Volkswagen Rabbit Recalls & Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA lists 20 safety recalls and 163 owner complaints across 15 model years of the Volkswagen Rabbit (1975–2009). The most-complained-about year is 2009.
Pick your Volkswagen Rabbit model year
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit | 2 | 62 |
| 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit | 2 | 23 |
| 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit | 2 | 54 |
| 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit | 1 | 13 |
| 1985 Volkswagen Rabbit | 1 | 1 |
| 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit | 1 | 1 |
| 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit | 1 | 1 |
| 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit | 1 | 5 |
| 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit | 3 | 1 |
| 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit | 3 | 2 |
| 1979 Volkswagen Rabbit | 6 | 0 |
| 1978 Volkswagen Rabbit | 9 | 0 |
| 1977 Volkswagen Rabbit | 6 | 0 |
| 1976 Volkswagen Rabbit | 5 | 0 |
| 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit | 5 | 0 |
What Volkswagen Rabbit owners complain about
Across all model years, owners have filed 163 complaints with NHTSA. The 2009 model year has the most, with 62.
All Volkswagen Rabbit recalls (20)
Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Volkswagen Rabbit, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.
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Electronic stability control (esc) and antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (service brakes)
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) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC)…
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control module software to improve the module's self-testing abilities. Any module that fails the new diagnostic test will be replaced. These repairs will…
Model years: 2009
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)
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 small plastic tab located on the windshield washer fluid reservoir that may…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the underhood fuel line. Additionally, depending on the vehicle model, dealers will either remove the plastic tab from the windshield washer fluid reservoir, or inspect the…
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Headlights (exterior lighting)
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 aim and some vehicles may contain a cap that disables the vertical aiming screw.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for the presence of a cap in the socket of the low beam horizontal aiming screw and install one if missing, and inspect for the presence of a cap in the socket of the vertical aiming screw and if…
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Seat belts
Front seat belt retractors may not properly lock during sudden heavy brake application or impact due to the interference of two positioning tabs. Consequence of defect: the seat belt would not retain the driver or passenger subjecting them to possible injury in case of an accident.
Remedy: Replace the front seat belts and modify the retractor positioning tabs.
Model years: 1985
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Carburetor system (fuel system)
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. Consequence of defect: if the throttle shaft breaks, the throttle would not return to its idle position. This could result in loss of control and an accident.
Remedy: Install a reinforcement plate if there is no crack in the throttle shaft. Install a new carburetor with reinforced throttle shaft if a hairline crack has developed in the shaft.
Model years: 1982, 1983, 1984
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (service brakes)
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.
Remedy: The dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the interior brake lines at no cost to owner. Owners are also advised that all brake lines should be inspected at two-year intervals.
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Fuel injection system (fuel system)
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.
Remedy: Dealer will inspect the fuse box and its connectors for corrosion, and correct where necessary. A bypass adapter to the fuel pump electrical circuit will be installed.
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Tie rod assembly (steering)
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 period of time, the tie rod could separate from the steering assembly.
Remedy: Dealer will check the lock nut for adequate tightness, correcting where necessary.
Model years: 1981
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Body (structure)
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 hole has been the subject of previous campaigns, but additional measures are…
Remedy: Vehicles will be inspected to determine whether the modification has been performed. If not, a bypass will be installed to locate the fuel pump relay away from the relay board. Any corroded relay boards or connectors…
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Tie rod assembly (steering)
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.
Remedy: The tie rod ends will be inspected and, if necessary, replaced at no charge to owner.
Model years: 1981
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Filler pipe and cap (fuel system)
On some vehicles, the pressure could increase inside the fuel tank from high surrounding temperatures when the fuel tank is more than half full.
Remedy: Dealer will install a restrictor valve into the fuel filler pipe, without charge to owner.
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Cables (vehicle speed control)
The accelerator cable which leads from the transmission lever to the throttle housing may malfunction. Accelerator cable may have been bent during installation or during servicing of engine components. This could cause the steel band cable to bind and can result in delayed response during deceleration, high engine idle and hesitation…
Remedy: The accelerator cable will be replaced with a newly designed one. In addition, other components of the acceleration system will be checked, lubricated, and if necessary, replaced. This will be done without charge.
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Body (structure)
On some vehicles, the fender opening through which the antenna cable is routed may not be properly sealed. As a result, splashed water from the tires could enter passenger compartment through the opening, enter the fuse relay board and cause corrosion of the terminals. Also, because water is a good conductor of electricity, the starter…
Remedy: Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, seal the radio antenna holes and replace corroded components without charge to owner..
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Relay (electrical system)
Due to an improperly sealed antenna mounting hole, water could seap into the fuse relay board. The water entering the fuse relay board acts as a conductor of current, thereby charging the starter.
Remedy: The dealer will seal all radio antenna cable holes. In addition, electrical parts of the relay/fuse board will be checked and replaced in the case of corrosion.
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Linkage and cable (parking brake)
The rear axle brake cable bracket is attached to the outside of a flange bolt of the rear axle. This bracket was not correctly installed during assembly.
Remedy: The dealer will relocate the bracket and install a new flange, if necessary, without charge.
Model years: 1978
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Cables (vehicle speed control)
The accelerator cable assembly in the involved vehicles could fail prematurely under certain operating conditions. This would either prevent the accelerator pedal from returning to the idle position or cause a loss of adequate engine power.
Remedy: Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, install a new accelerator cable, without charge to owner.
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Gear box (other than rack and pinion) (steering)
On the involved vehicles, the roller bearing inside the steering gear box could become dislocated. This could cause looseness and excessive play in the steering system.
Remedy: Dealer will install a lock plate to ensure that the roller bearing stays in its designed position, without charge to owner.
Model years: 1975
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Carburetor system (fuel system)
On the involved vehicles, the vacuum line connecting the carburetor and the thermo valve may have been improperly installed. This condition may prevent the throttle linkage plate from returning to its idle position.
Remedy: The dealer will replace the vacuum hose with a longer version hose, rerouting and securing it, without charge to owner.
Model years: 1978
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (service brakes)
On the involved vehicles, the two rubber elbows, located at each end of the plastic pipe leading from the throttle valve body housing to the brake booster vacuum pump, may be damaged as a result of improper clamp installation.
Remedy: The dealer will replace the rubber elbow connections and install new type clamps, without charge to owner.
Model years: 1978
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Labels (equipment)
The involved vehicles do not conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 105, "hydraulic brake systems". The involved vehicles were inadvertently equipped with a brake fluid container cap on which the warning text was printed in german.
Remedy: The dealer will install a supplement label, printed in english, on the brake fluid container, displaying the required statement, free of charge.
Model years: 1976
Other Volkswagen models
- Jetta10,000 complaints
- Passat7,705 complaints
- Beetle2,596 complaints
- Tiguan2,300 complaints
- Atlas1,999 complaints
- Golf1,439 complaints
- GTI1,405 complaints
- ID.41,007 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.