Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (2)
Exterior lighting: brake lights, switch
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER, WAGON, AND CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OR WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY.
Risk and remedy
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.
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.
Exterior lighting: brake lights, switch
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND CRUISE CONTROLS, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON THESE VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY DURING SAFETY RECALLS 03V-265 OR 04V-096.
Risk and remedy
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.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE NEWLY DESIGNED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 27, 2006. 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.
Canadian recalls (3)
Show 3 Canadian recalls
Lights and instruments
2006-05-24 · campaign 2006-122
On certain Golf, GTI, Jetta, Jetta wagon, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Passat and Passat wagon, the brake lamp switch may malfunction. If this happens, the brake lamps could become inoperative; or could come on and stay on, even though the vehicle is parked. Correction: Dealers will replace the brake lamp switch with a newly revised version. This action includes vehicles previously affected by Transport Canada recall 03-184 and 04-075. The switch installed during this prior repair may not function properly. Note: parts available December 2006.
Electrical
2003-08-05 · campaign 2003-184
On certain vehicle, the brake lamp switch may malfunction. If this happens, the brake lamps could become inoperative; or the lamps could come on and stay on, even though the vehicle is parked. Correction: Dealer will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake lamp switch.
Brakes
2002-02-15 · campaign 2002-028
On certain passenger vehicles short circuits can occur within the electronic control unit of the anti-lock braking system (ABS). This can result in a fire. Correction: Dealers will replace the ABS control unit.
Owner complaints (203)
Owners filed 203 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Volkswagen Beetle (12 crashes, 9 fires, 9 injuries, 1 deaths reported). Among 26 model years of this model, it ranks #5 for the most complaints (median 60).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Electrical system | 43 | |
| Engine and engine cooling | 41 | |
| Air bags | 40 | |
| Exterior lighting | 30 | |
| Power train | 24 | |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 17 | |
| Seat belts | 11 | |
| Engine | 10 | |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2001 Volkswagen Beetle version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| New Beetle 1.8 L Automatic 4-spd | 20 | 26 | 22 | $3,750 |
| New Beetle 1.8 L Manual 5-spd | 22 | 28 | 24 | $3,400 |
| New Beetle 1.9 L Automatic 4-spd | 29 | 40 | 33 | $2,900 |
| New Beetle 1.9 L Manual 5-spd | 35 | 44 | 38 | $2,500 |
| New Beetle 2.0 L Automatic 4-spd | 20 | 26 | 22 | $3,050 |
| New Beetle 2.0 L Manual 5-spd | 21 | 28 | 24 | $2,800 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.