no report yet
Brake lights: switch
Risk. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE BRAKE LAMPS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE; OR THE LAMPS COULD COME ON AND STAY ON, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS PARKED.
2001 Volkswagen NEW BeetleProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 39 owner complaints about the 2001 Volkswagen NEW Beetle, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 8, 2004. Updated daily. Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2001 Volkswagen NEW Beetle has problems
39 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
10Electrical system
7Service brakes, hydraulic1 crash/fire/injury
5Engine and engine cooling
5Vehicle speed control
4Exterior lighting
3Visibility
2Air bags
2Tires
1Wheels
33 other systems
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 10 | 0 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 7 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 5 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 |
| 3 other systems | 3 | 0 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2001 Volkswagen NEW 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
Other: owners/service/other manual
Risk. THESE VEHICLES WERE NOT MARKED OR DESCRIBED AS REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.
no report yet
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Risk. THIS CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.
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.
Best & worst years
2001 vs. every other NEW 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 NEW Beetle median. How we score
'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'06
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
In owners' words
What NEW Beetle owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
I HAVE A 2001 VOLKSWAGON BEETLE AND WAS VERY FRUSTRATED WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR STARTED SHAKING. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER WHERE I WAS CHARGED $100!!!! AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS! I WAS SO UPSET! THE NEXT DAY THE LIGHT CAME ON AGIAN AND I…
WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 VW NEW BEETLE THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO IDLE VERY ROUGHLY. THE ESC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. I PULLED THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I WAS ABLE TO RE-START THE…
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MALFUNCTION: (PURCHASED THIS USED CAR MARCH 1, 2003. STARTED NOTICING PROBLEMS SHORTLY THEREAFTER, DECIDED TO REPORT IT AFTER THE MOST CURRENT INCIDENT AND UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS AT FIXING). - WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR, IT WILL START THEN DIE IMMEDIATELY, I HAVE ALMOST BEEN…
Own a 2001 NEW Beetle?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.