VW Defect Investigations

An illustrated SUV in black

If the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) believes there is a safety-related defect in a group of cars, it reserves the right to open an investigation.

These investigations are often sparked by warranty claims and consumer complaints online.

VW Problems Being Investigated

  1. Clock Spring Failure

    Volkswagen owners continue to have clock spring problems years after the parts were first recalled. The failed recall is under investigation, but in the meantime VW owners are staring at a disabled driver's side airbag, horn, and steering-w…

    Continue reading article "Clock Spring Failure" A steering wheel with the VW emblem in the middle

  2. Atlas Fuel Injector Leak

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into leaky fuel injectors in the 2018-2020 VW Atlas. The investigation was opened after owners reported smelling gas in their vehicles and seeing fuel leaking from the engine com…

    Continue reading article "Atlas Fuel Injector Leak" An Atlas SUV with an illustrated fuel pump inside a red flame behind it.

NHTSA Quick Links

VW Investigation News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  2. Federal investigators are wondering if an issue in the steering column could stop the driver's side airbag from deploying in an accident for 30,000 VWs.

    That type of problem turns das aüto into a dangerwägon very quickly.

    At the heart of the investigation is the steering column control module which is connected to all the electronics in your steering wheel -- airbags, radio controls and horn. There's really no way for you to test your airbag short of running into a cement pole (which I very strongly recommend against). However, if you've noticed problems changing stations from your steering wheel or your horn sounds more and more like a sick duck, it could be a sign of a bigger problem.

    The investigation is focusing on 30,000 of the 2012 VW Passat and 2012 VW CC cars.

    keep reading article "Potential Airbag Failure Under Investigation"

  3. Ignition coils produce a high-voltage current that fires the spark plugs.

    If a coil fails, like in the case of many VW engines, the spark plug won't fire and the engine will lose power. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary evaluation on failing ignition coils in Volkswagen engines.

    According to the Wheels Blog at NY Times, the investigation is focusing on almost 200,000 2002-2003 VW Passats, depending on the results this could open into a full-sledged defect investigation:

    "The agency says the investigation is looking at an estimated 199,000 Passats from the 2002-3 model years after receiving 16 reports that faulty ignition coils caused either fires or a loss of power on 4- and 6-cylinder engines."

    In 2003, Volkswagen had a serious problem with ignition coils on many of its most popular models.

    keep reading article "NHTSA Investigation on VW Ignition Coils"

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