FaultScore

Worst years for a Volkswagen Rabbit

Owners have filed 267 complaints about the Volkswagen Rabbit with NHTSA across model years 1980 to 2009. More of them are about the brakes than anything else.

Avoid

2009 Volkswagen Rabbit

123 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly brakes.

Cleanest on record

2006 Volkswagen Rabbit

18 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Volkswagen Rabbit year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2009 D 123 10 5 100,000 Brakes
2008 C 35 4 8 69,650 Airbags
2007 D 78 4 3 73,500 Brakes
2006 C 18 0 3 35,000 Engine & Cooling
1985 1 0 0 Engine & Cooling
1984 2 0 0 Brakes
1983 2 0 0 Lights
1982 5 0 1 Fuel & Propulsion
1981 1 1 0 Seat Belts
1980 2 0 0 Acceleration & Cruise Control

What breaks on a Volkswagen Rabbit

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Brakes 60 22.5%

Worst in 2009

Worst in 2009

Worst in 2009

Engine & Cooling 19 7.1%

Worst in 2007

Airbags 18 6.7%

Worst in 2007

Fuel & Propulsion 18 6.7%

Worst in 2007

Transmission & Drivetrain 17 6.4%

Worst in 2007

Steering 17 6.4%

Worst in 2009

Acceleration & Cruise Control 15 5.6%

Worst in 2007

Seats 14 5.2%

Worst in 2007

Other & Unspecified 7 2.6%

Worst in 2007

Body & Structure 5 1.9%

Worst in 2007

Lights 5 1.9%

Worst in 1983

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 3 1.1%

Worst in 2008

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Volkswagen Rabbit, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Sep 1995 peak 9 Jan 2025

Compare the Volkswagen Rabbit

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.