Total Complaints
8 filings
VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET · model year
1988 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988VOLKSWAGENCABRIOLET 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 1988 CABRIOLET is fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly with 3 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:storage:auxillary tank (1) and suspension:front:macpherson strut (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 1988 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 |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020731FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER HAS CONCERNS OVER THE VEHICLES FUEL TANK LEAKING AT THE TANK SEAM. THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE WAS SUBJECT TO TWO (2) RECALLS (91V201 AND 94V065). CONSUMER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT ANY ONE FOR MAKING THE REPAIRS ON THE FUEL TANK.
20000818ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
I AM 3RD OWNER OF VEHICLE. THE PREVIOUS OWNERS DIDNT TAKE FAR INFOR RECALL ON GAS TANK. FUEL SMELL UNBEARABLE UNLESS TOP IS DOWN. THEY HAVENT BEEN HELPFUL AT ALL IN REPLACING GAS TANK. RECALL WAS DUE TO BAD WELD IN TOP OF GAS TANKS THAT IS WHY THE SMELL IS UNBEARABLE.
20000211STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
IN DEC. 1999 THE FRAME OF MY WIFE LANETTE PARKS CABRIOLET WAS CRACKING AND SPLITTING WITHOUT ANY ACCIDENT OR ABNORMAL DRIVING EVENT TO CAUSE IT. THE FRAME SHOP INFORMED ME THAT THEY SEE THIS QUITE OFTEN ON VW RABBITS, GOLFS AND CABRIOLETS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW IN THE FRAME. APPARENTLY THEY ADDED A METAL SUPPORT BAR BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT WHEELS THAT VW INCLUDES ON THE SPORTY GTI MODELS, BUT ELIMINATES ON THE CABRIOLET. WHY THIS IS DONE IS BEYOND ME, THE ONLY REASON I CAN THINK OF IS TO SAVE MONEY ON MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING. *AK
20000114FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 94V065000 IN REFEENCE TO THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY. DALER STATED PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. *AK
19981208FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK
RECALL WORK NOT COMPLETED ON GAS TANK DUE TO INABILITY TO FIND DEFECT AT TIME OF INSPECTION, HOWEVER GAS TANK FAILED AFTER INSPECTION RESULTING IN LEAKING.
19981208SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT
FRONT STRUT FAILED.
19981208ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
MUFFLER AND TAILPIPE FAILED.
19970227FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
OWNER STATES THAT HE SMELLS GAS COMING FROM VEHICLE, HE ALSO NOTES THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FUEL TANK FOR THIS VEHICLE BUT HIS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, OWNER IS CONCERNED FOR HIS SAFETY.
Compare 1988VOLKSWAGENCABRIOLET 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 1988 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET have?▼
The 1988 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK and SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT.
Is the 1988 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.