Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1980 Rabbit Pickup.
The 1980 Rabbit Pickup, a compact utility variant built on Volkswagen’s front-wheel-drive Rabbit platform, recorded only two owner complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the most frequently cited of which involved the vehicle speed control system. This model year also accumulated four recalls, placing it in a reliability context where a low volume of owner-reported issues is paired with a notable number of official safety campaigns. For researchers, the 1980 Rabbit Pickup thus represents a model year with minimal owner grievances but a recall history that warrants attention when assessing its long-term dependability.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 155.5 in |
| Overall width | 63 in |
| Overall height | 55.9 in |
| Wheelbase | 94.5 in |
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Rabbit Pickup of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Rabbit 3-door Hatchback 1.6L I-4 | 12.10 sec | 18.90 sec | 76 hp | FWD |
| 1980 | Rabbit L Convertible 1.6L I-4 | 12.80 sec | 18.80 sec | 76 hp | FWD |
| 1980 | Rabbit Diesel Deluxe 5-door Hatchback 1.5L Diesel I-4 | 22.90 sec | 22.40 sec | 48 hp | FWD |
| 1981 | Rabbit LS 3-door Hatchback 1.7L I-4 | 11.60 sec | 18.30 sec | 74 hp | FWD |
| 1981 | Rabbit 5-door Hatchback 1.7L I-4 | 12.60 sec | 18.70 sec | 74 hp | FWD |
| 1982 | Rabbit S 3-door Hatchback 1.7L I-4 | 11.65 sec | 18.16 sec | 74 hp | FWD |
| 1977 | Rabbit Diesel 5-door Hatchback (Performance Pack) 1.5L Diesel I-4 | 16.80 sec | 20.50 sec | 48 hp | FWD |
| 1983 | Rabbit GTI 3-door Hatchback 1.8L I-4 | 9.70 sec | 17.10 sec | 90 hp | FWD |
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 Pickup 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.