2001 Volkswagen Beetle air bags problems
40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the air bags on the 2001 Volkswagen Beetle — 20% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Air bag light came on and stayed on. Car shop said the seat belt switch assembly failed, and needed to be replaced. If there was a crash, the seat belt would not lock and the driver would be thrown into the air bag.”
filed Sep 28, 2016
“The light on my dash came on for the drivers airbag and had it checked by the dealer march, 2010 for my 2001 vw beetle 1.9 diesel. I was told the chip in the seat belt had gone bad needs to be replaced. Approx. $175.00 the service dept. Called vw and they could not tell me if my defective chip in…”
filed Aug 14, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Air Bags problems in other Beetle years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Beetle | 34 | 72% |
| 2015 Beetle | 42 | 51% |
| 2014 Beetle | 15 | 30% |
| 2013 Beetle | 32 | 36% |
| 2012 Beetle | 12 | 18% |
| 2009 Beetle | 5 | 15% |
| 2008 Beetle | 7 | 12% |
| 2007 Beetle | 15 | 27% |
| 2006 Beetle | 10 | 8% |
| 2005 Beetle | 31 | 12% |
| 2004 Beetle | 73 | 21% |
| 2003 Beetle | 60 | 19% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2001 Volkswagen Beetle
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.