1999 Volkswagen Beetle Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Beetle years
- Far more complaints than other years 6th of 21 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 174 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle. That ranks 6th out of 21 Beetle model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (39 complaints, 22%), typically at around 89,000 miles. Complaints mention 17 crashes, 20 fires, 18 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 174owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 17complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Volkswagen Beetle problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 39 | 22% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 31 | 18% | 37,839 | — | — |
| Power Train | 29 | 17% | 54,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 26 | 15% | 40,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 22 | 13% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 17 | 10% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 16 | 9% | 46,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 11 | 6% | 47,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 6% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 10 | 6% | 11,550 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 6% | 79,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 3% | 38,744 | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 3% | 87,522 | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 3% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 2% | 46,803 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 2% | 140 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 2% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 1% | 47,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 89,140 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 1% | 138,097 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Volkswagen Beetle recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: 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: The brake lights could become inoperative, or remain on. Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Brake light switch failure (RQ06004) — opened Feb 28, 2006, closed Aug 7, 2006, led to recall 06V183000.
- Brake light switch (EA03002) — opened Apr 8, 2003, closed Aug 20, 2003, led to recall 03V265000.
- Brake light switch operation (PE02084) — opened Nov 18, 2002, closed Apr 8, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 mph, white smoke was coming from the center console. The contact noticed the console was melting. The contact extinguished the smoke. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the…
My car- 1999 vw beetle was not fully inspected before i got the car from dealer. I just found out that my car has long list of parts need replacement to repair and i felt that it wasn't real safe because of strut shock and power steering also cv joints are getting bad in the under of hood. I found…
Tl* the contact owned a 1999 volkswagen beetle. The contact stated that there was an abnormal noise while driving in the middle lane of the road. The contact stated that smoke emitted near the left part of the dashboard close to the steering wheel. In addition, due to the extensive nature of the…
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 volkswagen beetle. While driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning light and coolant temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the timing belt was defective…
Tl* the contact owned a 1999 volkswagen beetle. While driving 65 mph, the air bags deployed when the contact crashed into the bars on the freeway. The contact sustained a fractured nose and a cut to the face that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The…
Other Volkswagen Beetle years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Beetle | 14 | 3 |
| 2018 Beetle | 17 | 3 |
| 2017 Beetle | 15 | 3 |
| 2016 Beetle | 48 | 3 |
| 2015 Beetle | 83 | 5 |
| 2014 Beetle | 50 | 5 |
| 2013 Beetle | 93 | 6 |
| 2012 Beetle | 65 | 6 |
| 2010 Beetle | 30 | 3 |
| 2009 Beetle | 33 | 2 |
| 2008 Beetle | 60 | 3 |
| 2007 Beetle | 56 | 2 |
| 2006 Beetle | 124 | 3 |
| 2005 Beetle | 261 | 3 |
| 2004 Beetle | 349 | 3 |
| 2003 Beetle | 314 | 2 |
| 2002 Beetle | 165 | 2 |
| 2001 Beetle | 203 | 2 |
| 2000 Beetle | 263 | 1 |
| 1999 | 174 | 1 |
| 1998 Beetle | 171 | 2 |
See all Volkswagen Beetle problems by year, every Volkswagen model, or the Volkswagen VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine and engine cooling, power train problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 39 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Volkswagen Beetle a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Beetle model years, the 1999 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.