Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1986 Volkswagen Cabriolet, most frequently naming the electrical, engine and fuel system 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
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
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
FUEL LEAKS FROM TOP OF TANK WHEN TANK IS FULL OR OVER 1/2 FULL... PREVIOUS RECALLS OF THIS CAR AND THOSE SIMILAR LIST PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO WHAT I'M EXPERIENCING. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF ADVANCED AGE OF VEHICLE, RECALLS ARE NOT BEING ACKNOWLEDGED BY DEALERS OR COMPANY. AUTO IS A 1986 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET. *LA
ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS WITH AUTOMOBILE: LEFT INDICATOR LIGHT NOT WORKING, HORN BROKEN, BACK - UP LIGHTS NOT WORKING, CLUTCH/TRANSMISSION NEEDS WORK (TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL), ALL LOCKS BROKEN...
THE HEATER CORE HAS FAILED AND IS LEAKING, AND MAKING THE CAR HARDER TO STOP. *AK
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.