The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·19V094000·Announced 2019-02-13

Volkswagen Recalls 2019 Beetles for Brake Warning Light Defect

Volkswagen is recalling 2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles because the instrument cluster may fail to display a visual warning when a brake system failure is detected.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product (brake warning failure) where injury has not yet been reported, which aligns with the High severity criteria in the rubric.

Plain-English summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles. The recall addresses a defect where the instrument cluster may not provide a visual warning to the driver when a brake system failure is detected. This issue causes the vehicles to fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light vehicle brake systems," and number 101, "Controls and displays."

If the driver is not alerted to a problem with the brakes, they may lose control of the vehicle while attempting to brake, which increases the risk of a crash. The source text does not report any specific injuries or fatalities associated with this defect.

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software free of charge. The recall began on March 7, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE
Brand
VOLKSWAGEN
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Category
Vehicle — Passenger Car
Hazard
Affected units
4,064

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • BEETLE

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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