# NHTSA recall 20V785000

A recall listed here may apply to a vehicle of this year, make and model. Only the manufacturer can say whether it applies to one vehicle: check the VIN with the official lookups.

- Published by: NHTSA \(United States\)
- Campaign number: 20V785000
- Manufacturer's number: 69BC
- Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Reported: 2020\-12\-16
- Owners notified: 2021\-03\-19
- Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
- Units potentially affected: 105652

## What is wrong

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. \(Volkswagen\) is recalling certain 2012\-2014 Volkswagen Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles.  The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long\-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.


## What can happen

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.


## The remedy

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.


## Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1\-888\-327\-4236 \(TTY 1\-800\-424\-9153\), or go to www.safercar.gov.


## Remedy progress the manufacturer reported

- Report: Annual report 3, for 2025 quarter 1 to 2025 quarter 4
- Filed with NHTSA: 2026\-01\-23
- Vehicles in the campaign: 105652
- Reported remedied: 84753 \(80%\)
- Reported unreachable: 0
- Reported removed: 10859

These are the manufacturer's totals for the whole campaign at the end of 2025 quarter 4, as filed with NHTSA. They do not say whether one vehicle has been remedied: check the VIN with the official lookups. The reports are from data as of 2026\-10\-19.

## Vehicles this campaign lists

- [2012 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE](/makes/volkswagen/beetle/2012/recalls.md)
- [2013 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE](/makes/volkswagen/beetle/2013/recalls.md)
- [2014 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE](/makes/volkswagen/beetle/2014/recalls.md)
- [2012 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE](/makes/volkswagen/beetle/2012/recalls.md). Listed as a series or trim of this model.
- [2013 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE](/makes/volkswagen/beetle/2013/recalls.md). Listed as a series or trim of this model.
- [2014 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE](/makes/volkswagen/beetle/2014/recalls.md). Listed as a series or trim of this model.

## Investigated as EA15001

This recall followed 1 NHTSA investigation. An investigation is NHTSA looking into a possible defect. It is not a finding that a defect exists, and it does not say that any one vehicle is affected.

- EA15001: Engineering analysis, opened 2015\-02\-24. Air Bag Inflator Rupture. AIR BAGS:FRONTAL; AIR BAGS.

From NHTSA's investigation file, as of 2026-10-19. JSON: [/v1/recalls/nhtsa/20V785000/investigations](/v1/recalls/nhtsa/20V785000/investigations)

## Bulletins for the same vehicles and component

A bulletin is the manufacturer's note to its dealers. It is not part of this recall.

- [V6919012010479\_17](/bulletins/11034621.md), 2026-07-07, Service bulletin
- [DC\_VW\_CF\_Airbag](/bulletins/11030826.md), 2026-04-06, Other
- [SM 02 2025](/bulletins/11014943.md), 2025-03-05, Other
- [TT691302](/bulletins/10239799.md), 2023-07-31, Service bulletin
- [TT691301](/bulletins/10239798.md), 2023-07-31, Service bulletin
- [Rental](/bulletins/10239219.md), 2023-07-17, Service bulletin
- [V691901201047915](/bulletins/10231584.md), 2023-03-06, Service bulletin
- [Airbag](/bulletins/10213836.md), 2022-06-13, Service bulletin
- [TT171301](/bulletins/10212723.md), 2022-05-31, Service bulletin
- [VIN4APIN20211215](/bulletins/10205524.md), 2022-01-06, Service bulletin

## Check a VIN

- [NHTSA recall lookup by VIN, United States](https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls)
- [Transport Canada recall search, Canada](https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/VRDB-BDRV/search-recherche/menu.aspx?lang=eng)

JSON: [/v1/recalls/nhtsa/20V785000](/v1/recalls/nhtsa/20V785000)

[Report an error on this page](https://github.com/wenmar-pro/wenmar-open/issues/new?template=data_correction.yml&title=Data%20correction%3A%20NHTSA%20recall%2020V785000&page=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.wenmarpro.com%2Frecalls%2Fnhtsa%2F20V785000&vehicle=NHTSA%20recall%2020V785000)