VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE · model year

2019 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE

14 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2019VOLKSWAGENBEETLE carries 14 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, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2019 BEETLE is electrical system with 3 filings, followed by exterior lighting (2) and engine (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2019 BEETLE, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

14
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

14 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
EXTERIOR LIGHTING2
ENGINE2
SERVICE BRAKES2
VISIBILITY/WIPER1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:INTERLOCK/LOCKOUT1
WHEELS1
POWER TRAIN1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recalls (4)

24V83400030/10/2024

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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

20E06400023/09/2020

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

Tenneco Automotive (Tenneco) is recalling certain Beck/Arnley Master Cylinders, part number 072-9831, sold as aftermarket or replacement parts for 2004-2018 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2012-2019 Volkswagen Beetle vehicles. The fluid seal crimp on the master cylinder may be insufficient, causing brake flu

19V61500022/08/2019

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE

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

19V09400013/02/2019

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

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 (FMV

Recent Complaints

20231202UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

20231008SERVICE BRAKES

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 it rolling backwards out of the parking space. In a panic, I raced back to the vehicle and jumped into the car. At that point, I had realized that I had not placed the vehicle in Park when I parked the car and it was still in Drive. At that point, I reparked the car, this time placing it in Park before I shut off the vehicle. When I came home, I told my husband what happened. He said it should be impossible to shut off a vehicle when it is in Drive. We went outside and recreated the scenario. In summary, we were able to shut off the vehicle while it was in Drive - and - when the car was placed on a slight incline, it rolled backwards all by itself. There is no alarm warning the d

20230710ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 appears that this problem is pandemic to this automobile if I had been in a remote area it would’ve been a serious problem. AutoNation Volkswagen in Columbus has estimated the cost to be $1500 to replace the tear lock the cylinder and the bolt.

20220727ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My VW Beetle has pushbutton start. The ignition can turn off when not in park. This was called a rollaway problem in keyed ignition models, but not pushbutton. I took it to dealer and they said not covered by warranty and no recall. This is as dangerous as in the keyed ignition model. I saw a report of a similar rollaway that VW refused to cover. Also, apparently pushed button while underway. Engine stopped while in traffic. Rolled to side of road and restarted without incident.

20220727POWER TRAIN

My VW Beetle has pushbutton start. The ignition can turn off when not in park. This was called a rollaway problem in keyed ignition models, but not pushbutton. I took it to dealer and they said not covered by warranty and no recall. This is as dangerous as in the keyed ignition model. I saw a report of a similar rollaway that VW refused to cover. Also, apparently pushed button while underway. Engine stopped while in traffic. Rolled to side of road and restarted without incident.

20211118SERVICE BRAKES

2019 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE BRAKES. THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, THE BRAKES WENT OUT. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE BOUGHT BACK OR REPLACED. *JS

20211008WHEELS

Wheel Hubs and Wheel Bolts. All four wheels and almost all the bolts affected. Replaced rear Hubs & all Bolts, after a three bolts were unable to be removed without extra effort by a mechanic. I have one bolt that indicates the bolt threads were deformed. The issue could impact the ability of the bolts to hold the wheels on safely.

20210903CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:INTERLOCK/LOCKOUT

My 2019 VW Beetle, AT, keyless entry was parked in a store parking lot. When I left the vehicle it wouldn't lock. I thought my fob battery died. I came out of the store about 30 minutes later and my car had rolled away. It came to rest about 50 feet away, up against a fixed object light pole. I was shocked! My rear bumper sustained damage. I got in my car and saw it was in D. I guess I left it in D, turned off the push button start/stop and it rolled away after I left it. I then did some checking and found that when push button start/stop tech is installed in many cars with the added safety features of audible sounds or transmissions ratcheting into park when stopped with transmission in Drive, which are standard safety features on most newer cars, but were not standard on my car. The car did not alert me to anything being wrong. This is a safety hazard. I noted that VW recalled their keyed entry Beetles for Rollaway Risks, but did not include key-less entry vehicles. A cal

20210217VISIBILITY/WIPER

WITH THE DEFROSTER ON WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE UPPER CORNER PASSENGER SIDE.

Mileage: 11,300

20200714ENGINE

CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS HAPPEN A TOTAL OF 4 TIMES OVER A 10 DAYS.

20200308ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FUSE THAT CONTROLS READING OR MAP LIGHT IN CABIN AND EXTERNAL LIGHTING OUTSIDE FOR NIGHT DRIVING CONTINUALLY FAILS (3). SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE REAR LIGHTS AT NIGHT ONLY COME ON WHEN BRAKES APPLIED.

Mileage: 500

20200308EXTERIOR LIGHTING

FUSE THAT CONTROLS READING OR MAP LIGHT IN CABIN AND EXTERNAL LIGHTING OUTSIDE FOR NIGHT DRIVING CONTINUALLY FAILS (3). SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE REAR LIGHTS AT NIGHT ONLY COME ON WHEN BRAKES APPLIED.

Mileage: 500

20191229ENGINE

MY NEW 2019 VOLKSWAGEN S COUPE HAS A SIGNIFICANT TURBO LAG. SO MUCH SO, THAT I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR. I WAS MAKING A TURN AT AN INTERSECTION AND IT WAS AS THOUGH THE CAR LOST ALL POWER WHEN I EXCELLERATED. IT GOES FROM NO EXCEATION WHEN MOVING FROM STOPPED POSITION TO SURGING VERY FAST UPON THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE AND THAT MY LIFE MAY BE AT RISK. IT SEEMS THE ACCRETION CANNOT BE CONTROLLED!! THIS IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM WHEN I AM STOPPED AND HIT THE EXCELLERATOR TO GO FORWARD . I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I CAN DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT A SERIOUS CRASH!!

Mileage: 58

20191102EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE FRONT HEADLIGHT BEAM HAS A DISTINCTIVE BLIND SPOT ON THE LEFT SIDE AND A DOUBLE NOTCH ON THE RIGHT SIDE. VOLKSWAGEN REFUSES TO ADDRESS THIS AS THEY SAY IT'S BY DESIGN THOUGH I HAVE SEEN ANOTHER BEETLE, SAME MODEL YEAR WITH THE SAME HIDS, HAVE A COMPLETELY NORMAL HEADLIGHT BEAM. WITH THE BEAM LIKE IT IS, IT MAKES DRIVING THE CAR AT NIGHT UNSAFE, ESPECIALLY ON BLACK ASPHALT ROADS. I'VE ESCALATED THIS TO VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA AND THEY INSIST THIS IS BY DESIGN AND IS DUE TO THE SHUTTER THAT COMES DOWN WHEN USING THE NORMAL HEADLIGHT BEAM. OUR OTHER VEHICLE IS A GMC ACADIA WITH THE SAME SYSTEM AND IT DOES NOT DO THIS. ON THE BEETLE THE IF I SWITCH IT TO HIGH BEAMS THE BLIND SPOT AND NOTCH GO AWAY. ALSO VOLKSWAGEN CLAIMS THAT THE LEFT HEADLIGHT IS AIMED LOWER ON PURPOSE AS TO NOT BLIND ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE CAR SITS SO LOW I DON'T SEE HOW THAT'S NEEDED, ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR ACADIA WHICH SITS UP HIGHER DOESN'T DO THIS. I DID TAKE A LOOK AT A COUPLE OF OTHER 2019 BEETLES AT ANOTHER

Mileage: 400

Compare 2019VOLKSWAGENBEETLE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2019 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE have?
The 2019 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE has 14 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2019 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE?
The 2019 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2019 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE?
Yes, the 2019 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE?
The most-complained component for the 2019 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EXTERIOR LIGHTING and ENGINE.
Is the 2019 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. The 2019 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. 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 as of 2025. 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.