VW Recalls 679,000 Cars Because of Rollaway Risks
The German carmaker VW has informed about the
recall of more than 679,000 vehicles on the US territory to prevent possible
rollaway accidents. The problem is caused by the faulty e-switch in the gear
selector, leading to possible emergency cases when a driver can remove the
ignition key without engaging the car into P gear. This significantly increases
the possibility of a rollaway, especially if the car is left in N gear with
nothing there to stop it from moving.
According to the carmaker, the recall applies only to automatic models that come with manual handbrakes and keyless entry features. At the same time, owners of manual VW models equipped with an automatic handbrake or keyless entry will not have to deal with this issue. The list of recalled models includes the following:
The recall
is required due to the accumulation of silicate on micro switch contacts of the
gear-change lever that may allow the key to be taken from the ignition when the
lever isn't in PARK. In such cases, the car system may display a warning
message on the dashboard, issue a sound signal, or continue to operate as if
nothing has happened at all.
2019 VW GTI
Last summer, VW had to recall 33,168 cars
because of a similar issue. Then, VW engineers found out that a similar problem
can occur in other models and this issue has more complex nature. Recently,
they finally found out that the micro switch can get out of order due to higher
resistance caused by silicate contamination on the contact surface of the
switch. The carmaker has not received any info on injuries or car clashes
related to this malfunction.
2018 VW Golf
It is assumed that the solution of this problem
is as follows: dealers have to install a new switch inside the lever housing,
disengage the old switch without dismantling it, and attach a circuit board to
the wire harness that was not initially included in designs of these cars. It
is expected that the board will limit the "current surges" that were
leading to the issue mentioned above. The company has already provided
solutions to all current models in production.
2018 VW Jetta
Owners of affected models who already paid for repairs will be offered compensation for the expenses. The recall is expected to start October 11, 2019.
