1999 Volkswagen Cabrio problems & reliability
29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 10 | 34% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 21% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 17% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 14% |
| Structure | 4 | 14% |
| Equipment | 3 | 10% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 10% |
| Power Train | 3 | 10% |
| Steering | 3 | 10% |
| Visibility | 3 | 10% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 21 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The fuzebox in this car is unprotected from water and can cause a fire and any time water may leak into car. I parked my car and when I went to her back in it a hour later it wouldn't crank that's when we discovered the fuze box was melted from getting too hot due to it leaking thru the antenna o to the relays filling…”
Electrical System · filed Feb 27, 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 volkswagen cabrio. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the vehicle stopped accelerating. The contact was able to maneuver to the shoulder and coast to a stop. The contact examined the vehicle and noticed the retainer clip on the end of the cable that secured it to the clutch…”
Power Train · filed Jun 12, 2012
“Hello, I contacted you about 2 yrs ago without f/u due to recovery from injuries. Now I have my case on the docket to sue vw for faulty disc/hub assembly that separated due to corrosion. I have the parts and photos to submit. I injured my right ankle on july 9, 2009 when the wheel detached from my car without warning…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Dec 17, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL TANK PUNCTURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE00033 · opened Aug 10, 2000 · closed Dec 28, 2000
Technical service bulletins
68 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio. The 10 most recent:
Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards
V171901201285565 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 21, 2023
Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
V171901201285562 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2023
Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
V171901201285560 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2023
Update model year applicability to include 2023.
V941901201152119 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 12, 2022
Battery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger. Updated to include additional model year applicability.
V271901201189422 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2022
Update engine oil quality standard lists (attachments)
V171901201285534 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 11, 2021
Tool number added to table. Removal of Behr Flush Kit. VAS 6337/1A
V871806201994714 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 2020
The part number listed in the document is to be returned if it meets the criteria provided.
SM 33-2019 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 27, 2019
Alternative method for radio code retrieval.
TT 91 19 01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 22, 2019
Engine Oils Which Meet Volkswagen Oil Quality Standards
V171901-2012855 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 12, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.