Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1985 Volkswagen Cabriolet, most frequently naming the electrical, body & structure and steering categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 1 manufacturer communication is on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 1995 | 2 | 2 |
| Sep 1995 | 1 | 3 |
| Apr 1997 | 1 | 4 |
| Aug 1997 | 1 | 5 |
| Apr 1999 | 1 | 6 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
POWER STEERING BELT LOCATED TOO CLOSE TO WHEELS, ALLOWING WATER TO SPLASH ONTO BELT FROM WHEELS, CAUSING BELT TO FAIL/STEERING TO LOCK. THE STEERING HAS LOCKED SEVERAL TIMES WHEN DRIVING THROUGH WATER DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, ONCE RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.
ELECTRIC CABLES BETWEEN ALTERNATOR/BATTERY WERE CONNECTED TO HOT WATER PIPES GOING TO WATER RADIATOR. DUE TO EXTREME EXTERNAL SUMMER TEMPERATURE IN SOUTHERN SWITZERLAND, ELECTRIC CABLE CARBONIZE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO MALFUNCTION. *AK
THE ELECTRIC CABLES SITUATED BETWEEN ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WHERE THEY ARE CLAMPT TO HOT WATER PIPES CARBONIZE, RESULTING IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE AND STALLING. *AK
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILS TO OPERATE WHEN FIRST STARTING VEHICLE, CAUSING HEADLIGHTS/DASH LIGHTS TO DIM UNTIL REACHING SPEEDS GREATER THAN 5 MPH.
PREMATURE METAL FATIGUE OF FRONT END. *SKD
FRONT END METAL FATIGUE. *SD
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
SEATS
SUBJECT REGARDING LATCH SYSTEM LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS FOR CHILDREN, INSTALLING / RETROFITTING. *TT
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.