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5 recalls covering model years 2018, 2019. To check whether your vehicle is affected, look up your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a recall may apply only to some vehicles of a given year.
In certain Volkswagen Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles, the airbag in front of the driver can explode instead of inflating normally. This happens because the propellant inside the inflator breaks down over time, after long-term exposure to high humidity, high temperatures, and repeated temperature swings. If the inflator explodes, it can throw sharp pieces of metal at the driver or other people in the car.
Tenneco is recalling aftermarket Beck/Arnley brake master cylinders that were sold as replacement parts for certain Volkswagen Jetta and Beetle vehicles. The crimp that holds the fluid seal in place on the master cylinder may not be tight enough. Because of this, brake fluid can leak out, or the master cylinder itself can come apart. A leak like this can reduce how well the brakes work.
Volkswagen is recalling certain Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen, GTI and Jetta vehicles that have an automatic transmission, a manual handbrake and keyless entry. On these cars, a build-up of silicate on the contacts of the small switch at the shift lever can let the key be pulled out of the ignition even when the shift lever is not in Park. Dealers will install an extra switch and circuit board at no cost.
Some Volkswagen Beetle and Beetle Convertible cars have a dashboard warning light system that may fail to alert the driver when there's a problem with the brakes. Normally, if something goes wrong with the brakes, a light on the instrument cluster should turn on to let the driver know. In these vehicles, that warning may not appear, so the driver could be unaware that the brakes have an issue. Because of this, the vehicles don't meet federal safety rules for brake warning systems.
Certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen, GTI, and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles may have brake caliper pistons without enough protective coating. This lack of coating can reduce how well the brakes work.
⚠ NHTSA advises: do not drive this vehicle until repaired.
Recalls and NHTSA owner complaints for each model year, side by side. Complaints are unverified owner reports, and better-selling or older years naturally collect more — read this as a record, not a ranking.
| Model year | Recalls | High / critical | Do-not-drive / park-outside | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls covering the 2018–2019 Volkswagen Beetle. 5 of them are rated high or critical on this site. The most recent is "Volkswagen Beetle Driver Airbag Inflator May Explode" (NHTSA campaign 24V834000), reported Oct 30, 2024.
The 2018 Volkswagen Beetle has the most, with 4 recalls. The 2018 model year has the fewest of the years we cover, with 4. Newer model years have had less time to collect recalls, so a low count on a recent year is not a guarantee.
Yes. 1 Volkswagen Beetle recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside advisory from NHTSA: VW and Audi Brake Calipers May Reduce Braking (18V369000). These apply only to the affected vehicles, so check your VIN.
Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall often applies to only some vehicles of a model year, and the VIN lookup shows the ones still unrepaired on your car. Recall repairs are free at any franchised Volkswagen dealer, including for second owners.
Recalls and complaint record for one model year at a time: