2004 Volkswagen New Beetle Recall: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE PASSENGER DETECTION FUNCTION OF THE…
NHTSA campaign 03V356000 · Air Bags · filed Sep 29, 2003 · verified Jul 30, 2026
The defect
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE PASSENGER DETECTION FUNCTION OF THE PASSIVE OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM (PODS) MAY BECOME DISABLED.
The risk
SHOULD THE PODS CONTROL UNIT MALFUNCTION, THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE WILL NOT WORK AS DESIGNED AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY PROTECT OCCUPANTS IN A CRASH.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →The fix — what to do
DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE PODS. OWNER NOTIFICATION ORIGINALLY BEGAN OCTOBER 3, 2003. VW HAS DETERMINED THAT ADDITIONAL VEHICLES NEED TO BE REPAIRED. THE RECALL FOR THE ADDITIONAL VEHICLES IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON DECEMBER 17, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VWOA AT 1-800-822-8987.
VW RECALL NO. WU.CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Affected vehicles
| Make | Model | Model years |
|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen | New Beetle | 2004 |
Related recalls
More Volkswagen New Beetle recalls
- 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle — ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE TIRE INFORMATION LABEL…
- 1998–2001 Volkswagen New Beetle — ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE BRAKE LAMP SWITCH MAY…
- 2000–2001 Volkswagen Cabrio and 3 other models — CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS…
- 2001–2002 Volkswagen Golf and 2 other models — ON SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES, SHORT CIRCUITS CAN OCCUR WITHIN…
Other campaigns involving Volkswagen vehicles
All Volkswagen New Beetle recalls → · All Volkswagen recalls →
Source: NHTSA recall database, campaign 03V356000 (manufacturer number WU). Data last verified Jul 30, 2026.