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2002 Volkswagen Cabrio

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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: 12 of 23 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports3 fire reports2 injury reports

What owners actually said

23 reports
44,375 miles · Jan 11, 2018
Electrical SystemVisibility

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO. ON AUGUST 29, 2017, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (DAVID MAUS VOLKSWAGEN, 1050 LEE RD, ORLANDO, FL 32810) FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE CONTACT RETURNED ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2017 TO RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NO LONGER WORKING. THE CONTACT INFORME…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO. ON AUGUST 29, 2017, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (DAVID MAUS VOLKSWAGEN, 1050 LEE RD, ORLANDO, FL 32810) FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE CONTACT RETURNED ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2017 TO RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NO LONGER WORKING. THE CONTACT INFORMED THE TECHNICIAN THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NOT WORKING LIKE IT WAS BEFORE THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT AT THE DEALER FOR ANOTHER DAY TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A BLOCKAGE THAT CAUSED THE FAILURE AND WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $400 TO REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STAFF BECAME VERY AGGRESSIVE. THE CONTACT REQUESTED TO HAVE A SECOND OPINION FROM AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, FOR WHICH A LETTER HAD TO BE WRITTEN AND APPROVED BY THE SERVICE DIRECTOR. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED FROM THE DEALER SINCE AUGUST 29, 2017. THERE WERE NO RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,375. *TT *TR

NHTSA ODI #11062171

50,213 miles · Aug 19, 2014
Electrical SystemEngineSteeringFire

WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE IT JUST STOPPED WOULD NOT START. WENT TO LIFT THE HOOD IT WAS HOT AND IT SEEMS TO HAVE HAD A FIRE. AT A VW DEALER FOR OVER 2 WKS AND THEY STILL CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. SO FAR THEY SAID IT APPEARS ENGINE HARNESS FIRE HAD STARTED AT THE STARTER AND THIS PART IS DISCONTINUED THERE IS A REPAIR KIT. VW CLAIMS …

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WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE IT JUST STOPPED WOULD NOT START. WENT TO LIFT THE HOOD IT WAS HOT AND IT SEEMS TO HAVE HAD A FIRE. AT A VW DEALER FOR OVER 2 WKS AND THEY STILL CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. SO FAR THEY SAID IT APPEARS ENGINE HARNESS FIRE HAD STARTED AT THE STARTER AND THIS PART IS DISCONTINUED THERE IS A REPAIR KIT. VW CLAIMS A LOT OF ITEMS MUST BE REPLACED AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO GUARANTEE IT WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM. YOU WOULD THINK YOU SEND IT TO A DEALER AND THEY COULD FIX IT BUT I GUESS NOT BECAUSE THEY CALLED ME TO TELL ME ALL THEY DID SO FAR HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. I PURCHASED THIS CAR FOR MY DAUGHTER IN MARCH 2014 WITH 50,000. MILES. I KNOW THIS IS MY FIRST AND LAST VW I WILL OWN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10626270

150,000 miles · Sep 30, 2013
Electrical System

ENGINE COIL SUDDENLY WENT BAD. HAD PRIOR REPAIR. *LN

NHTSA ODI #10546171

Mileage unknown · Oct 10, 2012
Visibility

2002 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO. CONSUMER STATES THE REAR WINDOW FELL OUT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED IT APPEARED, HER MODEL YEAR WAS THE ONLY YEAR, WHERE THE WINDOWS WERE GLUED IN, INSTEAD OF SEALED, IN THE CONVERTIBLE TOPS.

NHTSA ODI #10480282

28,000 miles · Jun 20, 2011
Electrical SystemService Brakes, HydraulicFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A TURN WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE INTERMITTENT ILLUMINATION OF THE ABS WARNING LIGHT. SMOKE BEGAN POURING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS REPLACED THE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A TURN WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE INTERMITTENT ILLUMINATION OF THE ABS WARNING LIGHT. SMOKE BEGAN POURING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS REPLACED THE STARTER AND THE FUEL FILTER YET THE FAILURE CONTINUED AFTER THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE IGNITION WAS REPLACED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS A SHORTAGE IN THE COMPUTER AND HYDRAULIC PUMP OF THE ABS SYSTEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

NHTSA ODI #10407604

60,000 miles · Dec 13, 2010
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT PUSHED ON THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT AS IF IT WAS PULLED DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE TIRES LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TH…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT PUSHED ON THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT AS IF IT WAS PULLED DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE TIRES LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #10370454

108,000 miles · Nov 22, 2010
Electrical System

2002 VW CABRIO CONVERTIBLE, WHEN IT RAINS THE LIGHTS, ELECTRICAL LOCKS AND DOME LIGHTS TURN ON AND OFF, THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL LIGHTING AND ELECTRONIC SWITCH FAILURE OCCURS. LIKE THE CARE IS POSSESSED, I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN AND THEY SAID THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, HOWEVER HAVE YOU EVER DRIVEN A CAR AT NIGHT WITH THE LIGHTS INSIDE A…

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2002 VW CABRIO CONVERTIBLE, WHEN IT RAINS THE LIGHTS, ELECTRICAL LOCKS AND DOME LIGHTS TURN ON AND OFF, THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL LIGHTING AND ELECTRONIC SWITCH FAILURE OCCURS. LIKE THE CARE IS POSSESSED, I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN AND THEY SAID THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, HOWEVER HAVE YOU EVER DRIVEN A CAR AT NIGHT WITH THE LIGHTS INSIDE AND OUT GOING ON AND OFF. NOW I HAVE TO MANUALLY TURN EVERYTHING ON AND OFF, THIS IS NOT THE VEHICLE GUARANTEE THAT I BOUGHT INTO. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE FIXED AS IT IS A REAL HAZARD ON THE ROAD, HOWEVER VOLKSWAGEN THINKS DIFFERENTLY SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL. ALL OF THE VW MECHANICS IN MY AREA ARE VERY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND IT WILL COST OVER 3000.00 TO FIX EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE ALARM THAT IS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL DUE TO THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT THIS CAR HAS. I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR A YEAR OR SO TO SEE IF THEY WILL FIX THIS ISSUE SO NOW I AM JUST GOING TO FILE A COMPLAINT TO SEE IF YOU CAN HELP IN GETTING THE ISSUE FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED IN THIS CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10367126

75,000 miles · Jan 3, 2010
Visibility

THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL UP. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE WINDOW REGULATOR. IT COMPLETELY FAILED ONCE IT BROKE AND THE WINDOW REMAINED OPEN. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE NO SECURITY AND UNSAFE. THIS WEEK THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DID THE SAME THING AFTER I PAID FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE TO BE REPAIRED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10297895

Mileage unknown · May 31, 2008
Electrical System

I OWN A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO, MANUFACTURED BY VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. MY TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD FLASHER HAVE STOPPED FUNCTIONING. INITIALLY IT WAS INTERMITTENT, BUT IT HAS FINALLY STOPPED WORKING. FUSES HAVE BEEN CHECKED. IT'S EXACTLY LIKE THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN# 04V584000 - THE SAME PROBLEMS OTHER VW MODELS OF THE SAME YEA…

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I OWN A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO, MANUFACTURED BY VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. MY TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD FLASHER HAVE STOPPED FUNCTIONING. INITIALLY IT WAS INTERMITTENT, BUT IT HAS FINALLY STOPPED WORKING. FUSES HAVE BEEN CHECKED. IT'S EXACTLY LIKE THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN# 04V584000 - THE SAME PROBLEMS OTHER VW MODELS OF THE SAME YEAR HAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10229395

Mileage unknown · Apr 16, 2008
Exterior Lighting

2002 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO EXPERIENCING RECALL SYMPTOMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT HER TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD FLASHERS HAVE STOPPED FUNCTIONING. SHE STATED THAT IT WAS INTERMITTENT AT FIRST. SHE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF HER VEHICLE FALLS UNDER THE RECALL. *KB RECALL # 04V584000. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10225093

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.