IllustrationINSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ONLY WORK OCCASIONALLY MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER/FUEL METERS AT NIGHT. *JB
1995 Volkswagen Cabrio
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cabrio years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 15 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
15 reportsAT COLD STARTS THE HEAD LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS AND WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE. *JB
THE VEHICLES TRUNK HAS BECOME DIFFICULT TO OPEN, THE KEY AND LOCK ASSEMBLY APPEARED DEFECTIVE. *SCC
VEHICLE WILL STALL WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND THEN KICK BACK ON. ALSO, IF SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION ENGINE WILL STALL. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, BUT CANNOT REPRODUCE THIS DEFECT TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF DEFECT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY AN AUTHORIZED AUTOMOBILE REPAIR DEALER THAT COMPUTER FOR AIRBAG WAS NOT WORKING, AND THEREFORE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN IMPACT. *AK
I WAS DRIVING ALONG ABOUT 65 MPH AND VEHICLE SURGED, LOSS OF POWER. CONTINUES TO DO THIS 10-15 TIMES A WEEK. THIS HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS. DEALER UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM.
AUTO TRANS FAILS TO SHIFT. TRANNY REPLACED AT 40K MILES. SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATES WILDLY DURING INCLINES, ACCELLERATION W/ NEW TRANNY. CAR CAN NOT SHIFT, POWER LOST FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. TERRIFYING.
INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING (ALWAYS UPHILL, WITH ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED, AND USUALLY IN 3RD GEAR AT AROUND 30 MPH) THE ENGINE (AND POWER STEERING) SIMPLY CUTS OUT (TACH DROPS TO ZERO). IT IS POSSIBLE TO IMMEDIATELY RESTART IT BY PUSHING IN THE CLUTCH AND TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A VW DEALERSHI…
Read full complaint
INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING (ALWAYS UPHILL, WITH ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED, AND USUALLY IN 3RD GEAR AT AROUND 30 MPH) THE ENGINE (AND POWER STEERING) SIMPLY CUTS OUT (TACH DROPS TO ZERO). IT IS POSSIBLE TO IMMEDIATELY RESTART IT BY PUSHING IN THE CLUTCH AND TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A VW DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED A FUEL RELAY AND CONDUCTED THE FULL 60,000 MILE MAINTENANCE BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED AND IS A LEMON-LAW BUYBACK ('COURSE THEY DIDN'T TELL ME THAT UNTIL I HAD MY HEART SET ON BUYING IT). AS I DRIVE 20 MILES EACH WAY ON A VERY CURVY ROAD WITH FEW TURNOUTS IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS, THIS PROBLEM POSES A THREAT TO THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND OTHERS. THE FUEL GAUGE IS UNRELIABLE AS WELL, BUT THAT'S THE LEAST OF MY WORRIES! *AK
CAR WANTS TO STALL WHEN BRAKING FOR A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT AND RUNS VERY ROUGHLY, AS THOUGH IT MIGHT JUST STOP RUNNING UNLESS THE GAS PEDAL WAS EMPLOYED. *AK
INTERMITTENT STALLING. ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE00033 · Fuel Tank Puncture
Opened Aug 10, 2000 · Closed Dec 28, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION ON AUGUST 10, 2000 BASED ON 9 REPORTS REGARDING PUNCTURED FUEL TANKS INVOLVING THE JETTA, PASSAT, AND CABRIO MODELS.THE REPORTS INDICATE ADDITIONAL REPORTS IN ITS RESPONSE TO THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED FOR FURTHER STUDY.