Total Complaints
8 filings
VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET · model year
1986 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986VOLKSWAGENCABRIOLET carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 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 1986 CABRIOLET is visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:heater core with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition (1) and unknown or other (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 1986 CABRIOLET, 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.
8
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 |
|---|---|
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20031014FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
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
Mileage: 141,200
19981111ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
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...
19981111UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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...
19981111ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
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...
19981111ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
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...
19981111ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
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...
19981111ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
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...
19970806VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
THE HEATER CORE HAS FAILED AND IS LEAKING, AND MAKING THE CAR HARDER TO STOP. *AK
Compare 1986VOLKSWAGENCABRIOLET 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 1986 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET have?▼
The 1986 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET is VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1986 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET 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.