Model year record
The 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle has 2 safety recalls and 40 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is electrical system (14 complaints).
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
| Frontal crash | Not Rated |
|---|---|
| Side crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.
| City / highway | 35 / 44 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Diesel |
1.9 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,500/year to fuel
| City / highway | 29 / 40 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Diesel |
1.9 L · 4 cyl · Automatic 4-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,900/year to fuel
| City / highway | 22 / 28 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Premium Gasoline |
1.8 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,400/year to fuel
| City / highway | 21 / 28 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,800/year to fuel
| City / highway | 19 / 25 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Premium Gasoline |
1.8 L · 4 cyl · Automatic 4-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,750/year to fuel
| City / highway | 19 / 26 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic 4-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,050/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
| Problem area | Complaints | Typical mileage* |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemWiring › Front underhood; Wiring › Interior/under dash | 14 | 30,500 mi |
| Engine and engine coolingEngine; Exhaust system › Emission control | 9 | 27,730 mi |
| Air bagsSide/window; Frontal › Sensor/control module | 5 | — |
| Power trainAutomatic transmission; Automatic transmission › Park/neutral start interlock switch | 4 | — |
| Service brakes, hydraulicAntilock/traction control/electronic limited slip | 2 | — |
| VisibilityWindshield; Windshield wiper/washer › Motor | 2 | — |
| Vehicle speed controlLinkages; Cruise control | 2 | — |
| Exterior lightingBrake lights › Switch | 2 | — |
| Fuel system, otherFuel injection system | 2 | — |
| Seat beltsFront › Anchorage | 1 | — |
| Unknown or other | 1 | — |
| Fuel system, diesel | 1 | — |
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
TWO WIRES ON IGNITION SWITCH MODULE SHORTED. CAUSED FAILURE OF HEADLIGHTS, WIPERS, BRAKE LIGHTS, AIR CONDITIONING, INTERIOR LIGHTING, ETC. IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED. PROBLEM REMEDIED.*AK THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. VOLKSWAGEN, AND VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE THIS DEFECT, OR INITIATE A RECALL. HERE IS A LINK TO AN ONLINE FORUM WITH OTHER CONSUMERS THAT HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME SAFETY ISSUE AS I HAVE. HTTP://FORUMS.NEWBEETLE.ORG/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=0667E7E7A9388BFAAA8A71DCDD6574F2&POSTID=499275#POST499275 THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD, AND COULD POTENTIALLY HURT SOMEONE. UPDATED 07/24/2012. *TR
CAR STALLED OUT SEVERAL TIMES RIGHT AFTER STARTING IT. IT WOULD ALWAYS START RIGHT BACK UP NORMALLY, ONCE THE VEHICLE DIED ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROX. 70MPH ALSO CAME RIGHT BACK ON. TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDANT REPAIR SHOP (GOT NO HELP FROM VW DEALER AT ALL) THEY TOLD ME IT WAS AN IDLE MOTOR WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE THROTTLE BODY ($700 REPAIR). WE'LL SEE IF IT WORKS OR NOT.*AK
SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON REPEATEDLY SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR FROM BURNSVILLE VW, BURNSVILLE, MN. SERVICE DEPT. STATED "IT'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT" AND RESET THE COMPUTER. AFTER PERSISTENT REOCCURANCE, REQUESTED THEY ACTUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM, THAT IS WHEN THEY INFORMED US THE RIVETS TO THE SECONDARY AIR PUMP HAD FAILED AND IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. CALLS TO VW NORTH AMERICA RESULTED IN THE SAME, "NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY", "CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT MATTER", ETC. ESTIMATED $650 TO REPLACE ITEM. WHILE WE ARE BEING TOLD IT IS A "MINOR" FAILURE AND WILL NOT AFFECT THE CAR PERFORMANCE, IT SEEMS THAT IT TRIGGERS AN "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT FOR A REASON. ALSO, WE WERE TOLD TO…
CLUTCH SUDDENLY AND COMPLETELY FAILED AT 27,000 MILES. DRIVEN ONLY BY PREVIOUS OWNER OF TWO OTHER VWS. HAVE LEARNED NO REPLACEMENT CLUTCH IS AVAILABLE. WAS ATTEMPTING TO SELL IT SINCE ANOTHER CAR HAS ALREADY BEEN PURCHASED. THIS HAS PRESENTED A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP. I AM LIVID LIVID LIVID. NO MORE VWS FOR ME EVER. *JB
THE IGNITION SWITCH ON THE CAR FAILED SOMETIME BETWEEN 8:00PM MONDAY 8/02 AND 5:30AM ON TUESDAY 8/03. I WENT OUT TO MY CAR AND STARTED IT, ONLY TO NOTICE, I HAD NO FAN, NO A/C, NO DEFROSTER, NO REAR DEFROSTER, NO HEADLIGHTS, NO FOGLIGHTS, NO POWER TO SOME OF MY GAUGES. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND FOUND IT TO BE THE IGNITION SWITCH, WHICH I CALLED MY DEALER FOR AND HAD TO SPEND $90 TO REPLACE. UPON REMOVING THE OLD UNIT, I NOTICED A WIRE THAT CONNECTS TO THE 30 FUSE ON THE UNIT WAS MELTED AND CORRODED, THE PLASTIC HOUSING THAT CONNECTS THE WIRES TO THE SWITCH IT SELF HAD MELTED IN A SMALL PORTION AND THE OLD UNIT HAD VISIBLE BURN MARKS ON IT. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN FIXED, BUT THE POTENTIAL…
I OWN A 2000 NEW BEETLE 1.8T GLX WITH APPROXIMATELY 30461 ORIGINAL MILES. I HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF 7 REPAIRS OF THE OXYGEN SENSORS AND ONE REPAIR TO DATE OF MASS AIR FLOW METER. ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN COVERED BY VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICAS EXPENSE. I DO HOWEVER WANT TO NOTE THAT ALL THE MECHANICAL ISSUES REVOLVE AROUND THE MIL MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASH. EACH OF THE FAILURES HAPPENS WITHIN ONE YEAR FROM REPLACEMNT OF PARTS AND WITH LESS THAN 6K MILES BETWEEN REPAIRS. WITH MY PERSISTANT CALLS TO VWOA AND MY LOCAL DEALER THEY HAVE PICKED UP ALL EXPENSES. THE WARRANTY FOR THIS VEHICLE WAS 2 YEARS OR 24K MILES. I NOW HAVE 30K PLUS MILES AND AM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PERSISTANT PROBLEM OF O2…
TRANSMISSION LOCKS ITS SELF INTO PARK. YOU CANNOT RELEASE THE CAR FROM PARK. DEALER CANNOT REPLICATE PROBLEM. WILL NOT FIX TE BRAKE SWITCH WHICH HAS CAUSED TEH SAME PROBLEM IN OTHER CARS. *AK
THE 2000 NEW BEETLE THAT MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED APPARENTLY HAS A DEFECT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN FEBRUARY 2003. AT THAT TIME THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. THE FIRST TIME I PUT GAS IN THE CAR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MY HUSBAND CONTACTED A LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN DEALER TO SEE ABOUT GETTING IT FIXED. HE WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL PROBLEM. IF THE GAS CAP WASN'T PUT BACK ON AND CLICKED AT LEAST SEVEN TIMES, THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON. HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO REMOVE THE GAS CAP, PUT IT BACK ON AND TURN IT UNTIL THERE HAD BEEN SEVEN CLICKS. AFTER THAT, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO A COLD START TO MAKE THE LIGHT GO OFF. THIS WORKED, BUT WE HAVE HAD TO DO IT SEVERAL TIMES. THE…
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.