VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE (2014) recall — Air Bags
Volkswagen is recalling 2014 Beetle models with driver air bags that may explode due to humidity and heat exposure, risking serious injury or death. Owners must have the air bag replaced free by March 19, 2021.
Stop using this now
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Contact the company & request your remedy
What happened, in plain English
Volkswagen is recalling 2014 Beetle vehicles with a driver air bag that could explode due to humidity and heat exposure, potentially causing serious injury or death. Owners must have the air bag replaced at no cost by a dealer. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1249782-volkswagen-2014-beetle-air-bag-recall-risk-of-serious-injury.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1249782-volkswagen-2014-beetle-air-bag-recall-risk-of-serious-injury · Updated October 4, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #20V785000
Cite this page
“Volkswagen 2014 Beetle Air Bag Recall: Risk of Serious Injury.” GovInfoNow, updated October 4, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1249782-volkswagen-2014-beetle-air-bag-recall-risk-of-serious-injury. Based on NHTSA recall #20V785000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=20V785000).
Why it’s dangerous
The driver's air bag inflator can explode after long-term exposure to high humidity, high temperatures, and temperature changes. This explosion may send sharp metal fragments toward the driver or passengers, causing serious injury or death.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2014 Volkswagen Beetles with the driver's side air bag are affected. Drivers and passengers in these vehicles are at highest risk of serious injury or death if the air bag explodes.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2014 Volkswagen Beetle has the driver's side air bag. The recall covers vehicles sold between 2012 and 2014. The recall started on March 19, 2021.
- Brand
Volkswagen- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Stop Using the Vehicle
Immediately stop using the vehicle until the air bag is replaced by a dealer.
Contact Volkswagen
Call Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 to schedule the air bag replacement.
Get Air Bag Replaced
A dealer will replace the driver's side air bag at no cost within 30 days of the recall notice.
What NHTSA says to do
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69BC.
Questions people ask
Why is my 2014 Beetle being recalled?
The driver's air bag inflator may explode due to long-term exposure to high humidity, high temperatures, and temperature changes, risking serious injury or death.
How do I know if my vehicle is affected?
Your 2014 Volkswagen Beetle is affected if it was sold between 2012 and 2014. The recall started on March 19, 2021.
Is there a deadline for the air bag replacement?
The recall began on March 19, 2021, and owners must have the air bag replaced by a dealer within 30 days of the recall notice.
Contact Volkswagen
We’ve drafted a message you can send Volkswagen to request your refund or repair — edit it as you like.
Subject: Recall 20V785000 — Volkswagen Volkswagen Hello, I own a Volkswagen that is covered by recall 20V785000 from Volkswagen. The official recall notice states: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69BC. I’m writing to arrange the remedy described in the recall (a refund, repair, or replacement as applicable). Could you please tell me the next steps to resolve this? Thank you.
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Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #20V785000 (December 16, 2020)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 4, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.