Recall campaigns by affected system, 2016–2024.
24V834000NHTSA report received October 2024Model years: 2017–2019
NHTSA campaign 24V834000: Volkswagen Beetle air bags recall
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge.
22V945000NHTSA report received December 2022Model years: 2016
NHTSA campaign 22V945000: Volkswagen Beetle air bags recall
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Beetle and Beetle Convertibles vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Dealers will replace the driver's side air bag, free of charge.
20E064000NHTSA report received September 2020Model years: 2016–2019
NHTSA campaign 20E064000: Volkswagen Beetle service brakes recall
Tenneco Automotive (Tenneco) is recalling certain Beck/Arnley Master Cylinders, part number 072-9831, sold as aftermarket or replacement parts for 2004-2018 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2012-2019 Volkswagen Beetle vehicles. The fluid seal crimp on the master cylinder may be insufficient, causing brake fluid to leak or the cylinder to come apart.
Consequence: If there is a brake fluid leak, it can reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Beck/Arnley will notify the distributors that sold the master cylinders and will work with the distributors to notify the end users.
19V615000NHTSA report received August 2019Model years: 2016–2019
NHTSA campaign 19V615000: Volkswagen Beetle electrical system recall
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."
Consequence: Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge.
19V094000NHTSA report received February 2019Model years: 2019
NHTSA campaign 19V094000: Volkswagen Beetle electrical system recall
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."
Consequence: 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 per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge.
18V369000NHTSA report received June 2018NHTSA: do not drive until repairedModel years: 2018
NHTSA campaign 18V369000: Volkswagen Beetle service brakes recall
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes.
17V136000NHTSA report received March 2017Model years: 2017
NHTSA campaign 17V136000: Volkswagen Beetle equipment recall
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Beetle and Jetta GLI vehicles. The affected vehicles have incorrect information on the tire information label, possibly causing the operator to overload the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: Overloading the vehicle may affect vehicle handling or result in tire damage, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected tire information label, free of charge.
15V705000NHTSA report received October 2015Model years: 2016
NHTSA campaign 15V705000: Volkswagen Beetle engine and engine cooling recall
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.
Consequence: If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy per NHTSA (as of 2026-08-27): Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software.
The same full inspection at every tier, at the seller’s location, with a photo-documented report:
Other small cars to weigh against the Volkswagen Beetle. Recall counts cover different model-year spans and are not a reliability ranking.
How many recalls does the Volkswagen Beetle have?
As of NHTSA records retrieved 2026-08-27, NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the Volkswagen Beetle, model years 2016–2024. A recall applies to specific VIN ranges, variants, trims or build dates, so a particular vehicle may be affected by all, some, or none of them, and a campaign count is not a reliability ranking. Whether an open recall is a safety risk depends on the campaign, so read the NHTSA entry for the VIN. Each campaign below shows the remedy NHTSA records, which may be a dealer or service-center repair, an over-the-air software update, or, for some campaigns, a repurchase. This page details the most recent campaigns; the full record for any VIN is at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What should an inspector check on a used Volkswagen Beetle?
Beyond the standard pre-purchase checks, the recall history for this model concentrates in: electrical system, service brakes, air bags, engine and engine cooling, equipment. An inspector documents the visible and operational condition of those systems without disassembly; internal parts, software-only issues and whether a recall remedy was performed are VIN-lookup questions, not inspection findings.
Can a pre-purchase inspection tell me whether a Volkswagen Beetle recall was done?
No. Whether a recall repair was performed is recorded against the VIN, so NHTSA's lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls (or the manufacturer's own) is the authoritative check. Run it before you travel. The inspection covers what a VIN lookup cannot: the physical condition of the vehicle in front of you.
Can you inspect a Volkswagen Beetle at a dealer, a private seller, or out of state?
Yes. The inspector usually travels to the vehicle at the seller's location — a dealer lot or a private seller — and you do not need to be there. Vehicle Inspectors dispatches an independent inspector within 50 miles of any US ZIP code, widening to 150 miles if needed; more remote locations are quoted case by case. You get a photo-documented PDF report in 24–48 hours.
How much does a Volkswagen Beetle pre-purchase inspection cost?
A pre-purchase inspection of a Volkswagen Beetle through Vehicle Inspectors: Bronze $249 · Silver $349 · Gold $449. Your card is saved at booking, not charged. A hold is placed when an inspector schedules, and you are charged after the inspection is completed. If no inspector accepts within 72 hours, the request auto-cancels and nothing is charged.
Vehicle Inspectors matches buyers with independent inspectors nationwide. Local pages for cities with active inspectors:
