Total Complaints
18 filings
VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO · model year
1993 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO
18 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1993VOLKSWAGENCABRIO carries 18 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1993 CABRIO is service brakes, hydraulic with 2 filings, followed by tires (2) and electrical system:wiring:front underhood (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 1993 CABRIO, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
18
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 2 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040303VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH HEATER CORE BLEW OUT. THIS CAUSED THE FRONT WINDSHIELD TO FOG UP AND COOLANT TO LEAK FROM THE DASHBOARD ONTO THE CONSUMER'S LEGS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED,BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Mileage: 10,000
19990916ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE AT APPROX. 75MPH VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT FOR NO REASON. WOULD NOT HAVE ANY WARNING. AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. BEEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE, NOR FIND THE CAUSE OF STALLING. *AK
19990715AIR BAGS
AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT COMES ON/STAYS ON. VEHICLE BEEN INSPECTED BY TWO DIFFERENT DEALER SHOP AND NOTHING COULD BE FOUND WRONG. NOR WAS THERE A DANGER OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. CAN NHTSA PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK
19970724SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
MASTER CYLINDER FAILED.
19970724ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
CONTROL PANEL FAILED.
19970724STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK
STEERING RACK BROKE, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
19970724STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID
TRUNK FLOODED.
19970724ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
THERMOSTAT FAILED.
19970724TIRES
FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT.
19970724VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
REAR GLASS FAILED.
19961029FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
COOLANT WARNING LIGHT FLICKERS.
19961029TIRES
UNIROYAL TIRES WORN OUT PREMATURELY.
19961029FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING DUE TO THE DISTRIBUTOR.
19960925SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
VEHICLE HAS UNDERGONE 14 WARRANTY REPAIRS, SINCE PURCHASED NEW, INCLUDING BRAKE FAILURE.
19960910SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
BRAKES FAILED TEN DAYS AFTER PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. THERE WERE ALSO CONTROL PANEL MALFUNCTIONS AND STEERING PROBLEMS.
19960910STEERING
BRAKES FAILED TEN DAYS AFTER PURCHASE OF VEHICLE. THERE WERE ALSO CONTROL PANEL MALFUNCTIONS AND STEERING PROBLEMS.
19951227CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
FRONTAL COLLISION IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, SPEED 55MPH, DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. TT
19950412FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
VEHICLE STALLED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE NEAR THE BATTERY UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. TT
Compare 1993VOLKSWAGENCABRIO to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA24004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
RQ24010Recall QueryClosed
Inadvertent Door Opening
RQ23007Recall QueryClosed
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
PE23017Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
EQ22001EQClosed
LGES High Voltage Battery Failures
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1993 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO have?▼
The 1993 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO has 18 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO?▼
The most-complained component for the 1993 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD.
Is the 1993 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.