Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 34 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle, most frequently naming the interior & seats, engine and fuel system categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 26 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1998 | 1 | 1 |
| Feb 1999 | 1 | 2 |
| Jul 1999 | 1 | 3 |
| Aug 1999 | 1 | 4 |
| Oct 1999 | 2 | 6 |
| Mar 2000 | 1 | 7 |
| Apr 2000 | 1 | 8 |
| May 2000 | 1 | 9 |
| Oct 2000 | 1 | 10 |
| Nov 2000 | 1 | 11 |
| Jan 2001 | 1 | 12 |
| May 2001 | 1 | 13 |
| Jul 2001 | 1 | 14 |
| Dec 2001 | 1 | 15 |
| Jan 2002 | 1 | 16 |
| Aug 2002 | 2 | 18 |
| Oct 2002 | 1 | 19 |
| Nov 2002 | 2 | 21 |
| Feb 2003 | 3 | 24 |
| Mar 2003 | 1 | 25 |
| Jun 2003 | 2 | 27 |
| Aug 2003 | 1 | 28 |
| Sep 2003 | 1 | 29 |
| Jan 2004 | 2 | 31 |
| Feb 2004 | 1 | 32 |
| Jul 2004 | 1 | 33 |
| Nov 2004 | 1 | 34 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govEXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
DEFECTIVE OR INCORRECT DASHBOARD INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND REPEATED FAILURES OF SENSORS AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ELECTRICAL SWITCHES.*AK
DRIVERS SEAT ADJUSTER BOLTS FELL OUT, RESULTING IN DRIVERS SEAT SILDING FULLY TO REAR AND SEAT COMING OFF TRACKS. THE DRIVERS SEAT SLID ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK SEAT AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE ROOF WITH NO ABILITY TO REACH THE BRAKE, CLUTCH, OR ACCELERATOR PEDALS. MY ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERLY IMPAIRED. *AK
THE ROOF COVER IS FALLING DOWN. THE GLUE THAT IS USE TO KEEP THE CLOTH ATTACHED TO THE ROOF IS VERY POOR AND AFTER 3 YEARS IT WILL START TO FALL DOWN. I HAVE 2 IDENTICAL VW BEETLE'S AND THEY BOTH SUFFER FROM THIS PROBLEM. *JB
REMOTE HATCHBATCH LOCK RELEASE FAILURE.
AT LESS THAN 27K MILES, I HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. THE DEALER SAID THE ROTORS FOR THE NEW BEETLE ARE NOTORIOUSLY THIN, AND HAVE TO BE REPLACED ALMOST AS OFTEN AS THE BRAKE PADS. THIS REPAIR COST ME $950. MY ROOMMATE, ANOTHER VW NEW BEETLE OWNER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AT 31K, MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS WERE REGISTERED ON BEETLEBUZZ.COM, WHEN IT WAS IN OPERATION. *AK
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT ON DRIVERS SIDE NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. DEALER STATES CRACKED HOUSING ALLOWED WATER IN WHICH IN TURN BURNED OUT BULB. JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF NEW BEETLES I SEE WITH ONE HEAD LIGHT OUT THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. *JB
MY 1999 VOLKWAGEN BEETLE HAS A MELTED FUSE BLOCK ON TOP OF THE BATTERY. I BELIEVE THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE FUSES BEING FAULTY AS ONE LEG OF THE FUSE WAS COMPLETELY BURNED OFF AND THE FUSE WAS STILL NOT BLOWN. I BELIEVE THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. ON THE WEBSITE NEWBEETLE.ORG, THERE ARE SEVERAL MORE INSTANCES OF THIS OCCURRING INCLUDING PHOTOS. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED. IT DOES NOT REGISTER READINGS FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED OR RPMS.*AK
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
STRUCTURE
DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR WINDOW REGULATOR REPAIRING. *MJ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING DOOR WINDOW, SEPARATES FROM WINDOW REGULATOR CLAMPS. *TT
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
EVALUATING FUEL MIXTURE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC) - HOW TO PERFORM EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC RELATED TO FUEL SYSTEM ADAPTATION SYSTEM TOO RICH/ TOO LEAN. VOLKSWAGEN. *MJ
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
EVALUATING FUEL MIXTURE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES- HOW TO PERFORM EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSIS RELATED TO FUEL SYSTEM ADAPTATION - SYSTEM TOO RICH/TOO LEAN. VOLKSWAGEN. *MJ
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
NEW STYLE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH REQUIRES CARE DURING INSTALLATION TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO SWITCH. *TT
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
SAFETY RECALL - WT - BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. *TT
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
SAFETY RECALL - WT - NEW BEETLE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. *TT
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.