2013 Volkswagen Beetle problems and complaints
Owners have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle. The most-reported areas: Air Bags (39), Electrical System (20), Unknown Or Other (12).
Key takeaways
- 101 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 4 involve a crash, 0 a fire, 2 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 39 | 39% |
| Electrical System | 20 | 20% |
| Unknown Or Other | 12 | 12% |
| Engine | 10 | 10% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 8 | 8% |
| Steering | 6 | 6% |
| Power Train | 5 | 5% |
| Structure | 5 | 5% |
| Suspension | 4 | 4% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 4% |
| Tires | 4 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Volkswagen Beetle C FWD | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated |
| 2013 Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Power Train - filed 2026-09-24
Upon pulling into my driveway, the vehicle would not shift into Park. It got stuck in neutral and allows me to turn the vehicle on and off, but will not shift from neutral into park or drive or anything. The shifter is completely stuck, and the manual override button does nothing.
Air Bags - filed 2026-09-24
Component Affected: AIRBAGS: FORE AND AFT INTERIOR OVERHEAD/OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM Description of Safety Defect: I own a 2013 Volkswagen Beetle 2.5L (Build Date: April 2013). The vehicle is experiencing a permanent Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) failure, indicated by a persistent airbag warning lig...
Air Bags - filed 2026-09-08
I was rear ended at a stop light. My car ended up rear ending the car in front of me from the accident, but my airbags did not go off. My car's warning light says my airbag has been deployed even though it did not.
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More for the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.