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2009 Volkswagen Rabbit

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

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

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

51 reports with mileage · 11 unknown

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.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

5 reports
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130,000 miles · Jan 22, 2025
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control (ESC); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the reca…

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The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control (ESC); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds or while idling, the vehicle occasionally stalled, and had to be restarted to operate as needed. The failure was intermittent. The contact stated that the ABS, tire pressure, and air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the recall repair could not be completed due to there not being a specific diagnostic code showing the extending ambiance reading a code of only 100 times and the requirement was 125 times. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 130,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI #11637753

145,000 miles · Apr 12, 2024
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control) after the contact had experienced the failure. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the ABS warning light illuminated, and the vehicl…

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The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control) after the contact had experienced the failure. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the ABS warning light illuminated, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle stalled, and after several attempts, the vehicle restarted and was able to be driven to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as ABS failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure but advised the contact that the failure had happened outside of the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI #11582713

87,000 miles · Apr 11, 2024
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit. The contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle stopped abruptly and pulled to the right. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving and applying a moderate amount of pressure on t…

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The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit. The contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle stopped abruptly and pulled to the right. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving and applying a moderate amount of pressure on the brake pedal. The check engine warning light and the ABS warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the ABS module was not communicating with the transmission. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) which he related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI #11582420

115,000 miles · Mar 29, 2021
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine And Engine Cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE SPEED ODOMETER WENT TO ZERO AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE FORWARD. SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED NOR DIAGNOSED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED NHTSA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE SPEED ODOMETER WENT TO ZERO AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE FORWARD. SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED NOR DIAGNOSED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V913000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 115,000.

NHTSA ODI #11405384

120,000 miles · Jul 3, 2018
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes, HydraulicSteering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST STEERING ABILITY. IN ADDITION, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND STEERING WHEEL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (FAIRFIELD VOLKSWAGEN, 96065 DIXIE HIGHWAY, FAIRFIELD, OH 45014) WHERE IT WA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST STEERING ABILITY. IN ADDITION, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND STEERING WHEEL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (FAIRFIELD VOLKSWAGEN, 96065 DIXIE HIGHWAY, FAIRFIELD, OH 45014) WHERE IT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JOSEPH VOLKSWAGEN OF CINCINNATI (3813 MONTGOMERY ROAD, CINCINNATI, OH 45212) WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V913000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) ON MAY 17, 2018. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA ODI #11105314

Official recalls

2

16V913000 · Electronic Stability Control (esc); Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip

Dec 20, 2016

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of vehicle control can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control module software to improve the module's self-testing abilities. Any module that fails the new diagnostic test will be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.

Consequence: A loss of vehicle control can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control module software to improve the module's self-testing abilities. Any module that fails the new diagnostic test will be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.

Consequence: A loss of vehicle control can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control module software to improve the module's self-testing abilities. Any module that fails the new diagnostic test will be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.

10V621000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Dec 10, 2010

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 JETTA, NEW BEETLE, NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE, MODEL YEAR 2009 JETTA SPORTWAGEN AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 RABBIT VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5L ENGINES. THE JETTA, JETTA SPORTWAGEN, AND RABBIT VEHICLES MAY HAVE A SMALL PLASTIC TAB LOCATED ON THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR THAT MAY CHAFE AGAINST AN UNDERHOOD FUEL SUPPLY LINE. THE NEW BEETLE AND THE NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A FASTENING CLAMP ON A HYDRAULIC HOSE OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM THAT MAY BE LOCATED IN AN IMPROPER POSITION WHICH COULD CAUSE CHAFING AGAINST AN UNDERHOOD FUEL SUPPLY LINE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF CHAFING OCCURS, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A FUEL LEAK TO DEVELOP. FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND IF NECESSARY REPLACE THE UNDERHOOD FUEL LINE. ADDITIONALLY, DEPENDING ON THE VEHICLE MODEL, DEALERS WILL EITHER REMOVE THE PLASTIC TAB FROM THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR, OR INSPECT THE POSITION OF THE FASTENING CLAMP AND ADJUST THE RELATED FASTENING CLAMP INTO THE CORRECT POSITION. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

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.