Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Volkswagen Beetle, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags35
- Electrical system6
- Unknown or other5
- Suspension3
- Wheels3
- Service brakes2
- Vehicle speed control2
- Steering2
- Tires2
- Structure1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 6 2016 Beetle vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 8 people died inside them, and 1 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 2016 Volkswagen Beetle failed the safety check 1.23% of the time — 38% less often than the average 2016 passenger car (1.97%). Median odometer at inspection: 51,513 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2016
24,756 new Volkswagen Beetle cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2016; the largest markets were Germany (14,704), France (3,172), the United Kingdom (2,359).
- Average mass
- 1,414 kg
- Average power
- 106 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 81% · Diesel 19%
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 2016 Volkswagen Beetle cars on Dutch roads are the 1.2 petrol (77 kW, 103 hp), 1.4 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp) and 2.0 petrol (162 kW, 217 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2 petrol | 77 kW 103 hp | 465 |
| 1.4 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 142 |
| 2.0 petrol | 162 kW 217 hp | 20 |
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
643 first registered in 2016 are on Dutch roads; 80% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €33,712.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde576
- Mistachterlicht werkt niet (goed)126
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld115
- Band onvoldoende profiel106
- Band beschadigd93
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht63
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm63
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage33
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
2,268 cars built in 2016 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 27 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, 2,285 of these cars first registered in 2016 took their annual MOT test. 73% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2016 the figure was 79%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 11.5% | 4.9% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.8% | 6.1% |
| Tyres | 5.6% | 6.2% |
| Visibility | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Brakes | 2.7% | 4.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.0% | 1.7% |
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
111 of these cars first registered in 2016 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 103,000 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
29 2016 cars are on the New Zealand register; 93% arrived as used imports, 7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 10.5 % |
| 2016 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 3 variants: combined 8.4–8.7 L/100 km (about 27–28 mpg US), CO₂ 196–203 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beetle · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.6 | 7.0 | 8.4 |
| Beetle · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.5 | 6.9 | 8.4 |
| Beetle Dune · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.7 | 7.5 | 8.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2016 Volkswagen Beetle.
| 2022735 14 Dec 2022 | Seats And Restraints Issue: On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the p… |
| 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… |
| 2016275 2 Jun 2016 | Fuel System On a certain vehicles, the fuel rail may detach from the cylinder head, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment during engine operation. Leaking fuel… |
| 2015504 23 Oct 2015 | Engine On certain vehicles, the camshaft lobe which actuates the vacuum pump may fail, causing the pump to fail to deliver further vacuum supply to the brake booster, … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Beetle and Beetle Convertibles 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 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 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.
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 2016 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 |
| 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 |
| 11001503 | Forigen objects inside seat belt buckle |
| 10253481 | Carefree Maintenance and VW Care Maintenance Plans Interim AdBlue Refills -? Diesel Engines Model Year 2015 and Newer |
| 10253477 | Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program ? Diesel Engines Model Year 2015 and Newer |
| 10253474 | This communication contains important information and SAGA claim entry requirements for the Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program for all Model Year 2015 and newer VW models with Gasoline Engines. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)