Volkswagen Type III Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 7 safety recalls and 1 owner complaint across 4 model years of the Volkswagen Type III (1968–1972). The most-complained-about year is 1972.

Pick your Volkswagen Type III model year

• 1968
• 1969
• 1971
• 1972

What Volkswagen Type III owners complain about

Across all model years, owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. The 1972 model year has the most, with 1.

• Fuel system, gasoline: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings1
• Service brakes, hydraulic: lamp1

All Volkswagen Type III recalls (7)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Volkswagen Type III, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

1. Seats

   NHTSA 72V204000 Reported August 15, 1972 12,000 vehicles potentially affected VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC

   Model years: 1972

2. Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)

   NHTSA 71V203000 Reported November 10, 1971 869 vehicles potentially affected VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC

   Model years: 1972

3. Anti-theft device (steering)

   NHTSA 71V005000 Reported November 7, 1971 78,100 vehicles potentially affected VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC

   Model years: 1971

4. Lamp (service brakes)

   NHTSA 71V163000 Reported September 21, 1971 10,000 vehicles potentially affected VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC

   Model years: 1972

5. Markings (tires)

   NHTSA 68V120000 Reported November 19, 1968 39,920 vehicles potentially affected VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC

   Model years: 1968, 1969

6. Webbing (seat belts)

   NHTSA 68V070000 Reported July 18, 1968 293,000 vehicles potentially affected VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC

   Model years: 1968

7. Disc (service brakes)

   NHTSA 67V109000 Reported November 16, 1967 4,388 vehicles potentially affected VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC

   Model years: 1968

Other Volkswagen models

• Jetta10,000 complaints
• Passat7,705 complaints
• Beetle2,596 complaints
• Tiguan2,300 complaints
• Atlas1,999 complaints
• Golf1,439 complaints
• GTI1,405 complaints
• ID.41,007 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.