2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE Recalls — Canada & USA

The 2003 Volkswagen Beetle has two recalls, both involving the dual-stage frontal airbag system, where a cracked solder joint in a crash sensor can cause the airbags to deploy with more force than intended in a minor frontal collision, raising the risk of injury to front seat occupants who are not sitting upright. The same sensor fault can also cause the airbag warning light to illuminate on the dashboard. When that happens, the system falls back to a secondary mode that still allows the airbags to fire if needed, but the underlying sensor issue remains unresolved until the vehicle is repaired. The convertible body style is specifically noted in both recalls.