VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET · model year

1987 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET

12 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1987VOLKSWAGENCABRIOLET carries 12 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, 1 injury, 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 1987 CABRIOLET is fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly with 8 filings, followed by visibility:windshield wiper/washer (1) and structure:frame and members (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 1987 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.

12
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

12 filings

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

ComponentCount
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY8
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER1
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE1
STEERING1

Recent Complaints

20100508STEERING

1 NORMAL DRIVING 2 LOWER BEARING OF THE STEERING COLUMN FALLS FROM BEARING RACE, CREATES HAZARDOUS STEERING 3 A PLASTIC BEARING RETAINER IS THE FACTORY REPLACEMENT AND THIS BRAKES CAUSING THE FAILURE. REPLACEMENT DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

20030623FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT WITH ITS FUEL TANK AS STATED IN RECALL # 94V065000; BUT, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

Mileage: 170,000

20020820FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING FUEL TANK CRACKED, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK *JB

20010605FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

I HAVE HEARD THAT THE FUEL TANKS ON THESE VEHICLES HAD A RECALL. *AK

20010425VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE

THE HEATER CORE EXPLODED ONTO THE CONSUMERS LEGS, THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED BURNS TO BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT CALVES, DUE TO THE PAIN OF THE HOT STEAM THE CONSUMER WAS FORCED OUT OF THE VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS STILL MOVING AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE HIT A CONCRETE EMBANKMENT (ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT). NLM

20010129FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

CONSUMER HAD FOUND A CRACK ON FUEL TANK AFTER SMELLING FUEL, AND FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM TANK. TANK HAD TO BE REPAIRED. CURRENTLY, CONSUMER HAD FOUND OUT ABOUT RECALL 94V065000 WHICH DEALT WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. *AK

19991217FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

UNABLE TO DRIVE AUTOMOBILE BECAUSE GAS RAN OUT OF THE VEHICLE, AND SPILLED ALL OVER THE MANIFOLD. *AK

19991014FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

I BROUGHT THIS CAR TO THE DEALER FOR WORK ON A LEAKING FUEL TANK AND AFTER MUCH TALKING WITH THE DEALER AND VW OF AMERICA WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE THE DEALER THAT THE WORK SHOULD BE DONE UNDER A RECALL (YOUR CAMPAIGN NUMBER EITHER 91V201000 OR 94V065000) THE DEALER ALSO FOUND THAT THE INTERNAL FUEL PUMP WAS BAD AND IT WAS REPLACED AT MY COST. I CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA AND THEY SAY THAT THIS DOES NOT FALL UNDER A RECALL YET I HAVE A CAMPAIGN NUMBER FOR THIS VERY THING THAT COVERS A MORE FAR REACHING NUMBER OF VEHICLES (87V053000). I WOULD NOT BE QUESTIONING VW OF AMERICA ON THIS BUT I PROBABLY WENT THROUGH 6 PEOPLE BEFORE I FOUND ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO AGREED THAT THIS SHOULD BE FIXED UNDER A RECALL NOTICE ON THE FUEL TANK. IT SEEMS I NEED TO REACH A CERTAIN LEVEL OF PERSONNEL BEFORE ANY ACTION THAT IS SATISFACTORY IS DONE. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY ASSISTANCE.....

19990303VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

THE FRONT A ARM HAS TENDENCY TO BECOME WEAKENED AND DEVELOP A CRACK ON A POOR WELD SEAM UNDERNEATH THE CAR

19990303STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

THE FRONT A ARM HAS TENDENCY TO BECOME WEAKENED AND DEVELOP A CRACK ON A POOR WELD SEAM UNDERNEATH THE CAR

19970923FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

THE FUEL TANK HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE BECAUSE OF LEAKAGE. ONCE IN APRIL OF 97 AND ONCE IN AUGUST OF 97. THE FUEL TANK IS BEING REPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE OF SAME PROBLEM. *AK

19961002FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

RECALL REPAIRS FOR FUEL TANK LEAKAGE REFUSED SINCE VEHICLE WA SPREVIOUSLY INSPECTED AND NO DEFECTS WERE FOUND 41/2 YEARS AGO (94V-065). *AK

Compare 1987VOLKSWAGENCABRIOLET to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1987 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET have?
The 1987 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET has 12 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET?
The most-complained component for the 1987 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER and STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS.
Is the 1987 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.