Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags34
- Electrical system19
- Unknown or other12
- Engine10
- Fuel/propulsion system6
- Steering6
- Power train5
- Structure5
- Tires4
- Suspension4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 11 2013 Beetle vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 9 people died inside them, and 2 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle failed the safety check 2.10% of the time — 12% less often than the average 2013 passenger car (2.38%). Median odometer at inspection: 69,786 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2013
34,431 new Volkswagen Beetle cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2013; the largest markets were Germany (15,493), France (5,419), the United Kingdom (4,810).
- Average mass
- 1,392 kg
- Average power
- 102 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 64% · Diesel 36%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2013 Volkswagen Beetle cars on Dutch roads are the 1.2 petrol (77 kW, 103 hp), 1.4 petrol (118 kW, 158 hp) and 2.0 petrol (147 kW, 197 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2 petrol | 77 kW 103 hp | 659 |
| 1.4 petrol | 118 kW 158 hp | 383 |
| 2.0 petrol | 147 kW 197 hp | 61 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
1,164 first registered in 2013 are on Dutch roads; 71% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €32,363.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde844
- Band onvoldoende profiel240
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld216
- Mistachterlicht werkt niet (goed)210
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af176
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm158
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt111
- Band beschadigd105
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
4,437 cars built in 2013 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 182 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 4,425 of these cars first registered in 2013 took their annual MOT test. 66% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2013 the figure was 68%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 13.4% | 10.4% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 13.2% | 12.5% |
| Tyres | 6.2% | 6.7% |
| Brakes | 5.5% | 6.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 4.6% | 3.0% |
| Visibility | 3.6% | 4.7% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
250 of these cars first registered in 2013 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 141,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
331 2013 cars are on the New Zealand register; 67% arrived as used imports, 32% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 1 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 10.5 % |
| 2013 Volkswagen Beetle C FWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 9.6–10.0 L/100 km (about 24–25 mpg US), CO₂ 221–230 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beetle · Compact · Regular gasoline | 11.3 | 7.6 | 9.6 |
| Beetle · Compact · Premium gasoline | 11.3 | 7.8 | 9.7 |
| Beetle · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.9 | 8.5 | 9.8 |
| Beetle · Compact · Premium gasoline | 11.7 | 8.0 | 10.0 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
7 Transport Canada recalls for the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle.
| 2024648 30 Oct 2024 | Heater And Defroster Issue: Volkswagen Group Canada is conducting a parts recovery campaign targeting 2012-2016 Volkswagen vehicles equipped with a TDI (diesel) engine built betwe… |
| 2021017 21 Jan 2021 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the p… |
| 2020353 4 Aug 2020 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the warning label for the engine block heater cable is written in English only. As a result, a French user may not receive importa… |
| 2019423 22 Aug 2019 | Powertrain Issue: On certain vehicles, a build-up of silicate on the shift lever switch could cause the transmission to detect that it is in the Park position when it is… |
| 2014465 20 Oct 2014 | Structure On certain vehicles, the panoramic sunroof glass and steel frame may have been manufactured out of tolerance. This issue may result in the sunroof fracturing i… |
| 2014464 20 Oct 2014 | Suspension On certain vehicles, if the rear axle trailing arms are damaged in a rear or side-rear impact crash and a repair facility does not correctly diagnose or replace… |
| 2012389 15 Nov 2012 | Airbag Certain vehicles with leather sport seats may be equipped with an incorrectly coded Passenger Occupant Detection System Control Module in the front passenger lo… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Volkswagen Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and 2012-2013 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2008-2010 Beetle, and Beetle Convertible vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
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."
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Beetle vehicles manufactured June 13, 2013, to July 3, 2014. The glass sunroofs in the affected vehicles may break when the vehicles are operated over a hard road surface or strike a pothole.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, to November 30, 2012, and 2012-2013 Beetle vehicles manufactured March 1, 2011, to July 31, 2013. The durability of the rear trailing arms may be reduced in vehicles whose rear trailing arms have been previously deformed, such as a result of a rear or side-rear impact crash.
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Beetle vehicles, manufactured from February 2012, through August 2012, and equipped with leather sport seats. If the right front passenger seat gets wet, the occupant control module may not properly detect the presence of a child restraint installed in the seat.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11010024 | Lack of paint under roof |
| 11010022 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11010021 | Additional reporting |
| 11010011 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11008861 | Fluid requirements |
| 11008860 | Manual transmission noise diagnosing |
| 11008858 | A list of engine oil that meet Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards |
| 11008857 | How to perform the engine oil consumption measurement |
| 11008856 | Checking Engine Oil and correctly reading dip stick |
| 11008853 | How to manage software versions using VW diagnostic Tool |
| 11008852 | Recommended Gasoline Quality |
| 11008851 | Engine Misfire Diagnostic Aid |
| 11008850 | Fuel additive to help with misfire faults |
| 11008846 | Wind & Water Leak Checking |
| 11007402 | Multiple Update closures: 20AH Atlas Quality Package 1, 24AE 1.8T ECM/TCM SW, 24BG Jetta Hybrid ECM SW, 24BM 2.0L Jetta MPI SW Update, 24X7 Jetta ECM SW, 24X8 CC ECM/TCM SW, 24Y4 MPI Jetta SW, 24Z5 Jetta Hybrid System SW, 27G2 Battery, 37H3 DSG SW, 37J2 TCM SW, 69V7 Atlas Quality Package 3, 87F6 Atlas Quality Package 2, 91P3 Adaptive Cruise Calibration |
| 11007398 | Battery testing |
| 11007393 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11005825 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11005820 | Engine Assembly Tip |
| 11005819 | Engine Replacement Tip |
| 11002875 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11001508 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253262 | VW Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253216 | Keyless Entry Inoperative after Access / Start (KESSY) Module Replacement |
| 10253215 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)