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U.S. public vehicle records

1987 Volkswagen CABRIOLET problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

6 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

170,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1987 model year. Data snapshot: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 6 complaints (66.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Fuel system concerns350.0%
Braking behavior116.7%
Steering behavior116.7%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly
4
Steering
1
Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System:Heater Core
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly4
Steering1
Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System:Heater Core1

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly: 4; Steering: 1; Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System:Heater Core: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
1
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above1

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 1

150,000 and above miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 5 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2001
3
2002
1
2003
1
2010
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20013
20021
20031
20101

2001: 3; 2002: 1; 2003: 1; 2010: 1

Pattern summary

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 3 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10024749 · 2003-06-23 (June 23, 2003)

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT WITH ITS FUEL TANK AS STATED IN RECALL # 94V065000; BUT, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 170,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10024749 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 8016770 · 2002-08-20 (August 20, 2002)

WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING FUEL TANK CRACKED, CAUSING FLUID TO LEAK. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 8016770 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10329430 · 2010-05-08 (May 8, 2010)

1 NORMAL DRIVING 2 LOWER BEARING OF THE STEERING COLUMN FALLS FROM BEARING RACE, CREATES HAZARDOUS STEERING 3 A PLASTIC BEARING RETAINER IS THE FACTORY REPLACEMENT AND THIS BRAKES CAUSING THE FAILURE. REPLACEMENT DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10329430 at NHTSA ↗