Audi recalls Q7 SUVs over higher risk of head injury in event of crash

November 27, 2020 Aleksandra Snesareva Audi Recalls, Volkswagen Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – April 14, 2022 – Volkswagen AG (NASDAQ:VWAGY) has remedied issues with 86,004 2018-2020 Audi Q7 that were dealing with roof issues caused by inadequate padding on the c-pillar. Additionally, 154 of these 2018-2020 Audi Q7 vehicles have been declared unreachable and 0 have been removed from the recall. One group of these Audi Q7 models with c-pillar issues that may cause head injuries were remedied in 2020 and four more groups were remedied in 2021.

Pleasanton, CA – November 27, 2020 – Volkswagen AG (NASDAQ:VWAGY) has recalled nearly 10% of its 2018-2020 Audi Q7 luxury SUVs due to inadequate padding on one of the pillars – a structure that supports the roof of the car. This issue may translate into a higher risk of a head injury in the event of a crash. Around 94,000 vehicles are affected by this recall.

Part number for the deformation element is 4M0 880 619.

Recall summary

C-pillar is one of the four or five pillars that support the roof of the car and is located towards the back of the car. Recalled vehicles do not have enough padding on this pillar, due to a production error made by a sub-supplier based in Austria.

Risks

Inadequate padding may result in a head injury if a passenger who is not wearing a seatbelt hits his or her head during an accident. Until your car is repaired, pay special attention to your surroundings to protect your loved ones.

The repair

Dealers will replace the non-conforming element of C-pillar free of charge. It is not clear from the recall documents if that element is padding.

The recall started on November 17 but it is uncertain when the remedy will be available.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 94,000 vehicles are included in this recall. To see if your Q7 is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Volkswagen Jettas recalled for fuel leak issue

November 19, 2020 Ken Boyd Volkswagen Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – April 14, 2022 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has remedied issues with 109,627 2022 Volkswagen Jetta that were dealing with fuel leak issues caused by a manufacturing error. Additionally, 3,100 of these 2017 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles have been declared unreachable and 35 have been removed from the recall. In total Volkswagen remedied the manufacturing error that may cause the fuel rail bolts to loosen provoking a fuel leak in one group all during 2021.

Pleasanton, CA – November 19, 2020 – Volkswagen AG (NASDAQ:VWAGY) has recalled 218,192 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles, due to a manufacturing error that may cause a fuel leak. The recall includes 2016-2018 Volkswagen Jetta sedans.

Recall summary

A fuel rail is a high-pressure tube that delivers fuel to the vehicle’s fuel injectors. In recalled cars, the bolts that secure the fuel rail are not properly tightened. That can cause them to loosen over time, which can result in a leak.

Risks

A fuel leak may cause a fire, particularly if it occurs near the sedan’s ignition source. When a leak takes place, drivers may notice fuel leaking from the engine compartment or smell a fuel odor.

A vehicle fire creates a tremendous safety risk for sedan occupants, other drivers and pedestrians. In 2017, for example, vehicle fires were the second most fatal after residential fires, according to a report by the U.S. Fire Administration.

What to do in the event of a vehicle fire

If you suspect that an engine fire is occurring, follow these important steps.

If other people attempt to approach the sedan, warn them to stay away until first responders arrive. Do not attempt to remove any items from the car before exiting.

The repair

To fix the issue, dealers will need to inspect the fuel rail and the fuel rail bolts. Both of these parts will be replaced, if necessary. The repair is free of charge and Volkswagen expects the recall to begin on December 20, 2020.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 218,000 vehicles are included in this Volkswagen Jetta recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Volkswagen Passat recall for airbag with excessive force

October 19, 2020 Nate Gouldsbrough Volkswagen Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – May 13, 2022 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has remedied 1,506 2020 Volkswagen Passat vehicles dealing with airbags issues. So far 8 of these 2020 Volkswagen Passat vehicles have been declared unreachable and 0 have been removed from the recall. In total, Volkswagen fixed issues with mis-deployed airbags in one group during 2020 and 3 other groups during 2021.

Pleasanton, CA – September 2, 2020 – Volkswagen Group of America (NASDAQ:VWAPY) has recalled 1,829 Passat vehicles whose airbags do not deploy correctly in the event of a crash. The recall includes 2020 Volkswagen Passat vehicles.

Recall summary

The frontal air bag on the passenger side may not have been folded correctly, which may cause it to deploy “too forcefully” in a collision. These airbags are in noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standard number 208 “Occupant crash protection”.

Risks

Airbags provide cushioning to protect passengers during a crash and keep the occupant from being thrown outside of the car during a collision.

When a crash is severe enough to deploy the air bags, sensors inflate the bags with gas in less than a second. If the airbag deploys with too much force, the passenger may be injured.

According to documents found on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if a small child is standing on the passenger floor, the child may be injured when the faulty airbag deploys.

The repair

Volkswagen with notify owners and dealers by October 30. To fix the issue, the latter will replace the airbags free of charge when the repair is available.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 1,800 vehicles are included in this Volkswagen Passat recall. Use MotorSafety’s VIN look up tool to discover if your vehicle is affected by this recall.

Volkswagen recalls six models with potentially dangerous backrests

September 30, 2020 Rebecca Rand Audi Recalls, Volkswagen Recalls

Pleasanton, CA – Aug 27, 2020 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS: VWAGY) has recalled 4,854 vehicles with faulty front-seat backrests that may break in the event of a crash. The recall includes:

2020 Volkswagen Jetta compact cars
2020 Audi Q5 and SQ5 compact SUVs
2021 Volkswagen Atlas SUVs
2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport SUVs
2020 Volkswagen Tiguan SUVs

Recall summary

The seat-back adjustment mechanism on these vehicles’ front seats was not “welded properly” and may break if the car is rear-ended.

Volkswagen discovered the issue in July during a road test but it is not the first time the company faces backrest woes.

Risks

If the backrest breaks during a rear-end crash, the occupants of both the front and back seats may be hurt by the instability.

The breakage is especially perilous for children in the backseat who could suffer the worst of the injuries and even be killed. In a 2016 verdict, Volkswagen’s Audi unit was ordered to pay $124.5 million to the parents of Jesse Rivera Jr. after a weak driver’s seat broke during a crash and collapsed into the seven-year-old, leaving him with permanent brain damage.

The company argued that neither the driver – the boy’s father – nor the child wore seat belts, a fact that the family denied.

A 1960s standard

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) standard for seat back strength has not been updated since the 1960s and – as of 2016 – the bar was set so low that even a cheap banquet chair could pass.

Despite that, several manufacturers have increased the seat strength and the NHTSA may be moving in the same direction. Last July, the agency released a study showing that the seat back rotation should be reduced to “prevent injury to the seat occupant and occupants seated directly behind it.”

Where to put children

The backseat is still the safest place for children, though safety experts now recommend putting children behind unoccupied seats or the lightest front seat passenger.

The repair

Not all the recalled vehicles are certain to have defective backrests, but owners may be able to tell that there’s something wrong if the backrest is unstable or makes noises. Regardless of whether anything appears wrong, it is recommended that owners contact their dealer without delay.

Volkswagen will inspect the front seats to see if they’re defective, and will replace any seats if needed, free of charge. This remedy is currently available, and should take less than half a day, but may take longer if a replacement seat is needed.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 4,000 vehicles are part of this Volkswagen recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Possibility of Fuel Leak Causes Volkswagen to Recall Six 2019 Atlas Vehicles

September 20, 2019 Sean Reyes Volkswagen Recalls

Laguna Hills, CA – Sep. 20, 2019 – Volkswagen has announced that there may have been a defect in the construction of the fuel tank on five or six 2019 Atlas vehicles, leading to a small but extremely consequential vehicle recall. On these particular automobiles, it’s possible that the suction jet in the fuel tank may have been welded in an incorrect position, which could potentially allow fuel to leak from the tank.

On a vehicle containing the defect, this is likely to cause momentum to stall as a result of uneven fuel distribution, which creates the possibility for collision. However, there are of course even more dangerous risks that come along with the defect, including the possibility of an ignition source reaching the leaked fuel and causing a fire.

The Defect

According to paperwork filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by Volkswagen, fuel tanks manufactured for the Atlas during a limited time frame may have been incorrectly welded, causing the suction jet bracket to border against the fuel tank internal wall. This error was caused during initial production of the part by the supplier, YAPP, due to “Incorrectly performed maintenance [of] the supplier’s tooling,” and was rectified shortly thereafter.

As a result of this defect, the suction jet in the fuel tank may not be located where it should be, which has the potential to cause a fuel tank leak. This significantly increases the possibility of the vehicle being involved in a crash or catching fire. Drivers of the 2019 Atlas vehicle will want to keep watch for the odor of fuel, and the sight of fuel puddles underneath the automobile.

Timeline of Events

The supplier first noted the potential for the defect in late July 2019, according to the report filed by Volkswagen. Following an investigation to determine how many fuel tanks were affected, every tank that potentially contained the defect was quarantined by both YAPP and Volkswagen. Using video of the production of the tanks, YAPP and Volkswagen are able to pinpoint exactly which objects were affected, at which point the manufacturer was able to issue a stop order for shipment and sales of all Atlas vehicles that might contain the defect.

However on July 31, Volkswagen was able to determine that five Atlas vehicles which potentially contain the defect had been sent to dealers, although at that point all five remained unsold. Following further video review on August 1, YAPP determines that at least one of the five vehicles contains the defect, with the others potentially containing it as well. At that point, Volkswagen’s Product Safety Committee was presented with the topic, and determined that a recall was necessary.

The Solution

Volkswagen plans to notify both dealers and owners of the affected Atlas vehicles of the recall either on or before Oct. 11, 2019. At that point, the fuel tank on the affected vehicles will be replaced by the manufacturer at no cost to owners. Additionally, measures have been taken by YAPP to ensure that any fuel tanks with improper welding will not make it past the factory.

For more information on automobile recalls, whether large or small in number, be sure to continue visiting MotorSafety.org.

Volkswagen recalls Tiguan and CC for out-of-the-blue airbags

July 31, 2019 Rebecca Rand Volkswagen Recalls

Auburn Hills, MI – July 17, 2019 – Volkswagen (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) has recalled 27,822 vehicles whose may airbags may randomly go off or not go off when needed. The recall includes:

2015 Volkswagen Tiguan compact SUVs
2016 Volkswagen (VW) Tiguan compact SUVs
2015 VW CC cars
2016 VW CC cars

Recall summary

The recall concerns the airbag control module that is in charge of deploying the airbags. A defective capacitor – a device that sits in the module and powers the airbag – may deactivate the airbags or, in rare cases, cause them to go off unexpectedly.

The defect is caused by an error on the part of the supplier, ZF Group. Since 2018, the German auto parts manufacturer has been subject to at least 68 lawsuits, as reported.

Risks

If the airbags inflate without a warning, they can injure vehicle occupants and cause the driver to crash. If they fail to deploy in a crash, occupants are less protected from impact. In fact, their risk of fatal injury is 11% higher than it would be if the airbags were working properly.

Warning signs

A turned on airbag warning light may indicate airbag failure. Drivers are advised to immediately take the car in for repair if the light comes on.

The repair

Volkswagen dealers will update the car with software that will monitor the electrical activity in the airbag control module. If the software detects a problem within a 10-year extended warranty period, Volkswagen will replace the module for free. The update has been available since November 13, 2019.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Close to 10,000 vehicles still need to be fixed under this VW airbag recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Note: February 22, 2021

We have noticed a large number of readers are interested in this recall. For that reason, we have rewritten it to include the best, most up-to-date information.

Volkswagen Recalls Golf Sportwagen, Jetta, Golf and Tiguan Vehicles for Rear Coil Springs Issue

April 2, 2019 Sean Reyes Volkswagen Recalls

Laguna Hills, CA – April 2, 2019 – Volkswagen Group of America is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may fracture prematurely, which could damage a rear tire, causing loss of vehicle control and ultimately a crash. As many as 56,173 vehicles may be affected.

The Defect

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report on this problem, if the rear coil springs prematurely fracture while the vehicle is being driven, the consequences could be dire for its operator and anyone else sharing the road. A broken coil spring can damage a rear tire, thus becoming a hazard on the roadway and leading to a loss of vehicle control, putting people at risk and possibly causing damage to other vehicles on the road. The affected vehicles were assembled with rear coil springs from suppliers using materials that did not meet specifications and also did not follow process parameters.

Timeline of Events

The problem was first reported to Volkswagen AG and VW de Mexico Product Safety Committees Dec. 12, 2018. Upon determining that a manufacturing defect had occurred, the automaker decided to conduct a safety recall. In addition, further tests were assigned to assure that all affected vehicles could be identified.

The issue was then presented to VW de Mexico Product Safety Committee Feb. 15, 2019. The results of the testing were presented to Volkswagen AG and VW de Mexico Product Safety Committees February 27, and an extension of the previous recall was subsequently launched.

The Solution

The recall will begin April 19, 2019. Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge.

Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 42J5. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. The NHTSA Campaign Number for this recall is 19V188000.

(Video)Volkswagen Recalls 2019 Jetta Vehicles with Faulty Airbags

March 29, 2019 Sean Reyes Video, Volkswagen Recalls

Volkswagen Recalls 2019 Beetles For Brake Warning Issue

March 25, 2019 Sean Reyes Volkswagen Recalls

Laguna Hills, CA – March 25, 2019 – Volkswagen Group of America is recalling certain 2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles. When a brake system failure occurs, the dashboard instrument display may not provide a visual warning, which could lead to loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. As many as 4,064 vehicles may be affected by this issue.

The Defect

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Report, the instrument cluster may not provide a visual warning when a brake system failure is detected. Because the driver will not be alerted by a warning light when the malfunction occurs, the driver may lose control of the vehicle during emergency braking, increasing the risk of a crash. Vehicles without a brake pad wear indicator built during a certain production period with a specific software coding are affected, while those with brake pad wear indicators are not.

Timeline of Events

Vehicle claims concerning this issue were first received by Volkswagen Sept. 3, 2018. Analysis of the situation began immediately.

Between Dec. 7, 2018 and Jan. 8, 2019 the issue was discussed by the Pre-Product Safety Committee in Mexico, resulting in a request for more information.

The matter was then presented to the Product Safety Committee Jan. 11 in Mexico, and further details were requested.

The Joint Product Safety Committee of Wolfsburg and Mexico addressed the issue Feb. 6. After determining that the indicator-free vehicles didn’t comply with pertinent safety standards, the committee decided to conduct a recall.

The Solution

The recall began March 7, 2019. Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. A very small number of vehicles will also receive a new instrument cluster.

Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 90L8. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. The NHTSA Campaign Number for this recall is 19V094000.

Volkswagen Recalls More Than 100,000 Vehicles Equipped With Defective Takata Air Bags

February 28, 2019 Sean Reyes Audi Recalls, Takata Airbag Recalls, Volkswagen Recalls

Herndon, VA – February 28, 2019 – Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (OTCMKTS:VWAGY) is recalling over 100,000 vehicles equipped with Takata airbags that could explode and injure vehicle occupants. The recall includes the following models:

2017 Audi R8
2016-2017 Audi TT
2015-2017 Volkswagen CC
2015-2016 Volkswagen Eos
2015 Volkswagen Passat

This is part of a vast and ongoing scheduled recall of vehicles with Takata air bags. The estimated number of units affected is 119,394.

The defect

According to the NHTSA Safety Report filed January 11, the non-desiccated ammonium nitrate used as a propellant in the air bag inflators in the passenger side airbags of these vehicles poses a risk at some point in the future for all vehicles thus equipped.

If the driver’s frontal air bag deploys, the defective inflator could potentially rupture. The degrading ammonium nitrate present in the propellant wafers may explode under excessive internal pressure in the event of a crash which causes deployment of the driver’s frontal air bag.

In very rare cases, the explosion might mean that metal fragments could pass through the air bag cushion material and go flying into the interior of the vehicle from the passenger front side, potentially striking the vehicle occupants and conceivably resulting in serious injury or death.

This recall is part of a massive worldwide recall of vehicles with Takata airbags that is being conducted in waves starting with the vehicles that are at highest risk of propellant degradation (older vehicles and vehicles in Zones 1, 2, and 3.)

All test ruptures reported by Takata to date have occurred on inflators returned from regions subject to high absolute humidity.

Timeline of events

The filing was made as required per the NHTSA Coordinated Remedy Order. The date of determination for Audi was January 2, and the date of determination for Volkswagen was January 9, 2019.

Volkswagen will cooperate with NHTSA to prioritize and stagger vehicle repairs by joining NHTSA’s coordinated remedy program. The remedy components for this defect are not ammonium-nitrate based accelerant air bag inflators.

According to Consumer Reports, the investigation began in 2008, after reports of exploding air bags and flying metal shrapnel surfaced.

The cause turned out to be degraded propellant wafers in the air bag inflators manufactured by Takata, which were installed in millions of cars between 2002 and 2015.

Vehicles made by 19 different automakers have been recalled in what may turn out to be the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history.

The solution

The recall is expected to begin in March 2019. Volkswagen will notify owners by mail, and be instructed to take their vehicle to an authorized Audi dealer.

Dealers will replace the driver’s frontal air bag inflator with an alternative part, free of charge. Audi and Volkswagen are excluding reimbursement for costs associated with replacement of air bag inflators.

The Audi recalled component description is 4S0.880.201, and the Volkswagen’s part numbers are 3C8.880.201 and 561.880.201

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

Over 100,000 vehicles were originally part of this recall. As of April 9, 2021 – the last date information was available – 99,216 airbags had been replaced. To see if your car still needs to be repaired, use MotorSafety’s free lookup tool.

Recall summary

Risks

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Recall summary

Risks

What to do in the event of a vehicle fire

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Recall summary

Risks

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Recall summary

Risks

A 1960s standard

Where to put children

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

The Defect

Timeline of Events

The Solution

Recall summary

Risks

Warning signs

The repair

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

The Defect

Timeline of Events

The Solution

The Defect

Timeline of Events

The Solution

The defect

Timeline of events

The solution

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

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