Total Complaints
11 filings
VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET · model year
1990 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET
11 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990VOLKSWAGENCABRIOLET carries 11 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 1990 CABRIOLET is air bags with 4 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly (3) and air bags:frontal (2). 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 1990 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.
11
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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 4 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030804AIR BAGS
CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER 91V215000 CONCERNING THE AIR BAGS. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO SEND ANOTHER LETTER TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIRS PERFORMED. THE AIR BAG DEFECT HAS OCCURRED. *AK THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHICH MEANT THE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF A COLLISION. *PH *JB
20020409FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 91V201000 FOR FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE IS LEAKING GASOLINE. DEALERSHIP INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND PROBLEM WASN'T SOLVED. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
20000519AIR BAGS
AFTER A TURN, ARIBARG WARNINGS LIGHTS TURNED ON AND WONT TURN OFF. *AK
19990930ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
VAPORS APPEAR WHEN CONSUMER FILLS UP VEHICLE. ALSO, CONSUMER CAN ONLY GET A HALF TANK OF GAS WHEN FILLING UP VEHICLE DUE TO A SHORTAGE WITHIN THE TANK.
19990930FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
VAPORS APPEAR WHEN CONSUMER FILLS UP VEHICLE. ALSO, CONSUMER CAN ONLY GET A HALF TANK OF GAS WHEN FILLING UP VEHICLE DUE TO A SHORTAGE WITHIN THE TANK.
19990730FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
GAS TANK FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE, RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. (92V-058). MJS
19990730EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
RADIO LOCKED UP. MJS
19970208AIR BAGS
DEFECTIVE AIR BAG.
19960220AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING, AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT STAYS ON CONTINUOUSLY, DUE TO AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT MALFUNCTIONED, DLR/MFR WON'T ASSIST. TT
19960220AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE DRIVING, AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT STAYS ON CONTINUOUSLY, DUE TO AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT MALFUNCTIONED, DLR/MFR WON'T ASSIST. TT
19951026AIR BAGS
AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON, AIRBAG CENTRAL CONTROL UNIT IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TT
Compare 1990VOLKSWAGENCABRIOLET 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 1990 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET have?▼
The 1990 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET has 11 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIOLET is AIR BAGS with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY and AIR BAGS:FRONTAL.
Is the 1990 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.