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2019 Volkswagen Beetle

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2019 Beetle.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2019 Volkswagen Beetle is a passenger car equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, delivering EPA fuel economy estimates of 26 mpg city, 33 highway, and 29 combined. Its engine requires 6.0 quarts of 0W-20 oil, a specification that reflects its contemporary engineering. With only 14 owner complaints and 4 recalls, the 2019 model year records the lowest complaint count in the Beetle’s 1998–2019 history, establishing it as the most reliable iteration of the nameplate.

Model year2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type0W-20OEM · verified

Lug nut torque103 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy26/33/29 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 06L115562B. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Tail / brake / turnLAMPOEM · verified

Tire size215/60R16OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6.5; Optional: 215/55R17: 7.0 , 235/45R18: 8.0 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	06L115562B
Engine air filter	5C0129620B
Spark plug	06K905601D
Cabin air filter	1K0819644B

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic (S6)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	168.5 in
Overall width	71.3 in
Overall height	57.9 in
Wheelbase	100 in
Curb weight	3225 lb
Track (front / rear)	62.2 / 61 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	63/37

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	26 / 33 / 29 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Beetle of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

8.1 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 8.10 sec — 2019 Final Edition SE Convertible

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2019	Final Edition SE Convertible 2.0L Turbo I-4	8.10 sec	16.20 sec	174 hp	FWD
2018	Coast Hatchback 2.0L Turbo I-4	7.20 sec	15.60 sec	174 hp	FWD
2017	#PinkBeetle Hatchback 1.8L Turbo I-4	7.30 sec	15.60 sec	170 hp	FWD
2017	Dune Convertible 1.8L Turbo I-4	7.40 sec	15.70 sec	170 hp	FWD
2017	Dune Convertible 1.8L Turbo I-4	7.90 sec	16.10 sec	170 hp	FWD
2016	Dune Hatchback 1.8L Turbo I-4	7.40 sec	15.60 sec	170 hp	FWD
2016	Denim Edition Convertible 1.8L Turbo I-4	7.60 sec	15.80 sec	170 hp	FWD
2016	Dune Hatchback 1.8L Turbo I-4	8.00 sec	16.20 sec	170 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 0W-20 engine oil, Dot 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 103 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-5-3-6-2-4.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	Dot 4
Engine Coolant	VW Coolant G13
Engine Coolant Capacity	10.6 qt
Engine Oil	0W-20
Engine Oil Capacity	6.0 qt

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	Diesel Engines: 84 inch lbs. ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	6.6 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	18.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

103 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-5-3-6-2-4
Spark Plug Manufacturer	Volkswagen
Spark Plug Gap	.28-.31 in
Spark Plug Torque	22 ft-lbs

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque	Front: 22.0 ft-lbs
ABS Sensor Torque	Front: 6.0; Rear: 6.0
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.0787 in; Rear: 0.0787 in; Front: 0.0984 in; Rear: 0.0984 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for Replacement	Front: .748; Rear: .315
Maximum Drum Diameter	Rear: 9.114

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Front Wheel Hub — tightening sequence 1 stages

148.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90°

148 ft. lbs

Rear Wheel Hub — tightening sequence 1 stages

148.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90°

148 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages

29.5 ft. lbs. Step 2: 90°. Step 3: 90°. Step 4: Bolt 11: 3 ft. lbs. Step 5: Bolt 11: 90°.

29.5 ft. lbs

Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

44 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90°.

44 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi.

Every 10,000 mi	Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 20,000 mi	Battery (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Assembly (leak inspection) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Exterior Lighting (inspect)
Every 40,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Instrument Cluster Warning Indicator (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Air Intake Hose Debris Screen (clean) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Air Filter Housing (clean)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2019 Volkswagen Beetle sits at the tail end of a generation that shows a clear downward trend in complaints and technical service bulletins. Comparing 2019 to the preceding years, complaints dropped from a peak of 99 in 2015 to just 14 in 2019—representing the lowest complaint count in the entire dataset—while TSBs fell from 1,387 in 2013 to 415, indicating that cumulative engineering refinements substantially reduced field issues. Recalls remained stable at four campaigns per year from 2016 through 2019, suggesting no new systemic defects emerged in the final model year. The complaint breakdown for 2019 shows no dominant failure mode, with service brakes, electrical system, and engine each registering only two complaints, and the data notes zero fire-related complaints and just one crash-related complaint. The data does not specify root causes for these distributed complaints, so they may reflect isolated incidents rather than a patterned defect. This trend arc suggests that by 2019, Volkswagen had resolved most of the earlier-generation issues while maintaining a consistent recall profile. The takeaway is that the 2019 Beetle represents the most refined and stable version of this generation, and as a used purchase it carries lower documented risk than earlier model years in the same lineage.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

415

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Frontal★★★★★

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’98 ’09 ’10 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18’19

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 14 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Unknown Or Other2

Service Brakes2

Electrical System2

Engine2

Suspension1

Power Train,Electrical System1

Wheels1

Visibility/Wiper1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

20E064000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master CylinderReported 23/09/2020

Tenneco Automotive (Tenneco) is recalling certain Beck/Arnley Master Cylinders, part number 072-9831, sold as aftermarket or replacement parts for 2004-2018 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2012-2019 Volkswagen Beetle vehicles… Remedy: Beck/Arnley will notify the distributors that sold the master cylinders and will work with the distributors to notify the end users. Affected master cylinders will be exchanged…

19V094000Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/PanelReported 13/02/2019

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles. The instrument cluster may not provide a visual warning when a brake system failure is detected. As a… Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. The recall began March 7, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 415 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
TT 10-18-02_2	2026-06-18	Engine	Lubricating engine components before reassembly.
TT 13-20-01_3	2026-06-18	Engine	Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start.
V6919012010479_17	2026-06-11	Air Bags	Inquiries
V1719012012855_81	2026-06-04	Engine	Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards
V0026012081638_1	2026-05-19	Unknown Or Other	Difference between Component fluid leakage and seepage

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Beetle. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Vehicles taking 6.0 qt Engine oil filter 06L115562B Engine air filter 5C0129620B Spark plug 06K905601D Cabin air filter 1K0819644B

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2019 Beetle take?

6.0 qt of 0W-20, per the factory manual.

Does the 2019 Beetle have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Beetle get?

EPA figures are 26 city / 33 highway / 29 combined mpg.