Auburn Hills, Mich. – Oct. 5, 2017 – The Volkswagen Group of America has recalled more than 73,00 vehicles possibly equipped with defective fuel filter flanges, according to documentation filed with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The recall affects 2004-2007 Volkswagen Touareg sport utility vehicles with production dates ranging from Feb. 18, 2003 to Nov. 30, 2006. Volkswagen estimates that just 3 percent of the models referenced in the recall contain the defective parts.
The Defect
Affected vehicles may include fuel filter flanges prone to oxidization-caused cracking. This is a product of both naturally-occurring moisture and gasoline, which can degrade fuel filter components over time. Cracked fuel filter flanges in these vehicles could leak fuel, creating a fire risk in the event that it comes into contact with an ignition source. This poses a serious threat to occupants. However, Volkswagen has yet to receive field reports connecting the defective feature to any accidents or injuries.
Timeline of Events
In February 2017, the NHTSA forwarded a number of vehicle owner queries mentioning fuel leakage issues to Volkswagen. These reports referenced similar problems documented in an October 2016 recall involving defective fuel filter flanges installed on various Audi SUV models, which the German automaker manufacturers, according to the NHTSA. Volkswagen conducted an internal data review and found that a significant number of drivers had submitted complaints mentioning fuel leakage via in-house channels.
In June, Volkswagen and Porsche, which employ the same fuel filter flanges, launched concurrent 90-day field investigations to determine whether the fuel pump model they both used – a four-bar assembly from Continental Automotive in Germany – was to blame. Volkswagen collected and reviewed 100 parts as part of this study. On Sept. 13, quality assurance and safety personnel looked over the results and determined that a voluntary recall was necessary.
The automaker notified dealers of the impending action Sept. 29.
The Solution
Volkswagen has directed dealers to inspect and replace the fuel filter flanges in affected models free of charge, according to a recall acknowledgement document. The car company intends to notify owners via first-class mail Nov. 19. Those in need of more immediate assistance can contact Volkswagen customer service at (800) 893-5298. Callers should use the internal recall identification code 20Ai. Owners can also connect directly with the NHTSA via its Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.
