There are 3 stored owner reports matching the brakes leading-label group for the 2003 Volkswagen Beetle in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 3 of 3 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP LIGHT, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AND ROLLED BACK. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS APPLIED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE SAFE MODE ENGAGED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,437.
EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED. BRAKE LIGHTS INOP. REPLACED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER SERVICE STATED THE SWITCH HAD BEEN REPLACED UNDER RECALL IN 2007. *TR
DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND FROM THE RIGHT FRONT AREA. THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE; APPLIED THE BRAKES AND HIT THE CURB. THE CONSUMER BEGAN TO ACCELERATE TO AVOID HITTING A LIGHT POLE. THIS DID MINIMIZE THE HITTING OF THE LIGHT POLE. UPON IMPACT, THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE ONLY IMPACT ON THE VEHICLE WAS ABOVE THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO COOPERATE BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY WILL RESPOND WITHIN 24 HOURS. *AK *NM
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.