- Safety
- —
- not rated
- Recalls
- 4
- on record
- MPG
- 29
- combined
Do not drive until repaired
1 active "park it" recall — NHTSA advises against driving this vehicle until the remedy is complete.
Vehicle Summary
2018 Volkswagen Beetle
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 16
- Complaints citing a crash
- 0
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
4 Recalls on Record
1 of these is high-severity. Some may require you to stop driving the vehicle until repaired.
Safety recalls
4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 18V369000critical Do not drive
Brake system issue
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.
Consequence
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.
- 19V615000high
Electrical issue
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 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."
Consequence
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 20E064000high
Brake system issue
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 fluid to leak or the cylinder to come apart.
Consequence
If there is a brake fluid leak, it can reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Beck/Arnley will notify the distributors that sold the master cylinders and will work with the distributors to notify the end users. Affected master cylinders will be exchanged for a new master cylinder (part number 072-9990), free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2020. Owners may contact Tenneco customer service at 1-800-625-9319.
- 24V834000high
Airbag system issue
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 to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Consequence
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NHTSA holds no crash-test rating for this model year.
Not every model year is tested. A missing rating is not a poor rating.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2018 Volkswagen Beetle, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
26
City
33
Hwy
29
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,100
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 308 g/mi
How this compares
At 29 MPG combined, the 2018 Volkswagen Beetle ranks 8th of 18 compact cars EPA rated for 2018 — 0.5 MPG better than the 28.5 MPG median for that group.
That places it squarely mid-pack for its class. Fuel cost is close enough to its rivals that other running costs will probably matter more.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,100, $150 less than the $2,250 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $10,500, a $750 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 308 grams per mile — about 4.6 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
16 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 16
- Total
- 0
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
Most reported components
- AIR BAGS7
- ELECTRICAL5
- OTHER3
- ENGINE1
Normal Range
16 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Volkswagen Beetle, newest first.
- Recall
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Recall
If there is a brake fluid leak, it can reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
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.
- Do not drive
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Compact Cars
- Drive type
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 2L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (S6)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
26
City
33
Hwy
29
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,100
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Recall
If there is a brake fluid leak, it can reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
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.
- Do not drive
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.