Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS)...
1975-2009 · 15 model years
Volkswagen Rabbit Problems by year
Owners have filed 163 complaints about the Volkswagen Rabbit across 15 model years, and it has 21 recalls. The 2009 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (62), while 1983, 1984, 1985 have far fewer than a typical year. The most reported problem area is the brakes, followed by the electrical system.
- Complaints
- 163
- Recalls
- 21
- Crashes
- 13
- Fires
- 11
- Injuries
- 9
- Deaths
- 1
Rabbit complaints by model year
Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.
Most common Rabbit problems
Volkswagen Rabbit recalls 21
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 jetta, new beetle, new beetle convertible, model year 2009 jetta sportwagen and model year 2007-2009 rabbit vehicles equipped with 2.5L engines. The jetta, jetta sportwagen, and rabbit vehicles may have a...
Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." Some vehicles may not have had a required cap installed which disables the headlight horizontal...
Certain hydraulic brake hoses, p/n 171.611.107B, sold as replacement equipment for 1975-1985 volkswagen (vw) rabbit; 1985-1992 vw golf; and 1980-1992 vw jetta passenger vehicles. Possible brake hose rupture could occur which fails to comply with the...
Front seat belt retractors may not properly lock during sudden heavy brake application or impact due to the interference of two positioning tabs...
The throttle shaft of the carburetor may crack and eventually break at the threaded hole for the throttle plate connection due to excessive vibration of the throttle shaft...
The fuel pump may stop functioning without warning. This can occur because an electrical connector in the fuse panel may overheat and interrupt the electrical circuit.
Brake lines installed underneath the carpeting in the passenger compartment may rust due to the entry of water and road salt. If rusting remains unchecked, it produces leaks in the lines and brake fluid may be lost.
A lock nut which secures the tie rod to the inner ball joint of the steering system may not have been securely fastened on some of the involved vehicles during assembly. If this condition exists and the vehicle is driven along poor roads for an extended...
Corrosive damage and increased electrical resistance may cause the fuel pump relay to stop functioning. The fuel pump relay is one of several relays on a relay board located near the firewall. Corrosion caused by rain entering an improperly sealed antenna...
The left and right outer tie rod ends of the steering system may have circumferential cracks due to an improper machine set-up in the manufacturing process.
On some vehicles, the pressure could increase inside the fuel tank from high surrounding temperatures when the fuel tank is more than half full.
Latest Rabbit complaints
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control (ESC); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds or while idling, the vehicle occasionally stalled, and had to be restarted to operate as needed. The failure was...
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intermittent. The contact stated that the ABS, tire pressure, and air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the recall repair could not be completed due to there not being a specific diagnostic code showing the extending ambiance reading a code of only 100 times and the requirement was 125 times. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 130,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Seat belt and air bag also steering
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control) after the contact had experienced the failure. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the ABS warning light illuminated, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle stalled, and after several attempts, the vehicle restarted and was able to be driven to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as ABS...
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failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure but advised the contact that the failure had happened outside of the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit. The contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle stopped abruptly and pulled to the right. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving and applying a moderate amount of pressure on the brake pedal. The check engine warning light and the ABS warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the ABS module was...
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not communicating with the transmission. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V913000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) which he related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
I am making a complaint against volkswagen for refusing to perform the abs safety recall. The ABS module is dead, I found out the hard way that I have no ABS or traction control. I stopped on the highway and lost control, I could have died and the van that hit me twice could did worse. The dealer refuses to perform the recall and is completely unhelpful. Yes there were warning lights and thats why I took it to the dealer. P.S. This happened a day before the accident. Two different VW dealers refused to perform...
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the ABS module recall on my car even though Volkwagen customer care called to make my appointment, the car was too old, the repair was to expensive and also that the module wasnt communicating. It specifically says it in the recall, that if the module is not responding to replace it. The next day when I driving the car on the highway, I stepped on the brakes and the car started spinning on the highway, It spun into another lane and hit another car. I realized that the car did exactly what a car with no ABS would do.
Drivers side heated seat has a problem. The seat over heats and has burnt a hole in the fabric and melted part of the seat.
Questions about the Volkswagen Rabbit
Which Volkswagen Rabbit years have the most problems?
Which Volkswagen Rabbit years have the fewest complaints?
What are the most common Volkswagen Rabbit problems?
Across every model year, owners report problems with the brakes (58), electrical system (30), driver assistance (28) most often.
How many recalls does the Volkswagen Rabbit have?
NHTSA lists 21 recalls across all Volkswagen Rabbit model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data