2013 Volkswagen Beetle Problems, Recalls & Reliability
125 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 26/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Airbags leads the reports.
Typical
Where 2013 sits among all Beetle years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V785000(Air Bags). The contact stated that the dealer was contacted and advised the contact that the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Beetle
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 71 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 47,700 miles. Half of those reports fall between 22,000 and 66,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Volkswagen Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…
Tenneco Automotive (Tenneco) is recalling certain Beck/Arnley Master Cylinders, part number 072-9831, sold as aftermarket or replacement parts for 2004-2018 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2012-2019 Volkswagen Beetle vehicles. The fluid seal crimp on the master…
Fix: Beck/Arnley will notify the distributors that sold the master cylinders and will work with the distributors to notify the end users. Affected master cylinders will be exchanged for a new master…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Beetle vehicles manufactured June 13, 2013, to July 3, 2014. The glass sunroofs in the affected vehicles may break when the vehicles are operated over a hard road…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sunroof, free of charge. The recall began on December 15, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, to November 30, 2012, and 2012-2013 Beetle vehicles manufactured March 1, 2011, to July 31, 2013. The durability of the rear…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a sheet metal inlay on the rear axle trailing arms designed to prevent a sudden loss of control in the event of trailing arm sudden fracture,…
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Beetle vehicles, manufactured from February 2012, through August 2012, and equipped with leather sport seats. If the right front passenger seat gets wet, the occupant control module may not properly detect…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and replace the control modules, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during January 2013. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Technical service bulletins
1,334 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2013 Beetle TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle reliable?
The 2013 Volkswagen Beetle drew 125 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 26/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2013 Volkswagen Beetle problems?
The top reported problems for the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle are airbags (32 complaints), electrical (22), and other (16).
At what mileage do 2013 Volkswagen Beetle problems show up?
Owners most often report 2013 Volkswagen Beetle problems around 47,700 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 22,000 and 66,000 miles.
Does the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.