10th Dec 2006, 18:36
I would have to say without fail... my car needs to go into the shop every SIX months. As soon as I get to the six month mark, I can feel something coming on. Trying to get rid of this diva now!
Only advice for new buyers of VW... BUY THE EXTENDED Warranty! Best thing I ever did when buy this car, but a month after the Warranty expired... exhaust system completely busted!
11th Jul 2009, 19:21
I have a 1999 Cabrio GLX, and the only problem I've had is the motors on the drivers side window stopped working, but for the car being 10 yrs old that doesn't surprise me. It's a good car and I would not agree with this negativity. I would like to point out that on my car if you turn the key too far, the air conditioner tweaks and says my emergency brake is on, but you barely move the key back one click and everything works fine. I would say this car takes as much work as any other car.
23rd Dec 2009, 17:33
I bought a used 2001 Cabrio with 53,000 miles. I have had the same problems and more. Just put over $1,300 in it in one month. Don't buy a Cabrio. I will never own a VW.
13th Jan 2010, 11:56
My wife has a 2000 Cabrio. I went outside to get the paper and I noticed that all four windows went down all by themselves... again! This time it was raining. VW = piece of crap.
13th Jul 2010, 02:23
Sounds like a crappy car, no matter how quick you got at fixing it...
I have a '95 Toyota Tercel @ 134k miles, I've owned it for 55k and haven't had to fix a thing!
And to the poster that these people got lemons... it seems like these cars have more lemons than most makes, which makes it, in general, a bad car.
10th Aug 2010, 09:06
I agree with the poster above, if there are more lemons than most other makes, then it's a bad car.
Don't get me wrong, I have loved my 02 all black Cabrio GLX. It has been fun to drive when it was working fine.
I bought her used in 05 with around 30k miles. In the past five years, I have put over 4k into fixing her, not counting normal maintenance. Everything from the oil dipstick shaft corroding and crumbling, to the antenna joint cracking and crumbling off. The CD player has stopped working, and there have been more engine problems than I care to remember. The cabin light switch has fallen off, the vent fan has fallen apart, the glove box switch broke, and like other reviews, the rear cupholder plate fell off. I have to give her more coolant every month and a half (where is it going? There's no leak...).
The rear window fell out. Yes, just started to come unglued and fell out. Instead of buying an entire new ragtop for 1500 bucks, I had a sailmaker sew a piece of flexible plastic in. That worked for a year until it started slightly shrinking from the sun and pulling at the seams of the roof. So now the roof is coming apart.
All in all, she was an expensive mistake to buy. But I have been attached to her and even drove cross country with her. She just wasn't designed very well (getting to the oil filter was a pain!) and with very cheap parts.
With 120k miles and the roof the way it is now, she's not worth much at all. I came across this website because I was curious about how much new airbags would cost. Much more than the car, I know. Alas, I was run off the road by a trucker and swiped an off ramp sign. She runs fine, but the damage to her body and the airbags makes her totaled.
Just thought I'd share my experiences. Good luck with your Cabrios, folks.
8th Sep 2010, 17:10
The 2002 Cabrio was my wife's dream car. Just like everyone else it was in the shop quite a bit while under warranty for the same issues. Now I want to sell it, and am really starting to see the magnitude of the problems. Cruise control has not worked in years, the power door locks now refuse to function, the check engine light has been on for a couple of years now, the lights on the console have a mind of their own, the radio resets itself when it decides, the door handles peeled and were replaced 1 time, the glove box door handle broke, along with the rear cup holder, and so on.
I recently experience what another posted about the ignition key sticking too far forward. Brake light on, and less power than normal.
On the whole, this has been the oddest car I have ever owned! I will never own another VW.
8th Sep 2010, 17:17
As I read down I read about the dipstick and almost fell out of my chair! I have replaced that thing 3 times, and yes it just seemed to vaporize. I have never owned a car that required the dipstick be replaced.
23rd Nov 2010, 07:31
I saw the one comment about the Cabrio being his wife's dream car. That's our exact situation.
Despite my best effort to NOT buy the 2002 Cabrio... we did. Biggest mistake in over 35 years of driving.
The list of problems so far includes... exhaust system rotted out at 20k miles, driver window has a mind of its own and likes to stay down when raining. Also, lately, it won't start if damp outside. The engine sometimes needs to be shut off then restarted to turn off the brake light (ABS) and activate A/C & Heater functions. Radio loses pass code and locks you out. Cheap plastic heater hose fitting on engine cracked and took $800 to replace at dealer. Various plastic pieces in the cab just crumble (visor catch, knobs, buttons, etc). Changing plugs and wires is a real treat considering two of them are under the intake manifold and require way too much effort. Replacing the air filter was an experience that no one should have to go through.
Beautiful car, but not worth a fraction of the trouble it causes. It's for sale come spring time.
15th Feb 2011, 15:42
I have a 2001 Cabrio that I bought as the Wife's dream car in 2009. Yes, I saw the reviews. Yes, I tried to dissuade her from buying the car. But, it is cute. And, when running, fun.
In two years, I have put on new tires, new brakes, another new tire when the front-end alignment went TOTALLY out of whack, new spark condenser, new drivers side window regulator, new timing belt, new starter, new water pump.
Needless to say, VW lost my business forever, unless you count replacement parts.
I totally empathize with all you suffering Cabrio owners out there. But just remember, I STILL own it.
Sincerely,
Mike, the glutton for punishment.
14th Dec 2004, 11:29
I am currently having the same problems with my driver's side window. I was wondering if there was some sort of recall on the motor, but I guess not. I have a 2001 Cabrio GLX that is a very nice car other than the window problem.