Volkswagen Recall - Information & Updates

VW sales dipped last month in the wake of the emissions scandal but don't expect the German maker to discount its way out of trouble.

Volkswagen has issued a worldwide recall of 2.6 million vehicles --including more than 44,000 cars in Australia -- for possible fuel leaks, electrical faults and gearbox problems.It is the second significant recall in Australia in five months for the German car maker, which is suspected by industry observers of taking shortcuts in its bid to overtake Toyota to become the world’s biggest car maker by 2018.The recall comes as the Victorian Coroner today announced there was no evidence of a mechanical fault with a Volkswagen Golf involved in a fatal crash in Melbourne in 2011.The car was struck from behind by a truck. The coroner investigated the incident after it was alleged the car lost power suddenly, following similar complaints from other Volkswagen owners.The vehicles in the latest recall include more than 17,000 Tiguan SUVs because "a fuse may blow … thus resulting in failure of one of the two vehicle light circuits".Approximately 16,000 Volkswagen Amarok pick-ups are being recalled because "some Amarok utes with a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine may be affected by leaks to the fuel pipe within the engine compartment".Furthermore, about 11,000 Volkswagens across various models equipped with the company’s controversial twin-clutch automatic "DSG" gearbox will be recalled because "electric malfunctions could occur in rare cases in the gearbox power supply if synthetic gearbox oil is used".In June 2013 Volkswagen recalled more than 25,000 cars in Australia for gearbox problems after a fortnight of unprecedented pressure from disgruntled customers, following the announcement of the Victorian Corner's investigation.The vehicles affected in the June 2013 recall were built between June 2008 and September 2011 and included the Golf hatchback, the Jetta sedan, the Polo hatchback, the Passat sedan and wagon and the Caddy van.Complaints highlighted in the lead-up to that campaign included cars that conked out or lost power suddenly, high oil use, and gearbox reliability issues.Several customers reported having their engines and/or gearboxes replaced while others complained about the  $5000 to $10,000 expense of fixing these parts once the warranty had expired.In addition to the previous recall announced in June, Volkswagen Australia also called about 2800 diesel cars back to dealerships for inspection.The company says anyone experiencing faults with their Volkswagen to contact their local Volkswagen dealer.Volkswagen Australia has set up a dedicated customer service line to answer customer queries -- 1800 504 076. 

VW is aiming to use a technicality to get off any penalties for selling cars with software that can cheat emissions tests.

Australian customers are still yet to be contacted by Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda three weeks after the dodgy diesel scandal broke.It could take up to a year for more than 90,000 Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda diesel cars in Australia to be upgraded with software or expensive mechanical changes to ensure they don’t cheat emissions tests.Volkswagen in Germany says it is close to finalising the fix for 11 million cars sold globally from 2008 to 2015, but it is still too early to determine how performance and fuel economy will be affected on each model.A News Corp Australia investigation has found that while the troubled German car maker has finally published a list of the models affected locally, customers are yet to receive any formal notification and dealers say they only have the same information released to media.Furthermore, emissions targets set for state and federal government fleets over the past six years are likely to have been breached because certain Volkswagen diesel cars bought by government agencies or staff emit more pollution than claimed.“Government fleets around Australia will have purchased some of these vehicles as part of the push to lower the overall emissions of their fleets,” a senior government fleet manager told News Corp Australia on condition of anonymity.“The cars would have been selected based on the information on the (Green Vehicle Guide rating labels) and all the procurement decisions would have been made in good faith,” said the government fleet manager.The source said there would likely be no ramifications but, he added, “Volkswagen’s deliberate actions have let the states down and possibly caused them to fail to reduce vehicle emissions”.awyers weigh in on VW diesel scandal

US owners of VW cars with diesel engines that can cheat emissions tests have already been given $500, but local owners still have no compensation.

More than 1.1 million cars have been called back to dealers for rectification work that varies from serious (a brake failure) to silly (windscreen wipers).And although 2014 is likely to be the first big sales dip since the Global Financial Crisis, the number of new car sold is also likely to top 1.1 million.The last time more cars were recalled than sold in a year was 2001.It's been a bad year for recalls globally too.General Motors has recalled 2.59 million cars because of an ignition fault so far linked to at least 30 deaths, as part of a recall of 13.8 million cars this year for other ignition problems or keys slipping out of position.But the biggest of all is the Takata airbag recall which has so far been linked to six deaths after shrapnel fired from the airbags.It's a big problem because Takata supplies 20 per cent of the world's airbags and it has taken in cars made by Honda, Toyota, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors.More than 18 million cars around the world have been recalled for the Takata airbag problem including 110,000 in Australia.Meantime the dubious honour of most recalls this year is a dead heat between Holden and Jeep with a record 14 each. Never before has any brand recalled so many cars in one year.Market leader Toyota was next with nine recalls ahead of Mitsubishi 8, Nissan 6, Ford 4, Volkswagen 4, Hyundai 3, Mazda 3, Land Rover 3 and Peugeot with 2.Then again the year isn't quite over yet. There may be more.

Volkswagen is issuing recalls and advisories for about 2.6 million vehicles world-wide, including about 43,700 in Australia, for a range of three defects. The Australian vehicles include more than 16,700 Tiguan SUVs recalled for a fault that means a fuse can blow, causing one of the two vehicle light circuits to fail. About 16,000 Volkswagen Amarok utes are being recalled because of fuel pipe leaks affecting the 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine.The remaining 11,000 cars range across various models that have VW's twin-clutch automatic DSG gearbox, in which an electrical defect could occur if synthetic gearbox oil is used," Volkswagen says..A large proportion of the 2.6 million global recall is in China -- VW's largest market -- after a problem was found there in the same gearbox that triggered a recall earlier this year. The Chinese recall affects 750,000 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles that use the Chinesee-built DSG gearbox there.  Vehicles on the China recall list include the Volkswagen Golf, Beetle and Passat and several Audi models.It's the second recall this year on the DSG. In June more than 25,000 Australian cars were recalled for gearbox problems after pressure from disgruntled customers. Those vehicles included the Golf hatchback, Jetta sedan, Polo hatchback, Passat sedan and wagon and the Caddy van.Volkswagen said it is recalling 800,000 (2008-11) Tiguan SUVs and 239,000 Amaroks around the world, bringing the total number of cars affected in the three safety actions to 2.6 million.While the number of vehicles is large, analysts estimated the cost of the repairs could be relatively small. Still, the fresh problems that have surfaced with the gearbox might further dent Volkswagen's reputation in China and strain its relations with its local venture partner, SAIC.The gearbox only has problems in hot and humid climates, said Volkswagen spokesman Peter Heinz Thul. In warm climates, additives in the synthetic oil can damage the electronics. VW is proposing to replace the oil with a mineral oil that has been used previously without problems, Mr. Thul said.Volkswagen issued a recall in March in China for nearly 400,000 vehicles to fix an electronic malfunction on the same DQ200 gearbox. It said the problem was resolved with a software fix.VW officials told Chinese regulatory officials about the most recent problem earlier this week, Mr. Thul said. The automaker then agreed that a recall should be issued.Volkswagen Australia is yet to determine the impact on local models for this latest recall, but will "ensure these recalls are conducted promptly and efficiently", according to Managing Director John White, and relevant owners will be notified by mail.This latest recall follows the 25,928 Volkswagen vehicles recalled in June over similar issues with DSG transmissions manufacured between 2008-11, of which 40 per cent have been rectified to date and is expected to be completed next year.Volkswagen Australia says that this progress is in line with the timeframe anticipated, and that vehicles already attended to will not be affected by this new recall as their transmission fluid will have already been replaced.The company says concerned owners should contact their local Volkswagen dealer or can call a dedicated customer service number: 1800 504 076.

How do you think VW is handling the diesel recall? Tell us in the comments section below.

It has taken three long weeks but a recall has been formally issued for 91,000 cars with dodgy diesels.