Complaints
405
Crashes
13
Fires
12
Injuries
10
Fatalities
—
Recalls
0
Worst 2003 Volkswagen Beetle Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
#180 complaints
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Avg mileage:72,617 mi
Crash-related:1
#252 complaints
POWER TRAIN
Avg mileage:82,514 mi
Crash-related:1
#344 complaints
AIR BAGS
Avg mileage:62,459 mi
Crash-related:3
Fires:2
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2003 Volkswagen Beetle.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 80 | 1 | — | 72,617 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN | 52 | 1 | — | 82,514 mi | |
| AIR BAGS | 44 | 3 | 2 | 62,459 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 33 | — | — | 57,756 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 32 | 1 | 5 | 74,753 mi | |
| VISIBILITY | 19 | — | — | 54,746 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 12 | — | 1 | 55,944 mi | |
| SEAT BELTS | 10 | 2 | 1 | 67,760 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | 9 | — | — | 38,489 mi | |
| ENGINE | 9 | — | 1 | 125,876 mi | |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 9 | — | — | 56,207 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 8 | — | — | 72,834 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 7 | — | — | 54,748 mi | |
| SEATS | 6 | 1 | 2 | 77,582 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 6 | — | — | 55,167 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 5 | — | — | 77,890 mi | |
| STRUCTURE | 5 | — | — | 38,750 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 4 | 1 | — | 183,255 mi | |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 4 | — | — | 84,592 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT | 3 | — | — | 60,695 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 3 | — | — | 59,984 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 3 | — | — | 44,940 mi | |
| AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | 2 | — | — | 60,948 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 2 | — | — | 29,934 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS | 2 | — | — | 23,310 mi | |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | — | — | 99,022 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | — | — | 106,218 mi | |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS | 2 | — | — | 45,000 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 2 | — | — | 150 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | 1 | — | — | 56,359 mi |
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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