Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system10
- Engine and engine cooling6
- Vehicle speed control5
- Service brakes, hydraulic4
- Structure4
- Power train3
- Steering3
- Exterior lighting3
- Equipment3
- Visibility3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio failed the safety check 2.82% of the time — 60% more often than the average 1999 passenger car (1.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 108,931 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 10.1–10.7 L/100 km (about 22–23 mpg US), CO₂ 232–246 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabrio · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 11.5 | 8.3 | 10.1 |
| Cabrio · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 8.9 | 10.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 621613 | SUBJECT REGARDING LATCH SYSTEM LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS FOR CHILDREN, INSTALLING / RETROFITTING. *TT |
| 621608 | INFORMATION IN THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN SUPPLEMENTS AND UPDATES PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WIRING DIAGRAM, TROUBLESHOOTING AND COMPONENT LOCATION INFORMATION. *TT |
| 615896 | SUBJECT REGARDING ELECTRICAL WIRING DIAGRMS, TROUBLESHOOTING AND COMPONENT LOCATIONS TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO. 2. *TT |
| 610170 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P1580 (17988) AND P0103 (16487) STORED IN DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE MEMORY. *TT |
| 607922 | SUBJECT REGARDING ENGINE OIL CAPACITIES. *TT |
| 10252934 | key Adaptation and Part Number |
| 10243050 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243011 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242996 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242388 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242349 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10241340 | Engine Oils Which Meet Volkswagen Oil Quality Standard VW 502 00/505 00/505 01 and VW 504 00/507 00 |
| 10241266 | Squeaks, Rattles, Noise, Repair Materials |
| 10241265 | Fuel Additive to Help Prevent Sporadic Misfire Faults |
| 10241177 | Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards |
| 10239831 | Battery, Testing and Charging Using Midtronics VAS6161, MCR340V, InCharge 940, or GRX3000 Charger |
| 10239789 | To 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. |
| 10239592 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10239591 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10239590 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10239541 | Air Conditioning, Cleaning of the Refrigerant Circuit (U.S.Only) |
| 10239270 | Volkswagen Warranty Policies and Procedures ? April 2014 |
| 10239262 | In 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. |
| 10238572 | Fault code P1297 may be set and fuel mixtures may go lean if the vehicle is driven under load or revved up and then returned to idle. |
| 10237758 | If new keys cannot be adapted, they may possibly be the incorrect part number. Cabrio is equipped with two generations (Gen2 and Gen3) of Immobilizer 2. Use the Immobilizer Control Module Part Number to distinguish between Gen2 and Gen3. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
FUEL TANK PUNCTURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation