1983 Volkswagen Rabbit problems
The Volkswagen Golf Mk1 is the first generation of a small family car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen. It was noteworthy for signalling Volkswagen's shift of its major car lines from rear-wheel drive and rear-mounted air-cooled engines to front-wheel drive with front-mounted, water-cooled engines that were often transversely-mounted.
Successor to Volkswagen's Beetle, the first generation Golf debuted in Europe in May 1974 with styling by Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign.
History
Replacing the Beetle; early efforts
Volkswagen began producing prototypes of possible Beetle replacements as far back as the early 1950s, and may have received design proposals from Porsche earlier than that. All of the internal projects' names started with "EA", standing for "Entwicklungsauftrag" and meaning "Development assignment". This work began during the tenure of Heinz Nordhoff, who was Director General of Volkswagen from 1948 to 1968.
In 1952 the company built the EA41 in collaboration with Pininfarina. Essentially a rebodied Beetle, it never went into production.
The first EA47 prototype appeared in 1953; at least 11 more EA47 variations were built over the next three years.
By the mid- to late-1950s, questions about the future of the Beetle began to be asked from outside the company. In 1957, an article with the title "Is the Volkswagen dated?" appeared in the West German magazine Stern. Two years later, a similar headline was used in an article in Der Spiegel weekly news.: 236
In 1958 Porsche began a project numbered 728 for a revised Beetle. A few years later this became the Volkswagen EA53. This project continued for a number of years and produced several prototypes, with early ones having bodywork designed by Porsche and later ones styled by Ghia. The EA53 eventually led to the Type 3 model.: 92
In 1957 another design study, the EA97, was started. This exercise was larger than the Beetle, but kept the usual rear-mounted powertrain. Two hundred instances of this design were built. Styling varied, depending on whether a particular car's bodywork was done by VW or by Ghia. Some cars’ looks echo the later Type 3 cars, although the EA97 was smaller. The last EA97 was built in 1960. The EA97 would provide the basis for the Brasília model from Volkswagen do Brasil.: 158
The EA158 was a Beetle-successor project that started in 1962 with a unibody study by Pininfarina. As the project progressed the car grew in size and weight. Eventually it was rejected as a Beetle replacement, but served as the foundation of the subsequent Volkswagen Type 4 model.
In 1967 another set of prototypes for possible Beetle replacements appeared in the form of the EA235 and EA235a.
In 1968 the last internal prototype for a Beetle replacement built under Nordhoff's direction appeared. This car, designated EA276, was a small three-door hatchback with front-wheel drive using a front-mounted Volkswagen air-cooled engine. The EA276 program was cancelled after the death of Nordhoff, but did find new life as the inspiration for the Brazilian Gol.
During Nordhoff's time VW did broaden its product line with the launch of the Volkswagen Type 3 in 1961 and the Volkswagen Type 4 in 1968. In 1964 the company acquired control of the Auto Union group from Daimler-Benz and with it the technologies of the constituent companies of DKW, Horch, Audi and Wanderer.
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Common 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit problems
The Volkswagen Rabbit, produced in 1983, is known for certain common problems that owners have reported over the years. These issues are primarily related to the car's reliability, parts availability, and maintenance requirements.
- Parts Availability: Parts for the Rabbit are generally available, but some components, such as those for the 1975-1977 models, may be harder to find.
- Maintenance Requirements: The Rabbit is known for being easy to maintain and having a simplistic design with minimal electronics controlling the engine. This makes it a good choice for those who want to learn about cars and work on their own vehicles.
- Fuel System: The Rabbit has experienced issues with its fuel system, including stalling and poor performance.
- Brakes: The Rabbit has had a high number of recalls related to brakes, with 18 recalls addressing various brake-related issues.
- Fuel System: The Rabbit has had 13 recalls related to the fuel system, indicating a history of problems with this component.
- Structure: The Rabbit has experienced 8 recalls related to the car's structure, suggesting potential issues with the vehicle's overall build quality.
- Equipment: The Rabbit has had 7 recalls related to equipment, which may indicate problems with optional features or accessories.
- Electrical: The Rabbit has had 5 recalls related to electrical issues, suggesting potential problems with the car's wiring or electrical components.
- Steering: The Rabbit has had 3 recalls related to steering, which may indicate issues with the car's steering system or components.
- Lighting: The Rabbit has had 3 recalls related to lighting, suggesting potential problems with the car's headlights, taillights, or other lighting components.
- Seats: The Rabbit has had 1 recall related to seats, which may indicate issues with the car's seating system or components.
In summary, the Volkswagen Rabbit, particularly the 1975-1977 models, is known for unreliable performance and parts availability issues.
How many miles per gallon does a 1983 VW Rabbit get?
Based on data from 6 vehicles, 44 fuel-ups and 13,290 miles of driving, the 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit gets a combined Avg MPG of 33.58 with a 3.36 MPG margin of error.
How many miles will a VW Rabbit last?
Most Volkswagen vehicles will last between 100,000 and 200,000 miles, although well-kept models can last even longer than that. All VWs are remarkably reliable vehicles.
What is the top speed of the 1983 VW Rabbit?
There's even enough power to push the VW's boxy body through the atmosphere at 104 mph.
What was the gas mileage on a Volkswagen Rabbit in 1980?
32 mpg
The gasoline-engined Rabbit Pickup got a claimed 32 mpg on the highway (real-world mileage was always lower), while the diesel version had a 39 mpg rating. Of course, the gas engine made 62 hp, and the oil-burner wheezed out 48 hp (and I can say from personal experience that these things were slow).
What is the top speed of the 1983 VW Rabbit?
There's even enough power to push the VW's boxy body through the atmosphere at 104 mph.
How many miles per gallon does a 1983 VW Rabbit get?
Based on data from 6 vehicles, 44 fuel-ups and 13,290 miles of driving, the 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit gets a combined Avg MPG of 33.58 with a 3.36 MPG margin of error.
How many miles will a VW Rabbit last?
Most Volkswagen vehicles will last between 100,000 and 200,000 miles, although well-kept models can last even longer than that. All VWs are remarkably reliable vehicles.
What happened to the VW Rabbit?
Is Volkswagen planning an electric Rabbit for the US? Although the Rabbit made its US return in 2006, it was discontinued again in 2009. The agile compact car is only available as a special edition of the Golf. However, don't count it out too soon, as it may be making its return in the electric era.
1983 Volkswagen Rabbit car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Volkswagen Rabbit problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Exterior lighting problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
1983 Volkswagen Rabbit complaints
The NHTSA has received 2 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Summary: WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS GO OFF . *AK
EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Summary: WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS GO OFF . *AK
1983 Volkswagen Rabbit recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 2 recalls for different components of the 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit.
- Manufacturer: FOREIGN PARTS DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- Summary: 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 WHICH FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 106, "BRAKE HOSES."
- Consequence: BRAKE HOSE RUPTURE COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- 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 DISTRIBUTORS AT 305-885-8646 EXT. 11.
- Manufacturer: VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC
- Components: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:CARBURETOR SYSTEM
- Summary: THE THROTTLE SHAFT OF THE CARBURETOR MAY CRACK AND EVENTUALLY BREAK AT THE THREADED HOLE FOR THE THROTTLE PLATE CONNECTION DUE TO EXCESSIVE VIBRATION OF THE THROTTLE SHAFT. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF THE THROTTLE SHAFT BREAKS, THE THROTTLE WOULD NOT RETURN TO ITS IDLE POSITION. THIS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.
- Remedy: INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT PLATE IF THERE IS NO CRACK IN THE THROTTLE SHAFT. INSTALL A NEW CARBURETOR WITH REINFORCED THROTTLE SHAFT IF A HAIRLINE CRACK HAS DEVELOPED IN THE SHAFT.
Other years of Volkswagen Rabbit
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