2001 Volkswagen Cabrio
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Volkswagen › Cabrio › 2001
These records cover every 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 2001 Volkswagen Cabrio. Newest first.
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." child seat anchorages installed in the vehicle's rear seats must be identified by markings, and their location and use be described in the owner's manual.
Risk and remedy
Risk
These vehicles were not marked or described as required by the standard.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with a supplement for the owner's manual and also one set of four guidance fixtures intended to use in conjunction with child seats equipped with rigid or semi-rigid lower anchorage attachments. also enclosed will be four decals together with installation instructions and a template for attaching the decals to the lower seat backs. owner notification IS expected to begin september 15, 2002. owners should contact vwoa at 1-800-822-8987.
Owner complaints
38 complaints6 involved a crash3 involved a fire7 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Electrical system · Engine · Power train
The electrical components on my 2001 cabrio may and have caused a short which sparked under hood causing smoke and possible fire also, the computer over heats causing shorts which made the transmission fail and gauges fail, the us gov. (Division) that handles such faults should force volkswagen to…
The electrical components on my 2001 cabrio may and have caused a short which sparked under hood causing smoke and possible fire also, the computer over heats causing shorts which made the transmission fail and gauges fail, the us gov. (Division) that handles such faults should force volkswagen to recall every and all cars for repairs! the us owners are paying for volkswagens mistakes, partially for their decision to have these cars made in mexico evading tax's and which has made these autos cheap and flawed. these cars are unsafe and the electrical issues are and will in future cost the american public alot of money....... so far: my auto has been at repair shop for over 6 months and has cost me more then what it's worth, hard working people are getting taken advantage of by a poorly built and unsafe product [xxx][xxx] ps even volkswagen doesn't and can't fix all these items, try taking it to dealer..... you will see information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(B)(6). *Tr
- Air bags › Frontal
TL* the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen cabrio. While driving approximately 50 mph, the contact was involved in a head-on crash and the frontal air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained lacerations on her face and a rib fracture. The passenger of the other vehicle was also injured. The vehicle…
TL* the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen cabrio. While driving approximately 50 mph, the contact was involved in a head-on crash and the frontal air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained lacerations on her face and a rib fracture. The passenger of the other vehicle was also injured. The vehicle was towed to an auto tow yard and was taken into the possession of the insurance company for evaluation. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was not repaired and she was waiting to hear from the insurance company with the investigation results. The approximate failure mileage was 136,000.
- Suspension
I have a 2001 volkswagen cabrio, which VW does not make anymore, and this IS probably why. The car IS always being fixed. One major issue I have had to replace three front axles in this car. 3/27/07 karl's custom VW; 6/28/08 big o tires; and now, 11/16/2010 I am told by sundevil auto engine and…
I have a 2001 volkswagen cabrio, which VW does not make anymore, and this IS probably why. The car IS always being fixed. One major issue I have had to replace three front axles in this car. 3/27/07 karl's custom VW; 6/28/08 big o tires; and now, 11/16/2010 I am told by sundevil auto engine and transmission mounts are sagging causing axles to bind, the car needs 4 transmission mounts and 2 axles. VW parts are obviously inferior. I thought VW vehicles were suppose to last over 200,000 miles. What can you do for me? I am unemployed and cannot afford this $1100 repair, but I need my vehicle. With each time I've had this fixed, I was told that the vehicle was unsafe to drive.
- Service brakes, electric
On most volkswagens (and some audi's) that were built between the years 1998 to 2002 it appears that the ABS computers fail after approximately 5 years. the problem appears to be a fault in the internal wiring of the computer that allows wires to overheat, rendering the unit inoperable. this…
On most volkswagens (and some audi's) that were built between the years 1998 to 2002 it appears that the ABS computers fail after approximately 5 years. the problem appears to be a fault in the internal wiring of the computer that allows wires to overheat, rendering the unit inoperable. this issue has been reported on several forums as well as several companies have started up with the sole purpose of repairing these units. volkswagen IS unwilling to acknowledge this problem or provide in compensation in repairing the defective units. *Tr
- Exterior lighting · Exterior lighting › Hazard flashing warning lights › Switch
Function of turn signals and hazard lights on my 2001 volkswagen cabrio has been degrading over time. Both systems are now completely inoperable. There IS an active VW recall (nhtsa campaign number 04v584000) for this problem on 2000-2002 golf, GTI, beetle and jetta (but no current recall for the…
Function of turn signals and hazard lights on my 2001 volkswagen cabrio has been degrading over time. Both systems are now completely inoperable. There IS an active VW recall (nhtsa campaign number 04v584000) for this problem on 2000-2002 golf, GTI, beetle and jetta (but no current recall for the cabrio). I am requesting that the recall be expanded to include cabrio models. This IS a very dangerous problem that IS clearly widespread on 2000-2002 VW vehicles of all models. *Tr
- Exterior lighting
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen cabrio. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign ID number 04v096000 (exterior lighting:brake lights:switch), although the failures were identical. the vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. the failure mileage was 21,000 and current mileage was 22,000.
- Tires
I have had 5 tires fail on me in a 6 months period, they have either been blow outs and or flats. I drive a 2001 VW cabrio. The last 2 times have been 3 days apart, with this past saturday driving in the mountains to vail colo. By myself and my young daughter. My front D/S tire blew in a very bad…
I have had 5 tires fail on me in a 6 months period, they have either been blow outs and or flats. I drive a 2001 VW cabrio. The last 2 times have been 3 days apart, with this past saturday driving in the mountains to vail colo. By myself and my young daughter. My front D/S tire blew in a very bad location on I-70, needless to say we were very scared because of the location it blew. Yesterday on my way home from work the back D/S went flat. I had no other choice but to drive on this risking my rim to get to a safe location. I was told by a firestone location that I stopped at the tire IS defective as he found a hole the size of an eraser head inside the wall of the tire and that wall was very flimsey and soft. I can account for every time in the last 6 months I have had a tire fail on me. This IS completely unacceptable, these tires have all been douglas tires 195 60r14 86H performance gth everytime I have had a tire fail on me there has been nothing found having caused the tire to fail (no nails or any other objects that could have entered into the tire) these tires were purchased at the wal-mart near my home, when I asked them about what could be causing this, they just answer they cannot do anything because no warranty was purchased. I have never purchased warranties on any other vehicle I have ever owned when I purchased tires. Nor have I ever ran into a situation like this before in the past. As you can see by the amount of time and money I have had to put towards tires I am quite frustrated and concerned as well. Another thing I would like to point out, I purchased 4 new tires exactly 2 years to date on this car and have since replaced all tires over a 6 month period. I can understand a tired that has normal wear and tear, and therefore having to be replaced. But tires that blow on you in areas that could potentially be life threatening, IS just not acceptable. My tires are always checked and air IS put in them by my husband and my car maintained. *Tr
- Seats
Drivers seat falls back to the back seat. side adjustment piece fell off and the back of the seat will not stay in correct position. dealer unable to repair - suggests purchasing new seat $600. unacceptable for a seat to fall apart with normal use. *tr
- Visibility › Power window devices and controls
The driver side window failed. I went to do the e check in ohio and had to open the window. When I left the window didn't come up anymore. The mechanic said I need to replace the regulator which cost $310 + labor = tax.*ak note: this the second regulator my car needs to be replaced.
- Visibility › Power window devices and controls
The passanger front window stopped working.the mechanis said that the window regulator faile dand he had to replce it. The regulator cost me $310 plus the labor $200.*ak
- Structure › Body › Door · Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Failure: driver's side window regulator failure on a 2001 volkswagen cabrio. I was entering a car wash, had put the window down on the car to code in my info, and was putting the power window back up. it crashed down loudly, so I backed it out of the wash, risking damage to the tires rather than…
Failure: driver's side window regulator failure on a 2001 volkswagen cabrio. I was entering a car wash, had put the window down on the car to code in my info, and was putting the power window back up. it crashed down loudly, so I backed it out of the wash, risking damage to the tires rather than flood the car. my local repair place referred me back to the dealership, because they thought it was under recall since it sounded like a known VW problem. before looking at the car, the dealership rep said they recognized the problem and said they would charge me $125 to fix the window. after calling them throughout the day only to be told they hadn't opened up the car yet, I finally received a call back telling me it was instead the window regulator, that the part was on indefinite backorder, and that it would eventually be over $600 just for the part. the dealership admitted a "7 year extended warranty" on volkswagen jetta and golf models from 2001 for the window regulator, but referred me to their national customer relations line for assistance with the 2001 cabrio. cabrio IS the same as a golf (which the dealer sales rep told me when I bought the car), but VW customer relations says they will do nothing even though it IS the same faulty part they put in their other cars. the car window IS still stuck down in the door, which renders the car undrivable here in the sf bay area -- where for security purposes, you do not park your car outside with the window down. based on a review of the VW owners forum online, it sounds like many other cabrio owners are having this problem, and that after repair, one or more other window regulators on the car break, requiring additional trips to their dealerships. I am scared to drive the car -- if this had happened on the freeway, the loudness of the window crashing down might have caused me to cause an accident. consumers need to know that the 2001 VW cabrio has the same safety issue as the 2001 VW jetta and golf models. *Nm
- Air bags · Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Airbag light has been on for quite sometime now, however, the car was never in an accident. I am so afraid that the airbags will not deploy if the car IS in an accident ! there IS no dealership in my town and I have had no time to take to dealership 3 hours from here due to my work schedule. *jb
- Equipment
I was changing tires and the brake pads of 2001 VW cabrio using VW issued jack the jack collapsed because ist slipped from it grove. It happened in three different occasions. I think it IS universal jack for VW cars. luckily, I was not hurt because the the wheel was still attached to the car…
I was changing tires and the brake pads of 2001 VW cabrio using VW issued jack the jack collapsed because ist slipped from it grove. It happened in three different occasions. I think it IS universal jack for VW cars. luckily, I was not hurt because the the wheel was still attached to the car with the wheel nuts loosened. This jack IS dangerous and should be recalled. I can send the jack to you to be examined if needed
- Visibility › Power window devices and controls
I opened the windows part way to cool the car off, and when I tried to raise the driver's window, it dropped into the door and would not come up. I could hear the motor working, but the window would not come up. having had problems with the dealer's service dept, I took it to my local mechanic and they were able to fix it. it needed a new regulator, $370 for the part + labor + tax.
- Electrical system › Ignition › Switch · Electrical system › Wiring · Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system · Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control
Consumer states: had 2ND electrical failure on the engine, the wiring harness burnt up. Under warranty the dealer replaced partial wiring of the harness. Also 3 ignition switches put in. Mass airflow sensor,oxygen sensor, and coolant temperature failed. currently, the vehicle needs two hole wiring harnesses, an original harness and main engine harness. *Ak
- Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Lock module for the passenger side door failed. As a result, the door latch does not catch. *ak
- Suspension › Front › Wheel bearing
The consumer stated while traveling out of town, she heard a noise. the consumer took the vehicle to a dealer, who told her that she had three (3) wheel bearings going bad at once. then she states that last week she heard a similar noise, she took the vehicle to a dealer in her home town, this…
The consumer stated while traveling out of town, she heard a noise. the consumer took the vehicle to a dealer, who told her that she had three (3) wheel bearings going bad at once. then she states that last week she heard a similar noise, she took the vehicle to a dealer in her home town, this time the dealer told her the same thing, that she now has the 4TH wheel bearing going bad. she states she has called VW, and has also written them. she said VW refused to recognized the problem. The consumer states the first 3 wheel bearing started to go at 57,000 miles, then the other one started to go at 59,200 miles. *jb *sc
- Electrical system · Electrical system › Ignition › Switch · Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · Visibility › Power window devices and controls
When starting car 75% of the time ABS and (hand) brake light would switch on though brake not engaged; at the same time headlights and a/c didn't work. was told it IS an ignition switch problem. also, window automatic close malfunctioning which dealer service says IS unrelated. Necessitated…
When starting car 75% of the time ABS and (hand) brake light would switch on though brake not engaged; at the same time headlights and a/c didn't work. was told it IS an ignition switch problem. also, window automatic close malfunctioning which dealer service says IS unrelated. Necessitated about $1,800 parts and labor. also, unfortunately at the mercy generally of VW dealer service since many mechanics do not stock the computer necessary to diagnose electrical problems. I have experienced service problems with two VW dealers in my area (northern virgnia). one dealer (alexandria VW) failed to tighten wheel nuts after a routine check-up and claimed after looking at the car that nothing was amiss. another (stohlman in vienna, va.) replaced the ignitiion switch but broke a part while doing so, so that the key could not be removed from the ignition. *ak
- Electrical system › Ignition
Vehicle first sufferred serious power and ignition problems one rainy day. on taking the car to the dealer we were informed the warranty was expired and it would be $750.00 for new sparkplug wires, distributor cap, and rotor. I am an engineer and found that price offensive wrt the work…
Vehicle first sufferred serious power and ignition problems one rainy day. on taking the car to the dealer we were informed the warranty was expired and it would be $750.00 for new sparkplug wires, distributor cap, and rotor. I am an engineer and found that price offensive wrt the work associated. I replaced these items and the problem persisted. after a great deal of debugging the ignition system I finally found an electrical short at the control lines to the distributor when a small amount of water was applied. I sealed and water proofed this electrical connection with silicon and could then douse the engine in water without any misfires. my wife reported continued problems with accelleration and missing on humid mornings. I took the car from her one day and it rained. since then there IS a massive misfire at the coil. this makes starting difficult and running impossible. as an electrical engineer the manufacture of the electrical componenets in this vehicle are amature bordering on retarded. someone please translate this to german and forward it to bosch and volkswagen. *ak
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Linkages
On 4/21 I took my 2001 cabrio in to be serviced at esserman in miami. they ordered the wiper fluid container because it was cracked and they couldn't repair it. I phoned every couple of weeks and they stated that they could not obtain a date from the nat'l parts center on when it would arrive and…
On 4/21 I took my 2001 cabrio in to be serviced at esserman in miami. they ordered the wiper fluid container because it was cracked and they couldn't repair it. I phoned every couple of weeks and they stated that they could not obtain a date from the nat'l parts center on when it would arrive and finally suggested that I phoned VW advocate. I phoned VW advocate 800-822-8987 on 6/1 and they were going to check to see when the part could ship to the dealer and phone me back. no calls received. on 6/7 I phoned again and the part IS still on order with no projected date. I've had this car in several times for issues during the 3 years of my lease and now they can't tell me when they can have the container in so I can clean my windshield? I would at least expect a date to be given. I am in the mfg. Business and when an order IS placed you give a delivery date -even if it has to be produced. I don't know where else to turn to get an answer and would appreciate any help. my lease expires next april and I would like to replace the part prior to then and I'm tired of going to gas stations to clean my windshield. *ak
- Seats
Driver seat bolt sheered off causing loss of control when seat slid all the way to the rear unable to reach brake or clutch pedals. *ak
- Vehicle speed control
While driving, the vehicle suddenly accelerated very rapidly without the gas pedal being touched. the car was put into neutral, then the engine rpm's increased to 5000. the gas pedal was checked to make sure it wasn't stuck down, or being pressed by the rug. the car needed to be shut off and restarted before it could resume normal operation.*ak
- Air bags › Frontal
Air bag warning: I took my cabrio to the volkswagen (VW) dealer service to fix a turn signal lever that fails to self-cancel after making left-hand turns. VW dealer reports that air bag cartridge IS integrated into the turn signal assembly and the air bag IS inoperable, even though there IS no…
Air bag warning: I took my cabrio to the volkswagen (VW) dealer service to fix a turn signal lever that fails to self-cancel after making left-hand turns. VW dealer reports that air bag cartridge IS integrated into the turn signal assembly and the air bag IS inoperable, even though there IS no indication of any air bag problem. dealer also stated that this kind of problem IS something they have seen several times. *la
- Electrical system › Wiring › Interior/under dash · Visibility › Power window devices and controls
To whom it may concern: in march, 2003, my wife and I purchased a new 2000 volkswagen cabrio convertible. when the car had 13,611 miles on it, we noticed that the temperature gauge was not operating. there were several other problems at the time, such as the window switches not working properly…
To whom it may concern: in march, 2003, my wife and I purchased a new 2000 volkswagen cabrio convertible. when the car had 13,611 miles on it, we noticed that the temperature gauge was not operating. there were several other problems at the time, such as the window switches not working properly, and the fact that the alarms had gone off at inappropriate times, locking up the radio. my wife took the car to the fort myers dealership for service. when she picked up the car, she was told that the instrument cluster had been replaced, and the other problems were also taken care of. she realized while driving away that the odometer was showing zero miles, so she returned to the dealership to question why. the men in the service department brushed her off and simply said it's okay, don't worry about it. she attempted to get a satisfactory explanation, as she knew that changing the actual mileage of an automobile IS very serious; but they continued to repeat it's okay, don't worry about it. at the time, they never even bothered to explain to her that they had put a sticker in the door jam showing how many miles the car had on it when they zeroed it. we decided to trade off the car for a new make other than a volkswagen. at two different dealerships, it was explained to us that they could not give us a fair value for the cabrio in trade for their make. we had explained to them about the sticker volkswagen had placed in the door jam; and both said it was immaterial for they would have to auction our trade as a vehicle with unknown mileage. because of volkswagen's actions, we're being penalized approximately $3,000 which IS the amount the other dealers insist they must deduct from the value of the car. it seems to me that the state of florida should have provisions within its laws that would allow a manufacturer to assure that the proper mileage. *la
- Engine and engine cooling
My 2001 VW cabrio with 11,000 miles had the heatshield on the header pipe break away. Should this happen to such a relatively new car?
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10253215Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10253214Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10253213Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10252934key Adaptation and Part Number
- 10252204Air Conditioning Does not Operate
- 10243050VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10243034VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10243011VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242996VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242399VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242388VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242375VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242372VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242349VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10241340Engine Oils Which Meet Volkswagen Oil Quality Standard VW 502 00/505 00/505 01 and VW 504 00/507 00
- 10241339Oil Consumption Measurement
- 10241335Oil Consumption Measurement
- 10241333Oil Consumption Measurement
- 10241311Gasoline Quality
- 10241266Squeaks, Rattles, Noise, Repair Materials
- 10241265Fuel Additive to Help Prevent Sporadic Misfire Faults
- 10241177Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards
- 10239831Battery, Testing and Charging Using Midtronics VAS6161, MCR340V, InCharge 940, or GRX3000 Charger
- 10239789To detect which line(s) is inoperative, utilize a volt meter to check for 0 V, which will be present after the open in the grid line. The check must be performed with the engine running and heated rear window switched on. Switch OFF the ignition and visually locate the damage. Proceed with checking any other lines as necessary. Once the damaged line is identified, repair utilizing the Repair kit by Permatex ITEM 09117.
- 10239592Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10239591Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10239590Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10239541Air Conditioning, Cleaning of the Refrigerant Circuit (U.S.Only)
- 10239534HVAC, Unpleasant Odor
- 10239533HVAC, Unpleasant Odor
- 10239532HVAC, Unpleasant Odor
- 10239403If key blade is found to stick or bind when opening or closing, check position of roll pin that secures key blade to mechanism. If roll pin is sticking out on either side (as shown below), do not replace key. Instead, use appropriate sized punch and hammer to drive in the roll pin so that it is flush with edge of mechanism.
- 10239270Volkswagen Warranty Policies and Procedures ? April 2014
- 10239262In SAGA, the time units for the Volkswagen DoubleCheck labor operation were reduced in error from 50 time units to 30 time units during the system update posted on July 4th.
- 10238972The use of tire dressing gives your tires that shiny finish that completes the image of a clean (new) vehicle. There are many different tire dressing products available. When choosing a product please pay close attention to its contents. Always use a water based product.
- 10238960To clear static ECM fault P1250 ?Fuel Level Too Low?, add fuel to vehicle and complete a road test of at least 10 miles. Simply adding fuel without completing a road test may not allow fault to clear.
- 10238959To clear static ECM fault P1250 ?Fuel Level Too Low?, add fuel to vehicle and complete a road test of at least 10 miles. Simply adding fuel without completing a road test may not allow fault to clear.
- 10238935When performing SVM updates, the scan tool should be hardwired to the vehicle and the Bluetooth physically turned off. A hard wired internet connection is also recommended.
- 10238932If a needed service part is on back order, upgrade the daily order to a red order and check the ?Car Down? box to escalate the order. If parts assistance is needed, please call 800-767-6552 to speak with a VWGoA Parts Specialist.
- 10238931If a needed service part is on back order, upgrade the daily order to a red order and check the ?Car Down? box to escalate the order. If parts assistance is needed, please call 800-767-6552 to speak with a VWGoA Parts Specialist.
Every Volkswagen Cabrio model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.