The defect
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 76,900 MY 2004-2005 NEW BEETLE AND MY 2003-2005 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED (DUAL-STAGE) AIR BAG SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM MAY HAVE AIR BAG FRONTAL CRASH SENSORS THAT CONTAIN A SOLDER JOINT ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD THAT MAY CRACK UNDER CERTAIN HIGH TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS. IF THIS OCCURS, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE AND THE FALLBACK ALGORITHM WILL ENSURE THAT THE FRONT AIR BAGS ALWAYS DEPLOY IN A FRONTAL CRASH IN WHICH THE VEHICLE'S DECELERATION IS HIGH ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE FRONTAL AIR BAGS.
The risk
IN LOW-SEVERITY FRONTAL IMPACTS, THE FRONT AIR BAGS MAY DEPLOY MORE FORCEFULLY THAN DESIGNED, INCREASING THE POSSIBILITY OF INJURY TO OUT-OF-POSITION FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT EACH VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE SPECIFIC DEFECT CRASH SENSOR IS PRESENT ON ONE OR BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. ALL OF THE DEFECT CRASH SENSORS WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JULY 31, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Beetle | 2003, 2004, 2005 |
Components: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Beetle | 2003 | 314 | 2 |
| Volkswagen Beetle | 2004 | 349 | 3 |
| Volkswagen Beetle | 2005 | 261 | 3 |
Other air bags recalls in 2008
12 of the 683 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2008 concerned the air bags; VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC filed 63 campaigns in all.
| 08V690000 29 Dec 2008 | NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. |
| 08V582000 5 Nov 2008 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 08V532000 14 Oct 2008 | HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY |
| 08V533000 14 Oct 2008 | HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY |
| 08V517000 6 Oct 2008 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 08V384000 5 Aug 2008 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC |
| 08V161000 10 Apr 2008 | Hyundai Motor Company |
| 08V082000 25 Feb 2008 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2008