Total Complaints
5 filings
VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT · model year
1982 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1982VOLKSWAGENRABBIT carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 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 1982 RABBIT is fuel system, gasoline with 2 filings, followed by unknown or other (1) and electrical system (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 1982 RABBIT, 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.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
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 | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050317FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
CONSUMER COMPLAINT ABOUT 1982 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT BAD ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. *BF THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL SUDDENLY WHILE IN MOTION ALONG WITH A STRONG FUEL SMELL. RECALL CAMPAIGN# 85V015000. *SC
20050211FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE BEING DRIVEN AND HAD A VERY STRONG FUEL SMELL. *NM *SC
20041022ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CONSUMER HAD A 1982 VOLKSWAGEN . HE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS BEING RECALLED FOR AN ELECTRICAL FUSE PANEL WHICH WOULD OVERLOAD/OVERHEAT, AND MALFUNCTION. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE ELECTRICAL SUPPLY TO THE FUEL PUMP TO BE INTERRUPTED. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN DEALER, AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS RECALL. THEN CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO ALSO SAID NO. *AK THE VEHICLE STALLS CONSTANTLY. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP SHUTOFF PROBLEM CAUSES THE VEHICLE STALL WHEN DRIVEN. *TC
Mileage: 127,000
19971230UNKNOWN OR OTHER
UNSPECIFIED.
19950911FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN THE YARD AND CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
Compare 1982VOLKSWAGENRABBIT 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 1982 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT have?▼
The 1982 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1982 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT?▼
The most-complained component for the 1982 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 1982 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT 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.