1998 Volkswagen Beetle Problems
Above Average Complaints
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 1998 Volkswagen Beetle.
Complaints
289
Crashes
25
Fires
27
Injuries
10
Fatalities
—
Recalls
0
Worst 1998 Volkswagen Beetle Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
#124 complaints
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
Avg mileage:55,911 mi
Crash-related:1
#214 complaints
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
Avg mileage:55,000 mi
Fires:4
#313 complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Avg mileage:76,131 mi
Crash-related:1
Fires:4
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 1998 Volkswagen Beetle.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 24 | 1 | — | 55,911 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 14 | — | 4 | 55,000 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 13 | 1 | 4 | 76,131 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 13 | — | 1 | 55,885 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 11 | — | 1 | 23,908 mi | |
| SEATS | 11 | — | — | 81,275 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | 10 | — | 3 | 106,000 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 9 | 1 | — | — | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 9 | — | 1 | 30,415 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 8 | 1 | 2 | 62,200 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5,000 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH | 6 | 2 | — | 69,000 mi | |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 6 | — | — | 52,000 mi | |
| AIR BAGS | 5 | 3 | — | 79,110 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 5 | 5 | — | 35,201 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 5 | — | — | 10,000 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 5 | — | — | 10,000 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | 5 | — | 1 | 50,000 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 5 | 1 | 1 | 79,986 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 | — | — | 53,595 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | 4 | 1 | — | — | |
| EQUIPMENT | 4 | 1 | — | 54,915 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 4 | 1 | — | 66,000 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR | 4 | — | — | 59,498 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 4 | — | — | 78,000 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 3 | — | — | 97,785 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 3 | — | 1 | 58,650 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 3 | 1 | — | 55,000 mi | |
| STRUCTURE | 3 | — | 1 | 38,000 mi | |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 3 | — | — | — |
Other Volkswagen Beetle Years
Wider context: See the full Volkswagen Beetle reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
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