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

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.

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