Reliable Auto DB

2017 Volkswagen Beetle reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle over 10 years — 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Beetle years here — under the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Inflator, Brake master cylinder, and Control module.

2012 Volkswagen Beetle
Photo by Palauenc05, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

15

Per year

1

Recalls

4

Years on the road

10

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (6 of 15), then Electrical system (2) and Back-over prevention (1). The most filings arrived in 2025 (6 of 15).

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 Beetle has 59 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2018 has 17 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2017 Volkswagen Beetle. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2024-10-30 · NHTSA campaign 24V834000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Remedy Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69EG, 69GQ, and 69E6.
Recall Brake master cylinder 2020-09-23 · NHTSA campaign 20E064000
Summary 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 cylinder may be insufficient, causing brake fluid to leak or the cylinder to come apart.
Remedy 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 cylinder (part number 072-9990), free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2020. Owners may contact Tenneco customer service at 1-800-625-9319.
Recall electrical system, ignition, anti-theft, control module 2019-08-22 · NHTSA campaign 19V615000
Summary 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 handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."
Remedy 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 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.
Recall Labels 2017-03-02 · NHTSA campaign 17V136000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Beetle and Jetta GLI vehicles. The affected vehicles have incorrect information on the tire information label, possibly causing the operator to overload the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a corrected tire information label, free of charge. The recall began March 30, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for the recall is 01B9.

Complaints by component (15 total)

Air bags
6
Electrical system
2
Back-over prevention
1
Lane departure
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Speed control
1
Steering
1
Suspension
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

220182201922020220246202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The rear view camera stopped working (black screen.) I have tried to soft reset the infotainment display unit as well as a hard reset by disconnecting car battery to no avail. The trunk lock mechanism is operational…"
    Unknown or other, Lane departure, Back-over prevention · filed 2026-05-12
  • "My local dealers still do not have the parts for the recall 24V834. It has been a year since the recall. What am I supposed to do?"
    Air bags · filed 2025-11-04
  • "The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-09-18
  • "The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Beetle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-07-08
  • "The safety recall with the driver’s air bag still does not have a remedy available to fix the problem. My safety is at risk every time this vehicle is driven. Nothing has occurred, but this needs to be rectified…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-06-13

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Beetle 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 23 29 26 MPG $2500
Beetle 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 24 33 28 MPG $2300
Beetle convertible 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 24 33 28 MPG $2300
Beetle Dune 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 24 31 27 MPG $2400
Beetle Dune convertible 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 24 31 27 MPG $2400

Specs and fitment

A5 generation (New Beetle successor), 2012–2019
Body styles Coupe, Convertible
Oil 0W-20 , 4.5 qt capacity
Tire size 215/55R17, 235/45R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 24V-834 covers certain 2017-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles among other VW models: the driver frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and high temperatures. Dealers replace the driver front air bag module. Recall 19V-094 covers certain 2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles: the instrument cluster may not provide a visual warning when a brake system failure is detected; dealers update instrument cluster software.

Compare

Previous year 2016 Volkswagen Beetle Next year 2018 Volkswagen Beetle See every Volkswagen Beetle model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle reliable?

Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle over 10 years — 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Beetle years here — under the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Inflator, Brake master cylinder, and Control module.

What are common problems with a 2017 Volkswagen Beetle?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (6 of 15), then Electrical system (2) and Back-over prevention (1). The most filings arrived in 2025 (6 of 15).

Is the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 Beetle has 59 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2018 has 17 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle been recalled?

The 2017 Volkswagen Beetle has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle?

Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Volkswagen Beetle get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle is 27.2 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Volkswagen Beetle take?

US A5 Beetles in this generation commonly use 0W-20 (about 4.5 qt with filter).

Does recall 24V-834 cover the Volkswagen Beetle?

It covers certain 2017-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles (among other VW models): the driver frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation.

What generation is the 2015 Volkswagen Beetle?

A5 generation for the US years this site tracks (2012-2019).