Volkswagen Beetle may not show brake failure warning

NHTSA campaign 19V094000 · Reported 2019-02-13 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

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Missing the brake warning could leave you driving on a failing brake system and losing control while braking, which raises the crash risk; the notice does not tell owners to stop driving, but get the free software update soon and pay attention to how the brakes feel.

What's wrong, in plain English

On certain 2019 Volkswagen Beetle and Beetle Convertible models, the display behind the steering wheel may fail to light up a warning when the car detects a problem with the brake system. The brakes themselves are not the defect — the problem is that you would not be told something is wrong. Without that alert, you could keep driving with a brake fault and only find out when you try to stop and the car does not respond as expected.

What you should do

1. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to check whether your Beetle is covered.
2. Call your Volkswagen dealer or Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 (recall 90L8) to set up an appointment.
3. The dealer updates the instrument cluster software for free — no charge to you.

Affected vehicles (1)

2019 Volkswagen Beetle

Who to contact

Volkswagen — official Volkswagen recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-893-5298

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Volkswagen electrical recalls: ID.4 battery fires and sudden power loss · all 16 Volkswagen recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles. The instrument cluster may not provide a visual warning when a brake system failure is detected. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light vehicle brake systems" and number 101, "Controls and displays."
Safety risk: If the driver is not alerted when there is a problem with brakes, the driver may lose control of the vehicle while attempting to brake, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. The recall began March 7, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 90L8.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.