Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Volkswagen Beetle, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags7
- Electrical system6
- Unknown or other4
- Fuel/propulsion system1
- Structure1
- Seats1
- Engine1
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Forward collision avoidance1
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
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2018 Volkswagen Beetle failed the safety check 1.04% of the time — 37% less often than the average 2018 passenger car (1.65%). Median odometer at inspection: 34,162 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2018
13,418 new Volkswagen Beetle cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2018; the largest markets were Germany (5,870), France (2,842), the United Kingdom (964).
- Average mass
- 1,413 kg
- Average CO₂
- 128 g/km (NEDC)
- Average power
- 93 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 89% · Diesel 11%
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 2018 Volkswagen Beetle cars on Dutch roads are the 1.2 petrol (77 kW, 103 hp) and 1.4 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2 petrol | 77 kW 103 hp | 141 |
| 1.4 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 104 |
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
263 first registered in 2018 are on Dutch roads; 70% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €37,499.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde126
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld36
- Band beschadigd32
- Band onvoldoende profiel28
- Mistachterlicht werkt niet (goed)17
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht14
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm14
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage5
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
899 cars built in 2018 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 23 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, 909 of these cars first registered in 2018 took their annual MOT test. 81% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2018 the figure was 84%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 7.5% | 1.6% |
| Visibility | 5.0% | 3.6% |
| Tyres | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.1% | 4.0% |
| Brakes | 1.3% | 2.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.3% | 1.0% |
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
94 of these cars first registered in 2018 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 78,000 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
17 2018 cars are on the New Zealand register; 53% arrived as used imports, 47% 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; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | — | 10.5 % |
| 2018 Volkswagen Beetle C FWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
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 8.1–8.2 L/100 km (about 29 mpg US), CO₂ 189–191 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beetle Dune · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.1 | 6.9 | 8.1 |
| Beetle Dune Convertible · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 9.1 | 6.9 | 8.1 |
| Beetle · Compact · Regular gasoline | 9.0 | 7.2 | 8.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2018 Volkswagen Beetle.
| 2024649 30 Oct 2024 | Airbag 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… |
| 2018292 1 Jun 2018 | Brakes On certain vehicles, a problem with the brake system may cause gas bubbles to form in the brake fluid. This could cause a soft brake pedal feel and a reduction … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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 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.
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 2018 Volkswagen Beetle: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011374 | HVAC duct cleaning and deodorizing |
| 11010024 | Lack of paint under roof |
| 11010022 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11010021 | Additional reporting |
| 11010011 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11008866 | Inspecting sensors for damage |
| 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 |
| 11002874 | Remnants of the valve stem seal on the valve guide can interfere with the installation of new valve stem seals |
| 11001508 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11001503 | Forigen objects inside seat belt buckle |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)