VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 76,900 MY 2004-2005 NEW BEETLE AND MY 2003-2005 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED (DUAL-STAGE) AIR BAG SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM MAY HAVE AIR BAG FRONTAL CRASH SENSORS THAT CONTAIN A SOLDER JOINT ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD THAT MAY CRACK UNDER CERTAIN HIGH TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS. IF THIS OCCURS, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE AND THE FALLBACK ALGORITHM WILL ENSURE THAT THE FRONT AIR BAGS ALWAYS DEPLOY IN A FRONTAL CRASH IN WHICH THE VEHICLE'S DECELERATION IS HIGH ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS.
Safety risk
IN LOW-SEVERITY FRONTAL IMPACTS, THE FRONT AIR BAGS MAY DEPLOY MORE FORCEFULLY THAN DESIGNED, INCREASING THE POSSIBILITY OF INJURY TO OUT-OF-POSITION FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT EACH VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE SPECIFIC DEFECT CRASH SENSOR IS PRESENT ON ONE OR BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. ALL OF THE DEFECT CRASH SENSORS WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JULY 31, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER, WAGON, AND CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OR WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY.
Safety risk
THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OR REMAIN ON. FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE PROPER SIGNAL WHEN BRAKING COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE NEWLY DESIGNED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 27, 2007, AND WILL BE CONDUCTED IN SEVERAL STAGGERED MAILINGS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 21, 2007. VEHICLES WITHIN THE MAKE, MODEL, AND MODEL YEAR OF THIS POPULATION MAY BE INVOLVED IN EITHER THIS RECALL OR 06V-183, BUT NOT BOTH. THE REMEDY IS THE SAME FOR EACH RECALL. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERS WILL APPLY THE REMEDY BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW AT 1-800-822-8987.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE HIGH PRESSURE DIESEL PUMPS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN IMPROPER FASTENER, WHICH COULD ALLOW DIESEL FUEL TO ESCAPE FROM THE PUMP.
Safety risk
FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DIESEL PUMP. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 8, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Power train: automatic transmission
72
60,000 mi
Visibility: power window devices and controls
51
52,500 mi
Power train
43
75,000 mi
Electrical system
35
70,650 mi
Air bags
27
65,000 mi
Exterior lighting
17
62,000 mi
Structure: body
8
62,300 mi
Unknown or other
8
76,700 mi
Engine and engine cooling
7
47,500 mi
Vehicle speed control
7
46,000 mi
Visibility
7
56,243 mi
Engine
6
80,801 mi
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module
4
49,000 mi
Exterior lighting: headlights
4
12,000 mi
Structure
4
63,000 mi
Seat belts
3
59,235 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic
3
55,000 mi
Visibility/wiper
3
30,000 mi
Air bags: frontal
2
1 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
107 mi
Equipment
2
35,000 mi
Suspension
2
50,742 mi
Visibility: glass, side/rear
2
—
Air bags: side/window
1
—
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
1
75,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system
1
—
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger
1
6,937 mi
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: catalytic convertor
1
100,000 mi
Fuel system, diesel
1
118,000 mi
Fuel system, gasoline
1
32,325 mi
Fuel system, other
1
787 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
1
135,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/TECM)
1
7,385 mi
Service brakes
1
66,500 mi
Structure: body: roof and pillars
1
—
The 2004 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2006 model has 2 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.