Quick News About Volkswagen Problems

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.

  1. Investigations are popping up across the globe to learn what damage has been done by VW, and the automaker says it has set aside over $7.3 billion to handle the crisis.

    However, Volkswagen says that might not be enough due to the massive number of vehicles potentially involved.

    What started as 500,000 vehicles in the USA has quickly ballooned to 11 million vehicles worldwide. The total cost of the fines, repairs, and lawsuit settlements are going to be astronomical. To the point where only setting aside $7 billion seems rather optimistic.

    Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn said that he is "endlessly sorry" shortly before resigning. He just rammed his ship headlong into an iceberg and took off with the only lifeboat.

    keep reading article "Volkswagen Sets Aside $7.3 Billion for Emissions Mess"

  2. Lawyers, Start Your Lawsuits.

    A VW diesel emissions lawsuit has been filed in California. Girard Gibbs LLP has filed a class-action lawsuit against VW in California, for deceiving customers into buying vehicles marketed as “clean diesel.”

    "Volkswagen promised consumers a car with power, high fuel economy, and low emissions—if they paid a few thousand dollars more for a Volkswagen “clean” diesel vehicle." - Attorney Andre M. Mura, Girard Gibbs LLP

    The vehicles named in the lawsuit are the 2009-2015 Volkswagen Jetta (including the Jetta Sportswagen); 2010-2015 Volkswagen Golf (including the Golf Sportswagen); 2010-2015 Audi A3; 2012-2015 Volkswagen Beetle (including the Beetle Convertible) and the 2012-2015 Volkswagen Passat.

    keep reading article "The First Class-Action Filed Against VW for It’s Not-So-Clean-Diesels"

  3. Volkswagen has been caught manipulating the emissions output of its diesel engines during lab testing.

    The EPA says the "defeat device" is sophisticated software on VW cars that detects when the car is going through official emissions testing. When the software recognizes an official test is underway, it turns on full emissions controls to make it appear the emission standards are within the rules. Once the official tests are completed, the emission controls are decreased during normal driving.

    The EPA estimates 482,000 diesel passenger cars are violating the Clean Air Act, an offense that can carry a penalty of $37,500 per vehicle. Holy $$$.

    The offending cars were sold in the USA starting in 2008 and include:

    • 2009–2015 VW Jetta
    • 2009–2015 VW Beetle
    • 2009–2015 Audi A3
    • 2009–2015 VW Golf
    • 2014–2015 VW Passat

    The government has temporarily blocked VW from selling any 2016 diesel inventory, and the automaker should expect a wave of fines and consumer blowback. This is going to get interesting.

    keep reading article "VW Busted by the EPA for Using 'Defeat Devices' to Manipulate Emissions Output"

  5. **Th

    re are 11 automakers that have recalled millions of cars with Takata inflators. So far, VW isn't one of them. However, that might change soon because NHTSA documents say investigators want to know if an exploding side airbag in the 2015 Tiguan is related to previous Takata recalls.

    The vehicle in question experienced a ruptured side airbag in a June crash when the driver struck a deer. Unlike Takata airbags that have killed and injured vehicle occupants, the Missouri driver wasn't injured and it's possible this airbag explosion is different than previous Takata airbag ruptures._"

    In addition to the 2015 Tiguan, NHTSA will be determining which VW vehicles have airbags that contain ammonium nitrate.

    keep reading article "The Feds Have Questions About Takata Airbags in VW Tiguan"

  6. **Re

    ember the good ole days? Baseball on the radio, lemonade at Grandma's house and cars that could make it to their first oil change before getting recalled? These days it feels like every new car that rolls off the lot needs to roll right back in to the service station.

    The 2015 VW Passat, for example, has just been recalled for a faulty brake line connection that can allow fluid to leak. That fluid is critical to your stopping power, so as it leaks out the car will need longer and longer distances to stop.

    VW says workers used a busted torque wrench during assembly.

    keep reading article "Leaking Brake Lines in the 2015 Passat"

  7. The 2015 Tiguan could have been recalled for a curved door frame that's been known to cut open the driver's leg when they exit the vehicle, but instead VW is recalling the SUV for some stickers.

    VW says a new computerized system put the wrong tire pressure and weight limits on some certification labels. That's a federal safety standards no-no.

    The recall will begin sometimes in June. Owners with questions can contact VW at 800-893-5298 and use the recall number 01A5.

    keep reading article "Tiguan Tire Pressure Labels Recalled"

  8. Federal investigators couldn't figure out why perfectly good fuel pumps were failing in some Volkswagen (and Audi) vehicles.

    The investigation lasted 4 years and had VW's full cooperation.

    The pumps seemed fine and even came with built-in margins for fuels that were slightly out of specification. What the pumps couldn't handle is owners filling up their diesel engines with gasoline.

    For the love of everything, don't do that!

    Using gas for diesel engines would be like trying to replace my morning coffee with soy milk. Sure, I could swallow it but the result wouldn't be pretty. A little gas in a diesel engine will burn quickly and create a very low power output. A lot of gas in a diesel engine can cause the engine to blow or, you guessed it --- fuel pump to fail.

    In 2013, VW started a service campaign to install bright yellow stickers near the gas cap to warn owners not to let this happen.

    keep reading article "Hey, Stop Putting Gas in Your Diesel Engines"

  9. 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"

  10. Manufacturers can sometimes drag their feet when it comes to issuing recalls.

    But whenever there's reports of fuel leaking out of cars they start to move like someone lit a fire under their butt. That's because, well ... there might actually be real fires soon.

    Last week Volkswagen -- parent company of Audi -- recalled 26,000 cars for fuel injectors that leak. Just a couple days later they expanded that recall to include an additional 45,000 cars.

    Owners had been complaining about the smell of gas inside the cabin. VW traced the issue to a bad soldering job where the sealing cap meets the fuel rail and blames the problem on their supplier. Looks like someone's getting grounded.

    For more information about the problem and the range of manufacturing dates this affects, visit CarComplaints.com. VW owners with specific questions can contact customer service at 800-822-8987 and give them recall number 24BL. Audi owners can call 800-822-2834 and reference recall 24AP.

    keep reading article "Gas Leaks Prompt Recall"

  11. 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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