2019 Volkswagen Beetle Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Beetle years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 21st of 21 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Volkswagen Beetle. That ranks 21st out of 21 Beetle model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (4 complaints, 29%), typically at around 500 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 14owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2019 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 | 4 | 29% | 500 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 14% | 58 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 14% | 450 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 14% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 14% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 7% | 11,300 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 7% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2019 Volkswagen Beetle recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: 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.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: 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.
Electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module; steering:column locking:anti-theft device
Problem: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Service brakes; electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Problem: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The 2019 Volkswagen Final Edition SE Beetleâs rear trunk latch/lock will fail and not open from the outside with the car unlocked and using the key fob due to it being jammed closed. In an emergency situation, thereâs no manual way to open the rear hatch, and there are no visible markings…
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…
A message is continually (every few seconds) displayed on the dashboard stating that the "coolant temperature is 195 degrees" as if it is a warning. It does not seem plausible that the coolant would have reached 195 degrees when the vehicle was just started.
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…
The key in the key cylinder or tear lock would not remove. The automobile would not shut down. I looked in YouTube tube and found out that since 2010 this incident has been occurring in Volkswagen beetles I had to extract the fuel pump fuse to stop the engine. And then disconnect the battery. It…
Other Volkswagen Beetle years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 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 Beetle | 174 | 1 |
| 1998 Beetle | 171 | 2 |
See all Volkswagen Beetle problems by year, every Volkswagen model, or the Volkswagen VIN decoder.
Similar Volkswagen models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Volkswagen Beetle?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine, exterior lighting problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 4 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2019 Volkswagen Beetle?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2019 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 2019 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.