Total Complaints
4 filings
VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE · model year
1974 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE
4 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1974VOLKSWAGENBEETLE carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1974 BEETLE is unknown or other with 1 filings, followed by suspension:front:wheel bearing (1) and seat belts:front:webbing (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 1974 BEETLE, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
4
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
1
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20140505STEERING
IN A SWEEPING LEFT TURN ON HWY 58, THE STEERING LOCK. I WENT ACROSS THE ON COMING LANE, INTO A BIG PULLOUT AND STOPPED ABOUT 3 FEET FROM A LARGE TREE. I CHECK WITH THE DEALER ABOUT GETTING A NEW SHAFT WITH NEW U JOINTS. HE SAID THAT THEY HAD A SUPER BUG THAT WAS IN A COLLISION THAT NEEDED THE STEERING SHAFT REPLACED, (BAD U JOINT). I WENT AND GOT ANOTHER ONE, IT TOO HAD A BINDING U JOINT. ONE BEARING IN THE ALL SHAFTS, (U JOINT) DID NOT HAVE GREASE IN THEM THEY HAD RUST AND WERE BINDING OR BOUND! I MADE UP 2 OUT OF THE PARTS OF 3 WITH GREASE IN THEM. STILL HAVE THE CAR TODAY. ALSO THE HEAD LIGHTS AN BACK UP LIGHTS DID NOT WORK WHEN I FIRST GOT IT, (NEW), AND THE WIRING WAS NOT THE PROPER COLOR CODE. *TR
Mileage: 3,000
20040524CrashFatalSEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
FATALITY DUE TO HEAD ON COLLISION. *MR THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH A 1997 FORD F150. THE BELT APPEARED TO BE OPERATIONAL PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE WEBBING WAS FRAYED AND SEPARATED 82 INCHES FROM THE ANCHOR END. *SC *JB
20010117SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
HE WAS SITTING AT A STOP SIGN AND THE VEHICLE WAS HITTED AND THE BRAKES DIDN'T HOLD
19980216UNKNOWN OR OTHER
REQUESTING INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO OBTAINING LETTER OF CONFORMITY TO BRING 1974 VW BEETLE INTO US FROM GERMANY.
Compare 1974VOLKSWAGENBEETLE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA24004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
RQ24010Recall QueryClosed
Inadvertent Door Opening
RQ23007Recall QueryClosed
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
PE23017Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
EQ22001EQClosed
LGES High Voltage Battery Failures
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1974 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE have?▼
The 1974 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE has 4 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1974 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1974 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING.
Is the 1974 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1974 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.