1973 Volkswagen Beetle Recalls, Complaints & Specs

3 safety recalls list the 1973 Volkswagen Beetle, and owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

safety recalls

owner complaint to NHTSA

3 safety recalls for the 1973 Volkswagen Beetle

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

Anchorage (seat belts)

NHTSA 73V133000 Reported June 12, 1973 7,630 vehicles potentially affected VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC
Bumpers (structure)

NHTSA 73V006000 Reported January 9, 1973 3,000 vehicles potentially affected VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC
Labels (equipment)

NHTSA 72V257000 Reported October 26, 1972 21 vehicles potentially affected VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC

1 owner complaint filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1973 Volkswagen Beetle have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. Complaints peaked in 1998 with 1 filed that year.

Most-reported components

Vehicle speed control1

What owners are reporting

“The accelerator cable breaks repeataly at the pedle. There is nothing rubbing against it to weaken the cable to break.”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, December 20, 1998 · Vehicle speed control

Compare Volkswagen Beetle model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Volkswagen Beetle model year in NHTSA's database.

Model year	Recalls	Complaints
1965 Volkswagen Beetle	0	1
1968 Volkswagen Beetle	1	0
1969 Volkswagen Beetle	0	1
1970 Volkswagen Beetle	0	1
1971 Volkswagen Beetle	3	0
1973 Volkswagen Beetle	3	1
1974 Volkswagen Beetle	0	4
1977 Volkswagen Beetle	1	0
1998 Volkswagen Beetle	2	171
1999 Volkswagen Beetle	1	174
2000 Volkswagen Beetle	1	263
2001 Volkswagen Beetle	2	203
2002 Volkswagen Beetle	2	165
2003 Volkswagen Beetle	2	314
2004 Volkswagen Beetle	3	349
2005 Volkswagen Beetle	3	261
2006 Volkswagen Beetle	3	124
2007 Volkswagen Beetle	2	56
2008 Volkswagen Beetle	3	60
2009 Volkswagen Beetle	2	33
2010 Volkswagen Beetle	3	30
2012 Volkswagen Beetle	6	65
2013 Volkswagen Beetle	6	93
2014 Volkswagen Beetle	5	50
2015 Volkswagen Beetle	5	83
2016 Volkswagen Beetle	3	48
2017 Volkswagen Beetle	3	15
2018 Volkswagen Beetle	3	17
2019 Volkswagen Beetle	3	14

Checking a specific 1973 Volkswagen Beetle

How do I know if my 1973 Volkswagen Beetle has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 3 campaigns currently list the 1973 Volkswagen Beetle; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Volkswagen dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 72V257000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Volkswagen models

Jetta10,000 complaints
Passat7,705 complaints
Tiguan2,300 complaints
Atlas1,999 complaints
Golf1,439 complaints
GTI1,405 complaints
ID.41,007 complaints
Cc983 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.