NHTSA Safety Recalls
2012 Volkswagen Beetle Recalls
The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle has 7 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on December 16, 2020.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2012 Volkswagen Beetle. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 7
- Owner complaints
- 65
- Crashes reported
- 4
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
in complaints
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
7 recalls on the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle
Air bags: frontal
- Campaign
- 20V785000
- Reported
- December 16, 2020
- Vehicles affected
- up to 105,652
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2013–2014 Beetle
Unknown or other
- Campaign
- 19V679000
- Reported
- September 25, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 113
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, fire and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2009–2010, 2013 Beetle, 4 other models
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: control module
- Campaign
- 19V615000
- Reported
- August 22, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 679,027
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 114, theft protection and rollaway prevention
- Same campaign
- also 2013–2019 Beetle, 4 other models
Suspension: rear
- Campaign
- 14V656000
- Reported
- October 20, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 442,066
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2013 Beetle, 1 other model
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
- Campaign
- 12V540000
- Reported
- November 15, 2012
- Vehicles affected
- up to 2,471
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2013 Beetle
Tires
- Campaign
- 12V331000
- Reported
- July 16, 2012
- Vehicles affected
- up to 83
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 105, hydraulic and electric brakes
- Same campaign
- only the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- Campaign
- 20E064000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2013–2019 Beetle, 1 other model
2012 Volkswagen Beetle complaints by year
NHTSA has received 65 owner complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, the newest on February 4, 2026. Of these, 4 describe a crash (6%); owners reported 3 injuries.
In complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, the component group named most often is the visibility (20%), followed by the air bags (18%) and the electrical system (18%).
2 of the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle's 7 recalls also concern the air bags.
Where 2012 Volkswagen Beetle owners gave the mileage (42 complaints), the median was 20,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Visibility13
- Air Bags12
- Electrical System12
- Visibility/Wiper10
- Steering7
- Engine6
Complaints received, by year
| 2012 | 19 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 4 | |
| 2014 | 4 | |
| 2015 | 3 | |
| 2016 | 5 | |
| 2017 | 4 | |
| 2018 | 5 | |
| 2019 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 5 | |
| 2021 | 9 | |
| 2022 | 4 | |
| 2026 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle peaked in 2012, when NHTSA received 19. 46% arrived between 2011 and 2015, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2012 vehicles, the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle drew 1.2× the complaints of the median Volkswagen Beetle year in the same window: 5th highest of the 12 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★☆
- Frontal: 4/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 4/5
The 65 complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Volkswagen Beetle by model year
Other 2012 Volkswagen models
Newest record on this page: February 4, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted