARKED CAR, VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. PH

NHTSA ID

10004865

Incident

Jan 7, 2003

Mileage

25,000 mi

I WAS RECENTLY INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE SOMEONE HIT MY SIDE GOING ABOUT 35-40 MPH AND NONE OF THE AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED. I DRIVE MY GRANDMOTHER PLACES BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY FACTOR WITH MY CAR AND SHE WAS PINNED IN THE CAR AND NOT EVEN HER AIRBAG WENT OFF. I THINK THIS IS A DISGRACE ON THE PART OF VW AND I DON'T EVEN WANT TO DRIVE THIS CAR ANYMORE. I SPEND $450.00 A MONTH ON THIS CAR AND I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT! *AK

NHTSA ID

741963

HEATED SEATS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. *SLC

NHTSA ID

555622

SEAT BELT ON PASSENGER'S SIDE DOES NOT HAVE A BUCKLE. BUCKLE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE IS MISSING. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

860951

Incident

Apr 3, 2000

THE CONVERTIBLE TOP HAS TOO MUCH CLOTH WHICH OBSTRUCTES THE REAR VIEW, ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

853248

Incident

Nov 23, 1999