{"id":"2019_volkswagen_beetle","make":"Volkswagen","make_slug":"volkswagen","model":"Beetle","model_slug":"beetle","year":2019,"url":"/volkswagen/beetle/2019/","pts":["gas"],"configs":[{"id":40475,"model":"Beetle","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":26,"hwy":33,"comb":29,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Compact Cars","co2":308,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2150,"save_spend":500,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"VGA","modified":"Wed Apr 10 00:00:00 EDT 2019"},{"id":40464,"model":"Beetle Convertible","pt":"gas","drive":"Front-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (S6)","cyl":4,"displ":2.0,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":26,"hwy":33,"comb":29,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Regular","vclass":"Subcompact Cars","co2":308,"fe_score":6,"ghg_score":6,"fuel_cost":2150,"save_spend":500,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"VGA","modified":"Wed Apr 10 00:00:00 EDT 2019"}],"vclass":"Compact Cars","segment":"Compact car","epa_certified":true,"recalls":[{"campaign":"24V834000","component":"AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE","mfr":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.","reported":"2024-10-30","owner_notified":"2024-12-04","units":248330,"summary":"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":"Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge.  Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.  Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69EG, 69GQ, and 69E6.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to nhtsa.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"69EG,69GQ,69E6","initiated_by":"ODI","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"19V615000","component":"STEERING:COLUMN LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT DEVICE","mfr":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.","reported":"2019-08-22","owner_notified":"2019-11-19","units":679027,"summary":"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":"Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge.  The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.  Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"37M2","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"19V094000","component":"ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL","mfr":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.","reported":"2019-02-13","owner_notified":"2019-03-18","units":4064,"summary":"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":"Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge.  The recall began March 7, 2019.  Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.  Volkswagen's number for this recall is 90L8.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"90L8","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"}],"recall_count":3,"critical_count":0,"park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"score":76,"grade":"C","complaints":{"count":15,"crash":1,"fire":0,"injured":0,"deaths":0,"comps":[["Electrical System",4],["Exterior Lighting",2],["Engine",2],["Service Brakes",2],["Unspecified",2],["Visibility/Wiper",1]],"by_year":{"2019":2,"2020":2,"2021":4,"2022":1,"2023":3,"2024":1,"2026":2},"excerpts":[["2026-04-11","Suspension","Hello, We have owned this vehicle since new. Today it has 28,945 miles. We started hearing a clunking sound from the front left side. We subsequently stopped and verified the suspension and discovered the broken front right suspension spring. Very disappointing to know that a suspension spring would brake at such low m\u2026"],["2024-11-22","Power Train","The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that the vehicle was jerking while driving up an incline, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact also sta\u2026"],["2023-10-08","Service Brakes","On Sept. 21, 2023, I was in my 2019 Beetle and pulled into a parking place at a store. When parked, I pressed the electric start button to shut off the vehicle. When the vehicle was shut off, I got out of the car to go into the store. Luckily, I turned my head in the direction of my vehicle and saw it rolling backwards\u2026"]]},"investigations":[],"ncap":[{"desc":"2 DR FWD","overall":null,"frontal":4,"side":null,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.105,"seats":4,"fcw":"No","ldw":"No","aeb":"No","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null}],"popularity":999,"headline":{"range":null,"mpg":29,"ncap":null,"complaints":15},"presskit_trims":[],"generated_at":"2026-09-11 06:27 UTC","sources":["EPA fueleconomy.gov","NHTSA recalls","NHTSA complaints","NHTSA NCAP","NHTSA investigations"]}