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VW Recalls New Beetles and Convertibles

April 30, 2008

The recall applies to the 2004 through 2005 New Beetle and the 2003 through 2005 New Beetle convertibles equipped with a dual stage air bag system.

Federal safety regulators at NHTSA reported that the air bag system many have front crash sensors that contain a faulty circuit board that my crack under high temperature conditions.

The circuit board failure may cause the front air bags to “deploy more forcefully than designed, increasing the possibility of injury,” according to the NHTSA Web site.

NHTSA reported that the failure will cause the air back indicator light to illuminate.

VW dealers will inspect the New Beetle and replace any defective sensor when the recall begins in July.

New Beetle owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987 or NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).

Information leading to the recall came from consumer complaints to NHTSA and “early warning data regarding warranty claims and field reports on the crash sensors within the air bag system,” according to the agency.

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