Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1980 Rabbit Convertible.
The 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit Convertible stands as a notably quiet entry in the model’s reliability history, with just two owner complaints on file—the primary concern centered on vehicle speed control—and a total of four recalls. This modest complaint tally suggests that, when its few known issues are addressed, the 1980 model year represents a relatively dependable example of the open-top Rabbit.
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.