no report yet
Brake lights: switch
Risk. THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OR REMAIN ON.
2002 Volkswagen BeetleProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 165 owner complaints about the 2002 Volkswagen Beetle, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 1, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: DieselFordMondeo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2002 Volkswagen Beetle has problems
165 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
43Air bags10 crash/fire/injury
36Electrical system4 crash/fire/injury
23Power train
20Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury
14Exterior lighting
12Seat belts
12Visibility
10Structure
6Service brakes, hydraulic
3918 other systems7 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 43 | 10 |
| Electrical system | 36 | 4 |
| Power train | 23 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 20 | 1 |
| Exterior lighting | 14 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 12 | 2 |
| Visibility | 12 | 0 |
| Structure | 10 | 3 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 6 | 1 |
| 18 other systems | 39 | 7 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2002 Volkswagen Beetle recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Brake lights: switch
Risk. THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OR REMAIN ON.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Volkswagen.
Mileage at failure
When do air bags problems start?
65kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 33 air bags complaints. 79% were reported before 100,000 miles.
3under 30k miles26under 100k miles7100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Air bags
12 owners mentioned a cost$450median
Middle half: $368 – $620
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2002 vs. every other Beetle year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Beetle median. How we score
'68'69'70'71'73'74'77'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2002 Volkswagen Beetle, and the recalls they led to.
- BRAKE LIGHT SWITCHLed to recall 03V-265
- BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURELed to recall 06V-183
In owners' words
What Beetle owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION (ABOUT 25 MPH) WHEN A FRONT END COLLISION OCCURRED WHICH RESULTED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG ACTIVATING ONLY. THE DRIVER SIDE STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG DID NOT ACTIVATE. DRIVER'S FACE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE AIR BAG SENSOR, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.…
Own a 2002 Beetle?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.