BMW VW recall in the USA
16.12.2010
D The fuel lines are laid in such a way that they are exposed to vibrations chafed on other parts and could leak in the long run, VW warned its customers overseas on Wednesday. If gasoline leaks, there is a risk of fire. 'So far there have been no incidents,' said a company spokesman on request. The recall is purely precautionary.
Only US models affected
German drivers are on the safe side: the shortage only affects cars with 2.5-liter five-cylinder engines. According to the company, it is installed exclusively in North America, where it is the standard unit in the Golf, Jetta, Jetta Kombi and the New Beetle. Volkswagen is recalling some of these types up to the 2006 model year.
Since the Toyota debacle, automakers have been overcautious with regard to technical defects. Clamping gas pedals and slipping floor mats had led to a million-fold recall and serious damage to the company's image. Just the day before, the Japanese world market leader had to order a further 94,000 minivans to the workshops in the USA because of problems with the braking system.
The German luxury manufacturers BMW and Mercedes also had to struggle with technical defects in hundreds of thousands of cars. Volkswagen, on the other hand, has so far been largely unscathed.
The current recall comes at an inopportune time for VW. The Wolfsburg-based company has launched an attack on the North American market. So far they have sold fewer vehicles there than the South Korean whiz kid Hyundai and are far behind Toyota, Ford or General Motors Turn around. VW wants to win over the Americans and Canadians with specially developed cars. It starts with a large sedan based on the Passat.
To date, the Jetta, which is closely related to the Golf, has been the best seller overseas. VW recently launched a completely redesigned version at a competitive price of just under 16,000 dollars (12,000 euros) plus taxes. It is a building block in the goal of replacing Toyota as the world's largest car manufacturer.
