NHTSA Complaint #764141 — 1998 VOLKSWAGEN CABRIO

MY TAN-VINYL CONVERTIBLE TOP BEGIN TO CHEMICALLY BREAK-DOWN AFTER 3 1/2 YEARS OF OWNING THE CAR. I WAS TOLD BY VW OF AMERICA THAT I WAS PAST MY WARRANTY AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THE TOP CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE OVER TIME. I HAVE FOUND 15 OTHER 1998 CABRIO OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. ALL THESE 98 CABRIOS WERE MANUFACTURED AT THE VOLKSWAGEN DE MEXICO PLANT BETWEEN 11/97 AND 10/98 AND HAVE ALL EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEMS AFTER EXPOSURE TO THE WEATHER AND THE SUN. VW TOLD ME WHEN I PURCHASED MY CAR THAT THE TOP WOULD BE GOOD FOR OVER 150,000 MILES AND I WAS RECENTLY TOLD MY A VINYL MANUFACTURER THAT THE MATERIAL VW USES ON THE CABRIOS SHOULD LAST AT LEAST 10 YEARS. THE POBRLEM IS NOT SIMPLY AN AESTHETIC ISSUE. MANY OWNERS TOPS HAVE BEGUN TO RIP AND THE GLASS IN THE BACK OF THE TOP IS COMING OUT. EVEN MY TOP HAS BEGUN TO TEAR. CHEMICAL EXPERTS SAY SOMETHING THAT WAS USED ON THE TOP DURING PRODUCTION HAS CAUSED THE POLYMERS TO LEECH OUT OF THE PVC IN THE VINYL WITH EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT. AND AS THE VINYL CONTINUES TO WEAKEN WE HAVE LESS MATERIAL KEEPING OUT WEATHER CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION, IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT THE TOP WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY BARRIER FOR DIRVERS AND PASSENGERS. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE . I EVENTUALLY WENT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, SEACOAST VW, AND THEY LOOKED THE CAR OVER AS DID THE VW DISTRICT MANAGER AND THEY OFFERED ME 50 PERCENT TOWARDS THE TOP REAPLACEMENT. SO I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $600 OUT OF MY POCKET FOR A DEFECT THAT ORIGINATED WITH VW. I HAVE VARIOUS AND NUMEROUS DOCUMNETED INFO OF THE PROBLEM, WHICH I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH IF NEEDED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER.*AK