Auburn Hills, MI — November 06, 2015 — Five different Volkswagen models have been recalled in response to a power braking concern. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration document from last month, a section of the camshaft in affected vehicles could “shear off” in certain circumstances. The models affected by this problem are Beetle, Golf, Jetta, GTI and Passat autos for the model years 2015 and 2016.
A total of 91,867 units are thought to be affected by this issue, which may hurt the brake assist capabilities if the camshaft lobe breaks. The first failures were detected in February, when field monitoring began. Although a repair solution is expected by the end of 2016’s first quarter, the Part 573 report on this issue notes that no remedy has been developed yet: in fact, the problem itself “has not been fully understood.”
This same report also details the ways that the defect will impact steering in vehicles. Owners can look for the Malfunction Indicator Light as a sign that the problem has occurred.
“Due to high load on the sintered cam which drives the high pressure fuel injection pump and the vacuum pump in the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe has the potential to unexpectedly shear off from the camshaft,” it reads. As a result, the report notes, the vehicle can lose vacuum pump power and subsequent brake functionality.
This latest action comes at a busy time for VW recalls: Volkswagen has announced that 11 million vehicles globally will be recalled due to the emissions-cheating software installed in them.
