Used 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio Consumer Reviews
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99 vw CABRIO GLS, What A Fun Car!
toycollector, 07/26/2014
updated 08/03/2021
1999 Volkswagen Cabrio GLS 2dr Convertible
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
I purchased this 99 VW Cabrio used some many years ago. I wanted a convertible and My Grand mother swore by VW. Lest we forget, she bought her VW's when Volkswagon was still Volkswagon. UPDATED REVIEW 08 04 2021 This 99 Cabrio is still running sweet. The only fault mechanically was the linkage to the transmission. It has a 5 speed manual and the linkage began to rust. I started having trouble getting in gear on 2nd and 4th. We found the problem, tried to clean it up and lubed it like crazy. OK VW's short falls The radio for this model is junk. It plays great, even the CD player still plays. But the plastic body is cracking and falling apart and the LCD screen has a wave of BLACK that will in a year or two make the LCD unreadable. THE paint is good, the clear coat sucks. Mine began peeling some years back. Of course to fix it the paint shop needs to repaint the entire cars for 4 grand. for about $20 bucks I used PlastiDip to cover the failing Clear Coat, and enhance the looks of the car. The window operators have a problem that VW knew about and never recalled. It's when you cannot open or close the window. The motor has relays on it than can fail. VW, like most of the car manufacturers, built on the cheap. They used plastic everywhere they could get away with. The door handles on the Cabrio are, of course, PLASTIC. My driver door handle wore the nub off that the handle hinges on and I couldn't open the door from the inside. I have repaired it twice now, but it would never have happened had VW not been so cheap with the parts in the car, especially this one. Not being able to get out, say a car on fire after an accident, could be a serious problem.. Not such a smart idea VW. Joys of the RIDE -- Love the convertible top. Had to change it out when the car was 18 years old. Did it myself. BOY what a job but works great now. Cabrio still as much fun as when it was new. The Cabrio is one of the most fun cars I have ever owned. Sure, there have been some bumps but all cars have them. There is no perfect manufacturer and they all are cutting corners to make money. Fix it and enjoy the ride. I have one of those FM transmitters that lets me listen to whatever music I care to while driving down the road with the top down. Even more exciting when the top is down and the moon is out. Wind blowing around you, with some good tunes. Best part of this story, this is a great, fun little car and, ITS PAID FOR, has been for many years. Still looks great, rides fantastic, the engine hums when tooling down the country roads. What more can you ask for, lol. and we can talk gas mileage, she still goes forever, literally, on a tank of gas. May be because of the manual transmission or the motor under the hood. No matter, it is my most economical car. I did some research one time about my Cabrio. Did you know the 99 model year of VW's were all redesigned, all EXCEPT the 99 Cabrio. The 99 Cabrio continued production on the 98 Cabrio chasis and body. The car was slated to end production in a few years and VW didn't want to spend any money on a redesign for this fine car. I guess if you understand big business then this is ok, but it seems to me no matter the life of the car, they should have changed at least SOMETHING. They are asking a lot of money for the product and we the customers are paying them for the latest. Seems some skulldugery going on there. But in the end the car is great, fun, exciting, fast enough, lol. Even with its VW radio self destructing, the radio sounds great, and what a ride. It is STILL a fun little car and I drive it as much as I can get away with wearing my ball cap, dark sunglasses, and a scarf around my neck, the end blowing in the wind. Ah If you can find a better thing in life, jump on it. I don't know how many of you still have your Cabrios, or if they have become fond memories of the past. I hope most of you are still enjoying this fun car. Its been around a long time and still holding its own. I'm pretty sure that at this time, it will be rather difficult to find another 99 Cabrio in good condition both body and mechanical for any kind of decent money. They are taking their turns in accidents and junk yards, being attacked by rust and what ever other falls on a car to shorten its life. If you are looking for a Cabrio and find one in great shape, Grab onto it and never let go. LOL You are going to love this car.
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1999 VW Cabrio 2 Dr. GLS
cmartin, 07/31/2009
1999 Volkswagen Cabrio GLS 2dr Convertible
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Currently the owner of a second VW Cabrio and you would have thought I would learn my lesson. The car is cute, however I have realized that certain major & costly things go wrong with VW's - just a few examples: The window censors, the automatic roof motor, rotor & distributor moisture (which causes yearly replacement), cruise control malfunctions, and items within the interior to just fall off. While I love the exterior design I would never purchase another VW.
Summer Fun -
ChitownVWDriver, 02/11/2003
1999 Volkswagen Cabrio GLS 2dr Convertible (midyear)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Great convertble - especially for the money. This, incidently, is also a very reliable winter car. The top is the sam six-layer cover used in higher end German cars and the front-wheel drive handling is fine in the snow.
Very Dependable
C. Jones, 01/01/2003
1999 Volkswagen Cabrio GL 2dr Convertible (midyear)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
The only notable problem has been the electrical window motors.
FUN AND PROBLEMATIC + $$
forreal1, 07/03/2013
1999 Volkswagen Cabrio GLS 2dr Convertible
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
The reviews point towards a car that is fun to drive, good-looking (unique style), comfortable for even tall drivers, higher clearance than many convertibles, a/c and heater works, heated seats put out moderate amount of heat, good winter driving capability (if you choose to), good on gas and easy to park. I think these points are valid and are the experience of the majority of owners. For me, the problem was a leaking transmission, which turned into a replacement of the filter and fluid. This was the beginning of an expensive problem. Many transmissions don't like changing older fluid for newer fluid. It upsets the balance inside the transmission. Stay away from cars with trans work.
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