RoadVitals

1974 Volkswagen Beetle Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
4
Latest May 5, 2014
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Feb 16, 1998

What this page shows

Our database holds 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1974 Volkswagen Beetle. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–4 of 4

Steering
Filed May 5, 2014

IN A SWEEPING LEFT TURN ON HWY 58, THE STEERING LOCK. I WENT ACROSS THE ON COMING LANE, INTO A BIG PULLOUT AND STOPPED ABOUT 3 FEET FROM A LARGE TREE. I CHECK WITH THE DEALER ABOUT GETTING A NEW SHAFT WITH NEW U JOINTS. HE SAID THAT THEY HAD A SUPER BUG THAT WAS IN A COLLISION THAT NEEDED THE STEERING SHAFT REPLACED, (BAD U JOINT). I WENT AND GOT ANOTHER ONE, IT TOO HAD A BINDING U JOINT. ONE BEARING IN THE ALL SHAFTS, (U JOINT) DID NOT HAVE GREASE IN THEM THEY HAD RUST AND WERE BINDING OR BOUND! I MADE UP 2 OUT OF THE PARTS OF 3 WITH GREASE IN THEM. STILL HAVE THE CAR TODAY. ALSO THE HEAD LIGHTS AN BACK UP LIGHTS DID NOT WORK WHEN I FIRST GOT IT, (NEW), AND THE WIRING WAS NOT THE PROPER COLOR CODE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10586714
Incident
Jan 12, 1976
Mileage
3,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed May 21, 2004
Crash reported1 injury reported1 death reported

FATALITY DUE TO HEAD ON COLLISION. *MR THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH A 1997 FORD F150. THE BELT APPEARED TO BE OPERATIONAL PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE WEBBING WAS FRAYED AND SEPARATED 82 INCHES FROM THE ANCHOR END. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID
10074040
Incident
Jan 1, 1901
Suspension
Filed Jan 17, 2001

HE WAS SITTING AT A STOP SIGN AND THE VEHICLE WAS HITTED AND THE BRAKES DIDN'T HOLD

NHTSA ID
878398
Incident
Nov 24, 2000
Filed Feb 16, 1998

REQUESTING INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO OBTAINING LETTER OF CONFORMITY TO BRING 1974 VW BEETLE INTO US FROM GERMANY.

NHTSA ID
530746

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .