Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1980 Rabbit Convertible.
The 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit Convertible enters the record as the open-body variant of Volkswagen’s range, registering just two total owner complaints alongside four factory recalls. With vehicle speed control standing out as the top reported concern area, this model year demonstrates a remarkably sparse grievance profile. Consequently, the 1980 edition occupies a favorable position within the nameplate’s reliability history, marking a period of notably low reported mechanical volatility for researchers.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 155.5 in |
| Overall width | 63 in |
| Overall height | 55.9 in |
| Wheelbase | 94.5 in |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit Convertible dominate in one area — the vehicle speed control, 2 of 2 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 4 recall campaigns target the vehicle speed control, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the vehicle speed control pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.
All 2 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
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… Remedy: FOREIGN PARTS DISTRIBUTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE BRAKE HOSES WITH COMPLIANT BRAKE HOSES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 30, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FOREIGN PARTS…
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.
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.