Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year per car on the road, against this model's usual year.
2013GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.5× usual, mostly air bags and engine Extended coverage
71 serious complaints of 101, the most about air bags (39) and engine (10); per car on the road, 1.5× this model's usual year. 7 recalls.
What owners report
“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V785000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, Aug 2021
“While driving on the interstate my 2013 VW Beetle showed a stability malfunction warning then lost power and would not accelerate. I coasted to the shoulder and shut the vehicle off. It crank back up and I drove it home.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the engine, Jan 2022
Fixes and extended coverage
- Extended coverage This document advises dealers regarding the Timing Chain/Timing Chain Tensioner Limited Warranty Extension (VWP-18, Aug 2018)
- Extended coverage This Document informs dealers the warranty extension for the steering column lock housing has been revised to include 2014 and 2015 model year (VWP1802, Oct 2019)
- Extended coverage This supporting FAQ is for the Turbocharger Limited Warranty Extension Class Action Settlement. (Turbocharger, Sep 2025)
- Extended coverage This technical bulletin was updated per powertain team and warranty team. (V241702, Feb 2017)
- Extended coverage The Vehicle Maintenance Declaration has been added back to WISE for the Timing Chain Warranty Extension. (Vehicle, Jan 2019)
- Extended coverage This Document informs dealers on the the new Water Pump Limited Warranty Extension (VWP-19, Dec 2019)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
101 owner complaints · 7 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 23–32 mpg · NHTSA: 5 of 5 stars · 2013 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 2.0L 4-cyl turbo; 2.0L 4-cyl turbo diesel; 2.5L 5-cyl · Drive: FWD
2013 Beetle trims
| Comfortline, Highline | Comfortline, Highline, TDI | Sportline |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Volkswagen reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Volkswagen aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 174 hp | FWD | 29 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 14 | Electrical system (4) | — |
| 2018 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 174 hp | FWD | 29 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 17 | Air bags (7) | — |
| 2017 | 1.8L 4-cyl turbo, 170 hp 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 210 hp | FWD | 26–28 mpg | 5 of 5 | 4 | 15 | Air bags (6) | — |
| 2016 | 1.8L 4-cyl turbo, 170 hp 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 150–210 hp manual available | FWD | 26–28 mpg | 5 of 5 | 4 | 59 | Air bags (46) | — |
| 2015 | 1.8L 4-cyl turbo 2.0L 4-cyl turbo 2.0L 4-cyl turbo diesel manual available | FWD | 25–34 mpg | 5 of 5 | 6 | 99 | Air bags (54) | — |
| 2014 | 1.8L 4-cyl turbo 2.0L 4-cyl turbo 2.0L 4-cyl turbo diesel 2.5L 5-cyl manual available | FWD | 23–32 mpg | 5 of 5 | 6 | 54 | Air bags (17) | — |
| 2013 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo 2.0L 4-cyl turbo diesel 2.5L 5-cyl manual available | FWD | 23–32 mpg | 5 of 5 | 7 | 101 | Air bags (39) | — |
| 2012 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo 2.5L 5-cyl manual available | FWD | 24–25 mpg | 4 of 5 | 7 | 65 | Visibility (13) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Which years have…
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Volkswagen Beetle C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 15 |
| 2019 | Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 14 |
| 2018 | Volkswagen Beetle C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 17 |
| 2018 | Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 17 |
| 2017 | Volkswagen Beetle C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 17 |
| 2017 | Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | 5 | No | No | 4 | 15 |
| 2016 | Volkswagen Beetle C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 59 |
| 2016 | Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | 5 | No | No | 4 | 59 |
| 2015 | Volkswagen Beetle C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 6 | 99 |
| 2015 | Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | 5 | No | No | 6 | 99 |
| 2014 | Volkswagen Beetle C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 6 | 54 |
| 2014 | Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | 5 | No | No | 6 | 54 |
| 2013 | Volkswagen Beetle C FWD | Not Rated | No | No | 7 | 101 |
| 2013 | Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | 5 | No | No | 7 | 101 |
| 2012 | Volkswagen Beetle 2 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 7 | 65 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Beetle | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2019 | Beetle Convertible | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2018 | Beetle | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2018 | Beetle Convertible | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2018 | Beetle Dune | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2018 | Beetle Dune Convertible | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2017 | Beetle | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
26–28 |
| 2017 | Beetle Convertible | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo | 28 |
| 2017 | Beetle Dune | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo | 27 |
| 2017 | Beetle Dune Convertible | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo | 27 |
| 2016 | Beetle | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
26–28 |
| 2016 | Beetle Convertible | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
26–28 |
| 2016 | Beetle Dune | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo | 27 |
| 2016 | Beetle Dune Convertible | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo | 27 |
| 2015 | Beetle | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
26–34 |
| 2015 | Beetle Convertible | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
25–33 |
| 2014 | Beetle | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 5 cyl, 2.5 L Man 5-spd, 5 cyl, 2.5 L |
25–32 |
| 2014 | Beetle Convertible | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 5 cyl, 2.5 L |
23–31 |
| 2013 | Beetle | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 5 cyl, 2.5 L Man 5-spd, 5 cyl, 2.5 L Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
24–32 |
| 2013 | Beetle Convertible | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 5 cyl, 2.5 L |
23–31 |
| 2012 | Beetle | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (S6), 5 cyl, 2.5 L Man 5-spd, 5 cyl, 2.5 L Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo |
24–25 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.