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 and pieces -- the recalls, service bulletins, and lawsuits that can help you solve you car problems. Interested in getting these quick story bits as an email? Signup over at CarComplaints.com.
Anytime there's a threat of engine fire it sparks (sorry) the agency's interest. The investigation will look at the 3.6L engine in the 2018-2020 model years, covering roughly 190,000 vehicles.
keep reading article "Investigation Opened Into Leaking Atlas Fuel Injector Concerns"The script is very much the same as previous Takata recalls. The propellant inside the inflators becomes extremely volatile due to heat and humidity exposure over time to the point that, when the airbag is deployed, the inflator actually explodes and sends shards of metal out into the cabin.…
keep reading article "2012-2014 Beetle Recalled to Replace Takata Airbag Inflators"Both campaigns are to fix issues that can cause a sudden and dangerous loss of control.…
keep reading article "Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport Owners Get a 2-for-1 Series of Recalls to Prevent a Sudden Loss of Control"Customers who complain are typically given two not-so-great options, live with it and document the malfunctions or disable the feature entirely.
The Missouri-based class-action says that's unacceptable and wants VW to take ownership of the problem. That includes covering any related repairs or costs associated with the system malfunctioning under warranty.
keep reading article "Volkswagen's Front-Assist Emergency Braking Can Activate For No Reason, Says Lawsuit"He has requested a voluntary dismissal of the entire lawsuit which was filed back in April of 2020. Sounds like someone got a new sunroof behind closed doors.…
keep reading article "The Sunroof Leaks Continue, But The Lawsuit Will Not"Specifically how it hesitates, shakes, and grinds its way to busted seals, oil leaks, and eventual failure.
Volkswagen asked for the case to be dismissed on the classic legal defense of sure there complaints, but it's not that many complaints.
And when they tried to convince the court the plaintiffs shouldn't have a case because VW couldn't have possibly known about the problems before the vehicles were sold, they were asked about a "technical tip" sent to VW dealerships on possile transmission problems before the vehicles were sold. The document describes scraping noises commonly heard when shifting into 5th gear at speeds of 20-25 mph, under light load
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This appears to be an expansion of a smaller recall for the exact same problem last month. It wasn’t until the cars were shipped and sold that VW’s supplier admitted the coil springs weren’t ready for production. Yikes. Owners of the 2015-2019 Golf, 2017-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, and 2018-2019 Tiguan should watch for a recall notice next month.
As you might expect, the wrong airbags are unlikely to work and might not deploy at all. Volkswagen thinks the problem only affects 4 owners who will be contacted in April of 2019.
The system is supposed to display a warning message when the brake pads are dangerously thin and need to be replaced. It isn’t working. Over 4,000 Beetle vehicles have been recalled to update the instrument cluster software.
This campaign is part of an industry-wide effort involving more than a dozen automakers and 1.7 million vehicles. The chemical inside of Takata airbag inflators can become unstable over time, leading to violent and sometimes deadly airbag deployments. The recall is for both driver and passenger side inflators in the 2015-2017 CC, 2015-2016 Eos, and 2015 Passat.
keep reading article "Takata Inflator Recall for TT and R8 Vehicles"The best way to find out what's wrong with a vehicle is from the people who drive them. Not only do owner complaints help us rank vehicles by reliability, but they're often used to spark class-action lawsuits and warranty extensions. Plus, they're a great way to vent.