2018 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE warning

Driving with an open rear hatch can lead to serious personal injury. If you have to drive with an open rear hatch, make sure that all objects and the hatch itself are properly secured and take appropriate measures to keep toxic exhaust fumes from entering the vehicle.
WARNING
Driving with an unlatched or open rear hatch can lead to serious personal injury.
x Never transport objects larger than those that fit completely in the luggage compartment, because the rear hatch cannot be fully closed properly.
x After closing the rear hatch, always pull up on it to make sure that it is properly closed and cannot open suddenly when the vehicle is moving.
x Always stow all objects securely in the luggage compartment. Loose objects can fall out of the luggage compartment and injure others on the road behind you.
x Drive carefully; anticipate what other drivers will do.
x Avoid abrupt or sudden acceleration, steering, or braking, because the unlatched rear hatch can move suddenly.
x Always mark objects sticking out from the luggage compartment clearly for others to see. Obey all applicable legal requirements.
x Never use the rear hatch to “clamp” or “hold” objects that stick out of the luggage com-partment.
x Always remove any luggage rack or other rack mounted on the rear hatch (along with any luggage on the rack) before driving with an open rear hatch.
WARNING
Driving with an open rear hatch can cause poisonous carbon monoxide in the engine exhaust to get into the passenger compartment.
x Carbon monoxide causes drowsiness, inattentiveness, poisoning, and loss of conscious-ness. It can lead to accidents and severe personal injuries.
x Always keep the rear hatch closed while driving to help keep poisonous exhaust fumes from being drawn into the vehicle.
x Never transport objects that are too large to fit completely into the luggage area, because then the rear hatch cannot be fully closed.
x If you absolutely must drive with an open rear hatch, do the following to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning:
– Close all windows and the power sunroof.
– Switch off the climate control system's air recirculation feature.
– Open all air vents in the instrument panel.
– Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
NOTICE
The open rear hatch changes the vehicle length and height.
Driving a loaded vehicle

x Securely stow all luggage ⇒  Stowing luggage.
x Drive especially carefully and accelerate gently.
x Avoid sudden braking and driving maneuvers.
x Brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.
x If applicable, observe information about driving with a roof rack ⇒  Roof rack.
WARNING
Heavy loads can change the way your vehicle handles and increase stopping distances. Heavy loads that are not properly stowed or secured can shift suddenly, causing loss of con-trol and serious injury.
x Secure the load properly to keep it from shifting.
x Always remember when transporting heavy objects that they change the vehicle's center of gravity and also the way it handles.
– Always distribute the load as evenly as possible.
– Secure heavy objects as far forward in the luggage compartment as possible.
x Securely latch the rear seat backrest in the upright position.
x Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating on the safety compliance sticker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight can cause the vehicle to skid and handle differently.
x Always adapt speed and driving to the heavier load and the weight distribution in the ve-hicle. Take road, weather, traffic, and visibility conditions into account as well.
x Always accelerate gently and avoid sudden braking and driving maneuvers.
x Always brake earlier than you would if you were not driving a loaded vehicle.
Weights and axle weights

Please refer to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross front and rear Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) for your vehicle, which are printed on the vehicle's Safety Compliance Certification Label on the driver door jamb.
WARNING
Exceeding maximum permissible weight ratings can result in vehicle damage, accidents, and serious personal injury.
x Never let the actual weights at the front and rear axles exceed the permissible Gross Axle Weight Rating. Also, never let the total of these actual weights exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
x Always remember that the vehicle's handling and braking will be affected by extra load and the distribution of this load. Adjust your speed accordingly.
NOTICE
x Always distribute the load evenly and as low as possible in the vehicle. The vehicle capacity weight figures apply when the load is distributed evenly in the vehicle (passengers and lug-gage).
x When transporting a heavy load in the luggage compartment, carry the load as close to the rear axle (as far forward) as possible so that the vehicle's handling and braking are affected as little as possible.

Trailer towing
Important information
For technical reasons, the vehicle body structure is not designed for the installation of a trailer hitch.
Never install a trailer hitch on your vehicle. Installing a trailer hitch will do considerable damage to the
vehicle ⇒ .
WARNING
Installing a trailer hitch on the vehicle can cause an accident and serious personal injuries.
x Never install a trailer hitch on the vehicle.
x A trailer hitch can fall off while driving or rip loose or while pulling a trailer causing the trailer to separate from the vehicle.
NOTICE
Installing a trailer hitch of any kind will cause expensive damage to your vehicle that will not be covered by any Volkswagen Limited Warranty.

WARNING
New tires or tires that are old, worn or damaged cannot provide maximum control and brak-ing performance.
x Improper care and handling of tires and wheels can reduce driving safety and cause acci-dents and severe injuries.
x Install only radial tires of the same make, the same dimensions (tread circumference), and similar tread profile on all 4 wheels.
x New tires tend to be slippery and must be broken in. Always drive with special care for the first 350 miles (560 km) to help reduce the risk of losing control, a collision, and serious per-sonal injuries.
x Check tire inflation pressure regularly when the tires are cold and always maintain the prescribed tire pressure. Low tire pressure can cause tires to get too hot, resulting in tread separation, sudden loss of pressure, and blowouts. Tires with excessively low pressure flex (bend) more, which can cause the tire to overheat and fail suddenly without warning.
x Check tires regularly for wear and damage.
x Never drive with worn or damaged tires (for example, tires with punctures, cuts, cracks, blisters, or bumps). Driving with worn or damaged tires can lead to loss of vehicle control, sudden tire failure including blowouts and sudden deflation, crashes, and serious personal injuries.
x Have worn or damaged tires replaced immediately.
x Never exceed the maximum speed rating or the maximum load rating of the tires on your vehicle.
x The effectiveness of the driver assistance systems and the braking support systems de-pends on the tire traction.
x If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for damage.
x To reduce the risk of losing control, crashes, and serious personal injuries, never loosen the bolts on wheels with bolted rim rings.
x Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their past use. Old, used tires and wheels may have damage that cannot be seen that can lead to sudden tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
x Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly, especially at high speeds, causing loss of vehicle control, accidents, and severe personal injuries. Tires that are more than 6 years old can be used only in an emergency and even then only with special care and at low speed.
For technical reasons it is usually not possible to use wheel rims from other vehicles. Even wheel rims from the same model may not fit properly. Check with an authorized Volkswagen dealer or au-thorized Volkswagen Service Facility if necessary.

to the specified direction of rotation in order to deliver their best grip, braking performance, low road noise, and good wear as well as good hydroplaning resistance.
If you have to mount a tire opposite to its proper direction of rotation, you must drive more carefully, since the tire is no longer being used as designed. This is particularly important on wet roads. You must replace or remount the tire as soon as possible in order to restore the correct direction of rota-tion.
Rotating tires
To help ensure even wear on all tires, regular tire rotation according to the diagram ⇒ fig. 92 is rec-ommended. In this way all tires can have about the same service life.
Volkswagen recommends that you have your tires rotated by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Tires more than 6 years old
Tires age even if they are not being used. Physical and chemical processes reduce tire strength and performance and cause them to harden and become brittle. Old tires can fail suddenly and without warning.
Volkswagen recommends replacing tires that are 6 years and older. This also applies to tires that look new (including the tire on the compact spare wheel) or that seem to still be usable with tread depth
that has not yet reached the legal minimum depth ⇒ .
The age of each tire can be determined with the manufacturing date that is part of the U.S. DOT tire identification number (TIN)
Tire storage
Mark tires before removing them to help make sure that the previous location (left, right, front, rear) and rolling direction can be maintained when remounting them. Store tires in a cool, dry and preferably dark place. Do not store tires mounted on wheels standing up.
Tires not mounted on wheels should be covered to help protect them from dirt and stored vertically (sitting on the tread).
WARNING
Aggressive fluids and materials can cause visible and invisible tire damage that can cause tire blowouts.
x Always keep chemicals, oils, grease, fuels, braking fluids and other aggressive substanc-es away from tires.
WARNING
Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly, especially at high speeds, causing loss of vehicle control, accidents, and severe personal injuries.
x Tires that are more than 6 years old can be used only in an emergency and even then only with special care and at low speed.
Always dispose of old tires in accordance with legal requirements.
Wheel rims

The design of the wheel bolts is matched to the factory-installed wheels. If different wheels are in-stalled, wheel bolts with the right length and bolt head shape must be used. This helps to ensure that
wheels can be mounted securely and that the brakes will work correctly ⇒  Changing a wheel.
In most cases, you cannot use wheel bolts from a different vehicle. Even wheel rims from the same model may not fit properly.
Tires and wheel rims approved by Volkswagen have been matched precisely to your vehicle model and contribute considerably to good handling and safe vehicle performance.
Tightening torque
Wheel bolts must always be installed with the correct tightening torque ⇒  Changing a wheel. The required tightening torque for your vehicle's wheel bolts is 103 ft-lbs (140 Nm). After changing a wheel, the bolt torque must be checked as soon as possible with an accurate torque wrench. See an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
Wheel rims with bolted rim rings
Wheel rims with bolted rim rings have several parts. The parts are bolted together with special screws in a special process. This helps to ensure that they will work properly, prevent leaks, run true and safely. Damaged wheel rims must be replaced, and you must never take them apart or try to repair them yourself. Have an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility
repair them for you ⇒ .
Wheel rims with bolted decorative covers
Light-alloy wheels may have interchangeable decorative covers attached to the rim with self-locking screws. If you want to replace damaged wheel covers, contact your authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
WARNING
Using improper or damaged wheel rims can affect driving safety, cause accidents and severe personal injury.
x Use only wheel rims approved for the vehicle.
x Regularly check wheel rims for damage and replace them if necessary.
WARNING
Improper loosening and tightening of the bolts on wheel rims with bolted rim rings can cause accidents and severe personal injury.
x Never loosen bolted connections on wheel rims with bolted rim rings.
x Have all work on wheel rims with bolted rim rings performed by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
New and replacement tires

x Install only radial tires of the same make, the same dimensions (tread circumference), and similar tread profile on all 4 wheels.
x The tread depth of new tires can differ between tire models and manufacturers because of different design features and tread design.
Replacing tires
x Tires should be replaced in pairs and not individually (both front tires or both rear tires at the same
time) ⇒ .
x Replace tires only with tires that have the same specifications, including width and diameter, load and top speed rating as the tires approved by Volkswagen for your vehicle and model.
x Never use tires that are larger or wider than the dimensions of the tires approved by Volkswagen for your vehicle and model. Larger tires could scrape and rub on the vehicle body or other parts of the vehicle.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) considerations: The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) must be recalibrated whenever you remove and remount or change any wheel or tire on the vehicle, even if the reinstalled or replacement wheels and tires are identical to those that were re-
moved and even if the tire pressure does not change ⇒  Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
WARNING
New tires tend to be slippery and must be broken in.
x Always drive with special care for the first 350 miles (560 km) to help reduce the risk of losing control, a collision, and serious personal injuries.
WARNING
Tires must have the required clearance. Tires that do not have enough clearance can rub against parts of the vehicle body, suspension, and brake system, causing brake system fail-ure, tread delamination, and sudden blowouts.
x Always make sure that new tires are not larger than the tires approved for your vehicle and that the new tires do not rub against parts of the vehicle.
NOTICE
x When switching to different tires, make certain the valves are not damaged.
x Never drive without valve stem caps. The valves could be damaged.
Always dispose of old tires in accordance with legal requirements.
If the replacement wheel is different from the tires that you have mounted on your vehicle — for example, winter tires, wider, low-profile tires, or a compact spare — only use the replacement wheel for a short time and drive cautiously.
x Replace it with a tire matching the others on your vehicle as soon as possible.
Although tire size specifications can be the same, the actual dimensions may differ from those nominal values for different tire makes, or the tire contours may be significantly different.