- Vehicles
- 295,136
- Built between
- Apr 1998 – Nov 2001
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 26 September 2003
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between April 1998 and November 2001. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1998-2001 Volkswagen NEW BeetleBuilt April 1998 to November 2001
What the defect is
On certain passenger vehicles, the brake lamp switch may malfunction.
What could happen
If this happens, the brake lamps could become inoperative; or the lamps could come on and stay on, even though the vehicle is parked.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCHES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 26, 2003.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtApril 1998 to November 2001
- Recall reported to NHTSA25 July 2003
- Owners notified26 September 2003
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 25 July 2003.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners should contact vwoa at 1-800-822-8987.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- WT
- Recalling manufacturer
- VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Vw recall no. Wt.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.