2017 Volkswagen Beetle Recall

On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the driver-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function.

If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury.

Volkswagen will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the driver-front airbag. Note: The Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. This recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk. It is expected that all airbag inflators will be replaced before their function would be affected.

On certain vehicles, a build-up of silicate on the shift lever switch could cause the transmission to detect that it is in the Park position when it isn't. This could allow the ignition key to be removed when the transmission is not in the Park position. If the parking brake is not applied, this could allow the car to roll away.

If the transmission position is not displayed correctly, a user may not know that the vehicle is not in the PARK position. If the parking brake is not applied, this could create a risk of a vehicle roll-away and increase the risk of a crash.

The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to have a new shift lever micro switch and control unit installed.