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2013 Volkswagen Jetta

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Jetta years

Owner complaints for the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta are substantially higher than the model-year median of 68.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

346 reports with mileage · 170 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 148 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 140 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 112 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports3 fire reports8 injury reports

Power Train complaints

140 reports
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Mileage unknown · Mar 7, 2022
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

I was driving on the street and my check engine light popped on as I was making a turn at about 35 miles an hour my car kicked into neutral and when pressing the gas just revved the engine. I was fortunate there was no oncoming cars as I made the turn or I would have been killed. Had this happened on the highway I could of cau…

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I was driving on the street and my check engine light popped on as I was making a turn at about 35 miles an hour my car kicked into neutral and when pressing the gas just revved the engine. I was fortunate there was no oncoming cars as I made the turn or I would have been killed. Had this happened on the highway I could of caused a major reck killing multiple people. I was fortunate and pulled over to the side and had the car towed to a mechanic. He took a look and said there was a significant leak coming from the transmission and I should take it to a VW dealership because there are a lot of recalls for this type of stuff. I had it towed to VW and they're professional mechanic said it was a hairline crack in the transmission that caused an oil leak into the electronic gearbox which caused the loss of control and power. They said there is no recall and it would be a $12,000.00 fix. The car has 47K original miles on it, no wrecks, and I've never missed an oil change. Had I not quickly reacted I could of caused a car accident injuring or killing myself or someone else. This is unbelievable that VW is not being held responsible for this. There is a recall for this exact problem Recall Number: 34J6 but for some reason it does no include my specific Jetta. How is that possible?

NHTSA ODI #11455562

Mileage unknown · Mar 2, 2022
Power Train

The power train failed while driving on a busy highway at about 50 mph on 2/19/2022. The warning light on the dashboard indicated a hybrid system failure. We were able to coast to the side of the road. The service center says the transmission needs to be replaced. This is exactly the transmission problem described in recall 34J6…

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The power train failed while driving on a busy highway at about 50 mph on 2/19/2022. The warning light on the dashboard indicated a hybrid system failure. We were able to coast to the side of the road. The service center says the transmission needs to be replaced. This is exactly the transmission problem described in recall 34J6, but that recall did not apply to our VIN. This problem has been reported online by other drivers who were also not covered by that recall.

NHTSA ODI #11454835

Mileage unknown · Mar 2, 2022
Power Train

I was driving to the store and my transmission disengaged and I had to coast to the shoulder. I had the Jetta towed to the dealer and they said it needs a new transmission. My vehicle has under 70k miles on the chassis and this transmission has been recalled in other countries but not in the US, this makes no sense to me and Vol…

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I was driving to the store and my transmission disengaged and I had to coast to the shoulder. I had the Jetta towed to the dealer and they said it needs a new transmission. My vehicle has under 70k miles on the chassis and this transmission has been recalled in other countries but not in the US, this makes no sense to me and Volkswagen refuses to take any accountability for this defect even though it’s a known problem. My vin number wasn’t under the recall they claim.

NHTSA ODI #11454781

Mileage unknown · Jan 14, 2022
Power TrainUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

Transmission failing to go into gear when vehicle is in motion, gear will slip causing vehicle to lose gear and stop until vehicle is shut off and restarted. Problem could cause others to crash into vehicle when this happens from the rear or not have enough space or time to pull over to the emergency lane to shut off vehicle and…

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Transmission failing to go into gear when vehicle is in motion, gear will slip causing vehicle to lose gear and stop until vehicle is shut off and restarted. Problem could cause others to crash into vehicle when this happens from the rear or not have enough space or time to pull over to the emergency lane to shut off vehicle and restart all gears to proceed. Vehicle hasn’t been inspected and will be available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ODI #11447445

Mileage unknown · Jan 10, 2022
Power Train

On 10/20/2021, the Service Hybrid System light and Check Engine light illuminated. I was able to start the vehicle and drive directly home. During the drive, I noticed the Hybrid system wasn't engaging. I had the vehicle towed to a mechanic who specializes in European vehicles, and he determined the cause was cracks in the mecha…

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On 10/20/2021, the Service Hybrid System light and Check Engine light illuminated. I was able to start the vehicle and drive directly home. During the drive, I noticed the Hybrid system wasn't engaging. I had the vehicle towed to a mechanic who specializes in European vehicles, and he determined the cause was cracks in the mechatronics unit, causing a loss of pressure, exactly the issue Recall 19V866000 was supposed to remedy. I contacted Volkswagen and was informed that my VIN was not included in 19V866000, which was based on cracks appearing in the mechatronics unit. I find it strange that almost 25% of all Jetta Hybrids were recalled for that issue, but there are several other reports listed on NHTSA of other owners who have experienced the same issue who were also told they weren't part of the recall.

NHTSA ODI #11446951

Mileage unknown · Nov 23, 2021
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

E-Engine and Transmission Problem. In August of 2021, while performing normal driving, the car refused to get in gear and the engine just revved; the Check Engine and Hybrid Systems Failure lights came on, and the car would not work properly. I had it towed to a VW Dealership in Springfield, VA for repairs and was quoted $15,0…

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E-Engine and Transmission Problem. In August of 2021, while performing normal driving, the car refused to get in gear and the engine just revved; the Check Engine and Hybrid Systems Failure lights came on, and the car would not work properly. I had it towed to a VW Dealership in Springfield, VA for repairs and was quoted $15,000 for a new E-Engine and Transmission. No Recalls, but online forums show that this is a classic failure of Jetta Hybrids and is due to the corrosive transmission oil used in the sealed transmissions of the Hybrids. Car has remained on VW Dealership lot while a decision is made on the vehicle. November of 2021 I was contacted about a different recall (38C4) for the Jetta; it is a software issue with a European Calibration instead of a US. I am looking to have that repaired to see if it fixes the problem in the car. I am inquiring about the Volkswagen recall 34J6 (or 34J6/4V) for 2013/2014 VW Jetta Hybrids. My VIN does not appear on the list. According to forums, it has experienced the same failure as others that are. This one is for hairline cracks that may form in the Transmission causing it to fail. No warning signs were given before the failure. It was a well maintained car; I was the only owner and drove it for 121,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI #11441430

Mileage unknown · Nov 21, 2021
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

While driving on freeway going 80mph in carpool with my toddler in backseat the car turned off losing all power to car. engine stopped, steering did not work, brakes did not work, and all lights on dash turned off along with headlights and break lights. i pulled into emergency lane and pulled key out. the car restarted back up …

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While driving on freeway going 80mph in carpool with my toddler in backseat the car turned off losing all power to car. engine stopped, steering did not work, brakes did not work, and all lights on dash turned off along with headlights and break lights. i pulled into emergency lane and pulled key out. the car restarted back up but no lights were on dash to indicate anything was wrong with it. took the car into local mechanic they could not duplicate issue, and didnt find any codes. car was returned not fixed. it has happened 6 more times 5 times while driving and one time while sitting in a starbucks drive through each time taking key out and able to restart car. took car into vw dealership, and told them the issue with no light saying anything. checked for codes. no codes where found mechanic still now trying to duplicate issue. this is very dangerous issue that needs attention to if it wasn't for just a few cars on the freeway my son and myself would have been gone from a malfunction from the vehicle. I hope no one else encounters this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11441174

Mileage unknown · Nov 19, 2021
Electrical SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control

I was driving on the street and my check engine light came on, as I was making a turn at about 35 miles an hour my car acted like it kicked into neutral and when pressing the gas just revved the engine. I safely pulled over to the side and had the car towed to a mechanic. He took a look and said there was a significant leak com…

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I was driving on the street and my check engine light came on, as I was making a turn at about 35 miles an hour my car acted like it kicked into neutral and when pressing the gas just revved the engine. I safely pulled over to the side and had the car towed to a mechanic. He took a look and said there was a significant leak coming from the transmission and I should take it to a VW dealership because there are a lot of recalls for this type of stuff. I had it towed to VW and they said it was a hairline crack in the transmission that caused an oil leak into the electronic gearbox which caused the loss of control and power. They said there is no recall and it would be a $12,000.00 fix. The car has 47K original miles on it, no wrecks, and I've never missed an oil change.

NHTSA ODI #11441057

136,000 miles · Nov 15, 2021
Power Train

The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. The contact stated that after stopping at a red traffic light and attempting to move off, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehi…

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The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. The contact stated that after stopping at a red traffic light and attempting to move off, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle but could not determine the cause for the failure. The contact had the vehicle taken to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V866000 (Power Train) which the contact believed was the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

NHTSA ODI #11440457

Mileage unknown · Nov 2, 2021
Power Train

Car was purchased recently from used car dealer Unique Imports in Tucson. Car was being driven by my wife onto I10 at about 50mph and suddenly lost drive. There was no power being transmitted either from the electric motor or the gasoline engine. With foot on the gas pedal as the car lost speed the gas engine was heard revvin…

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Car was purchased recently from used car dealer Unique Imports in Tucson. Car was being driven by my wife onto I10 at about 50mph and suddenly lost drive. There was no power being transmitted either from the electric motor or the gasoline engine. With foot on the gas pedal as the car lost speed the gas engine was heard revving but there was no drive. She stopped the car put hazards on and called me. I drove to the car, swapped with her and waited an hour. I was able to start the car and by that time drive had returned so I retrieved the car and returned the short distance home. Then on 10/29 the car was being driven along Tangerine Road and the same problem recurred. A complete loss of drive without warning, necessitating a careful pull over without power onto the hard shoulder. A sudden loss of drive like this is dangerous but fortunately this did not happen on the Interstate this time. Again I drove out to the stranded car, swapped cars and waited. I was able to return home a distance of about 5 miles although the problem recurred twice on the way and each time I had to pull over on the dirt shoulder and wait with hazard signal active for some time for the transmission to restore drive. When it did, it took longer each time. I called VW North America to see if this vehicle was subject to the recall for the mechatronic unit malfunction that causes clutch drivetrain failures exactly like this one. This car had no open recalls in spite of the symptoms, failure mode and driving risk all matching NHTSA 19V-866 https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RCLRPT-19V866-3182.PDF I was informed by VW NA that there was a recall work undertaken by VW North Scottsdale earlier in 2021 pertaining to this issue. The car is not safely driveable until this issue is resolved. Clearly this is not an isolated event. This dangerous failure mode is a systematic problem with this model of vehicle that should be fully addressed by the manufacturer despite the previous recall

NHTSA ODI #11439107

Official recalls

4

19V679000 · Unknown Or Other

Sep 25, 2019

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and 2012-2013 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2008-2010 Beetle, and Beetle Convertible vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D7. Note: This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 18V-329.

19V615000 · Electrical SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL Module; Steering:column LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT Device

Aug 22, 2019

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL Module

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."

Consequence: Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.

Steering:column LOCKING:ANTI-THEFT Device

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. A build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in "Park."

Consequence: Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway that may result in personal injury or a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board, free of charge. The recall began November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 37M2.

15V483000 · Air Bags:frontal

Aug 4, 2015

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.

14V656000 · Suspension:rear

Oct 20, 2014

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, to November 30, 2012, and 2012-2013 Beetle vehicles manufactured March 1, 2011, to July 31, 2013. The durability of the rear trailing arms may be reduced in vehicles whose rear trailing arms have been previously deformed, such as a result of a rear or side-rear impact crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The reduced durability of the trailing arm may result in its sudden fracture, possibly causing loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a sheet metal inlay on the rear axle trailing arms designed to prevent a sudden loss of control in the event of trailing arm sudden fracture, free of charge. The recall began April 7, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

3

EA18003 · Air Bag Clockspring Failure

Opened Apr 18, 2018 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:driver Clockspring/spiral Cassette

In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models.Contamination of the clockspring can cause the ribbon cable to tear resulting in loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag and any steering wheel mounted controls.The loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag will result in illumination of the air bag warning light and will prevent operation of the front driver air bag in a crash of sufficient severity requiring a commanded deployment.In November 2017, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ17-009) after the agency received 90 complaints alleging failure of the clockspring in the subject models.Several of the complaints allege failure of the clockspring after receiving the recall remedy.The majority of the complaints allege the same failure mode without being included in the original recall, 15V-483.In its March 2018 response to ODI's Information Request under the Recall Query, Volkswagen provided approximately 700 consumer complaints and field reports on the recalled vehicles.These reports allege clockspring failure similar to the NHTSA reports described above.To date, NHTSA has received approximately 154 allegations of clockspring failure since the recall has launched.The total of 852 reports shown in the table above eliminates 6 duplicative reports received by ODI and the manufacturer.An Engineering Analysis has been opened to further evaluate the scope and effectiveness of the remedy associated with 15V-483 and perform a thorough review of the design changes implemented by Volkswagen and its suppliers to address this issue.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI identification numbers: 11080741, 11079877, 11079805, 11079124, 11076709, 11076645, 11076297, 11076249, 11076133, 11075756, 11075726, 11075358, 11075259, 11075055, 11074920, 11074565, 11073090, 11072745, 11072457, 11072089, 11071933, 11071880, 11071630, 11071592, 11067396, 11067061, 11066738, 11066601, 11066511, 11065909, 11065871, 11065262, 11064701, 11064564, 11064544, 11064531, 11063961, 11063501, 11063095, 11062772, 11062464, 11062353, 11062344, 11061463, 11061310, 11061311, 11060735, 11058154, 11057519, 11057477, 11057341, 11056793, 11056243, 11056063, 11055639, 11054279, 11052812, 11052678, 11052384, 11052228, 11051336, 11051155, 11051074, 11048803, 11047037, 11044226, 11043653, 11039142, 11033893, 11033330, 11032548, 11025475, 11025356, 11024647, 11023423, 11020570, 11020312, 11019415, 11019067, 11015441, 11015431, 11014595, 11014016, 11013709, 11013415, 11012596, 11011753, 11006668, 11006521, 11006307, 11006181, 11005301, 11003865, 11001780, 11001783, 11001334, 10994184, 10993360, 10993524, 10992490, 10985926, 10983678, 10981220, 10980831, 10980941, 10980549, 10979418, 10971152, 10967344, 10967155, 10959968, 10958624, 10957279, 10956488, 10949129, 10947562, 10945122, 10936498, 10936543, 10933950, 10927311, 10925421, 10924034, 10915612, 10915569, 10911171, 10902066, 10898733, 10896537, 10896510, 10895526, 10893938, 10891686, 10864967, 10863742, 10861984, 10851242, 10822505, 10821562, 10818403, 10795068, 10794402, 10788738, 10787804, 10782544, 10780725, 10780145, 10779145, 10776477, 10775448, 10763492, 10763423, 10763289, 10762670, 10760644, 10758777, 10749901, 10748922

Additional source detail variants (3)

Air Bags:frontal:driver Clockspring/spiral Cassette

In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models.Contamination of the clockspring can cause the ribbon cable to tear resulting in loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag and any steering wheel mounted controls.The loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag will result in illumination of the air bag warning light and will prevent operation of the front driver air bag in a crash of sufficient severity requiring a commanded deployment.In November 2017, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ17-009) after the agency received 90 complaints alleging failure of the clockspring in the subject models.Several of the complaints allege failure of the clockspring after receiving the recall remedy.The majority of the complaints allege the same failure mode without being included in the original recall, 15V-483.In its March 2018 response to ODI's Information Request under the Recall Query, Volkswagen provided approximately 700 consumer complaints and field reports on the recalled vehicles.These reports allege clockspring failure similar to the NHTSA reports described above.To date, NHTSA has received approximately 154 allegations of clockspring failure since the recall has launched.The total of 852 reports shown in the table above eliminates 6 duplicative reports received by ODI and the manufacturer.An Engineering Analysis has been opened to further evaluate the scope and effectiveness of the remedy associated with 15V-483 and perform a thorough review of the design changes implemented by Volkswagen and its suppliers to address this issue.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI identification numbers: 11080741, 11079877, 11079805, 11079124, 11076709, 11076645, 11076297, 11076249, 11076133, 11075756, 11075726, 11075358, 11075259, 11075055, 11074920, 11074565, 11073090, 11072745, 11072457, 11072089, 11071933, 11071880, 11071630, 11071592, 11067396, 11067061, 11066738, 11066601, 11066511, 11065909, 11065871, 11065262, 11064701, 11064564, 11064544, 11064531, 11063961, 11063501, 11063095, 11062772, 11062464, 11062353, 11062344, 11061463, 11061310, 11061311, 11060735, 11058154, 11057519, 11057477, 11057341, 11056793, 11056243, 11056063, 11055639, 11054279, 11052812, 11052678, 11052384, 11052228, 11051336, 11051155, 11051074, 11048803, 11047037, 11044226, 11043653, 11039142, 11033893, 11033330, 11032548, 11025475, 11025356, 11024647, 11023423, 11020570, 11020312, 11019415, 11019067, 11015441, 11015431, 11014595, 11014016, 11013709, 11013415, 11012596, 11011753, 11006668, 11006521, 11006307, 11006181, 11005301, 11003865, 11001780, 11001783, 11001334, 10994184, 10993360, 10993524, 10992490, 10985926, 10983678, 10981220, 10980831, 10980941, 10980549, 10979418, 10971152, 10967344, 10967155, 10959968, 10958624, 10957279, 10956488, 10949129, 10947562, 10945122, 10936498, 10936543, 10933950, 10927311, 10925421, 10924034, 10915612, 10915569, 10911171, 10902066, 10898733, 10896537, 10896510, 10895526, 10893938, 10891686, 10864967, 10863742, 10861984, 10851242, 10822505, 10821562, 10818403, 10795068, 10794402, 10788738, 10787804, 10782544, 10780725, 10780145, 10779145, 10776477, 10775448, 10763492, 10763423, 10763289, 10762670, 10760644, 10758777, 10749901, 10748922

Air Bags:frontal

In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models.Contamination of the clockspring can cause the ribbon cable to tear resulting in loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag and any steering wheel mounted controls.The loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag will result in illumination of the air bag warning light and will prevent operation of the front driver air bag in a crash of sufficient severity requiring a commanded deployment.In November 2017, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ17-009) after the agency received 90 complaints alleging failure of the clockspring in the subject models.Several of the complaints allege failure of the clockspring after receiving the recall remedy.The majority of the complaints allege the same failure mode without being included in the original recall, 15V-483.In its March 2018 response to ODI's Information Request under the Recall Query, Volkswagen provided approximately 700 consumer complaints and field reports on the recalled vehicles.These reports allege clockspring failure similar to the NHTSA reports described above.To date, NHTSA has received approximately 154 allegations of clockspring failure since the recall has launched.The total of 852 reports shown in the table above eliminates 6 duplicative reports received by ODI and the manufacturer.An Engineering Analysis has been opened to further evaluate the scope and effectiveness of the remedy associated with 15V-483 and perform a thorough review of the design changes implemented by Volkswagen and its suppliers to address this issue.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI identification numbers: 11080741, 11079877, 11079805, 11079124, 11076709, 11076645, 11076297, 11076249, 11076133, 11075756, 11075726, 11075358, 11075259, 11075055, 11074920, 11074565, 11073090, 11072745, 11072457, 11072089, 11071933, 11071880, 11071630, 11071592, 11067396, 11067061, 11066738, 11066601, 11066511, 11065909, 11065871, 11065262, 11064701, 11064564, 11064544, 11064531, 11063961, 11063501, 11063095, 11062772, 11062464, 11062353, 11062344, 11061463, 11061310, 11061311, 11060735, 11058154, 11057519, 11057477, 11057341, 11056793, 11056243, 11056063, 11055639, 11054279, 11052812, 11052678, 11052384, 11052228, 11051336, 11051155, 11051074, 11048803, 11047037, 11044226, 11043653, 11039142, 11033893, 11033330, 11032548, 11025475, 11025356, 11024647, 11023423, 11020570, 11020312, 11019415, 11019067, 11015441, 11015431, 11014595, 11014016, 11013709, 11013415, 11012596, 11011753, 11006668, 11006521, 11006307, 11006181, 11005301, 11003865, 11001780, 11001783, 11001334, 10994184, 10993360, 10993524, 10992490, 10985926, 10983678, 10981220, 10980831, 10980941, 10980549, 10979418, 10971152, 10967344, 10967155, 10959968, 10958624, 10957279, 10956488, 10949129, 10947562, 10945122, 10936498, 10936543, 10933950, 10927311, 10925421, 10924034, 10915612, 10915569, 10911171, 10902066, 10898733, 10896537, 10896510, 10895526, 10893938, 10891686, 10864967, 10863742, 10861984, 10851242, 10822505, 10821562, 10818403, 10795068, 10794402, 10788738, 10787804, 10782544, 10780725, 10780145, 10779145, 10776477, 10775448, 10763492, 10763423, 10763289, 10762670, 10760644, 10758777, 10749901, 10748922

Air Bags

In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models.Contamination of the clockspring can cause the ribbon cable to tear resulting in loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag and any steering wheel mounted controls.The loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag will result in illumination of the air bag warning light and will prevent operation of the front driver air bag in a crash of sufficient severity requiring a commanded deployment.In November 2017, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ17-009) after the agency received 90 complaints alleging failure of the clockspring in the subject models.Several of the complaints allege failure of the clockspring after receiving the recall remedy.The majority of the complaints allege the same failure mode without being included in the original recall, 15V-483.In its March 2018 response to ODI's Information Request under the Recall Query, Volkswagen provided approximately 700 consumer complaints and field reports on the recalled vehicles.These reports allege clockspring failure similar to the NHTSA reports described above.To date, NHTSA has received approximately 154 allegations of clockspring failure since the recall has launched.The total of 852 reports shown in the table above eliminates 6 duplicative reports received by ODI and the manufacturer.An Engineering Analysis has been opened to further evaluate the scope and effectiveness of the remedy associated with 15V-483 and perform a thorough review of the design changes implemented by Volkswagen and its suppliers to address this issue.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI identification numbers: 11080741, 11079877, 11079805, 11079124, 11076709, 11076645, 11076297, 11076249, 11076133, 11075756, 11075726, 11075358, 11075259, 11075055, 11074920, 11074565, 11073090, 11072745, 11072457, 11072089, 11071933, 11071880, 11071630, 11071592, 11067396, 11067061, 11066738, 11066601, 11066511, 11065909, 11065871, 11065262, 11064701, 11064564, 11064544, 11064531, 11063961, 11063501, 11063095, 11062772, 11062464, 11062353, 11062344, 11061463, 11061310, 11061311, 11060735, 11058154, 11057519, 11057477, 11057341, 11056793, 11056243, 11056063, 11055639, 11054279, 11052812, 11052678, 11052384, 11052228, 11051336, 11051155, 11051074, 11048803, 11047037, 11044226, 11043653, 11039142, 11033893, 11033330, 11032548, 11025475, 11025356, 11024647, 11023423, 11020570, 11020312, 11019415, 11019067, 11015441, 11015431, 11014595, 11014016, 11013709, 11013415, 11012596, 11011753, 11006668, 11006521, 11006307, 11006181, 11005301, 11003865, 11001780, 11001783, 11001334, 10994184, 10993360, 10993524, 10992490, 10985926, 10983678, 10981220, 10980831, 10980941, 10980549, 10979418, 10971152, 10967344, 10967155, 10959968, 10958624, 10957279, 10956488, 10949129, 10947562, 10945122, 10936498, 10936543, 10933950, 10927311, 10925421, 10924034, 10915612, 10915569, 10911171, 10902066, 10898733, 10896537, 10896510, 10895526, 10893938, 10891686, 10864967, 10863742, 10861984, 10851242, 10822505, 10821562, 10818403, 10795068, 10794402, 10788738, 10787804, 10782544, 10780725, 10780145, 10779145, 10776477, 10775448, 10763492, 10763423, 10763289, 10762670, 10760644, 10758777, 10749901, 10748922

RQ17009 · Air Bag Clockspring Failure

Opened Nov 13, 2017 · Closed May 4, 2018

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal; Air Bags:frontal:driver Clockspring/spiral Cassette

In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models.Contamination of the clockspring can cause the ribbon cable to tear resulting in loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag and any steering wheel mounted controls.The loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag will result in illumination of the air bag warning light and will prevent operation of the front driver air bag in a crash of sufficient severity requiring a commanded deployment.In November 2017, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ17-009) after the agency received 90 complaints alleging failure of the clockspring in the subject models.Several of the complaints allege failure of the clockspring after receiving the recall remedy.The majority of the complaints allege the same failure mode without being included in the original recall, 15V-483.In its March 2018 response to ODI's Information Request under the Recall Query, Volkswagen provided approximately 700 consumer complaints and field reports on the recalled vehicles.These reports allege clockspring failure similar to the NHTSA reports described above.To date, NHTSA has received approximately 154 allegations of clockspring failure since the recall has launched.The total of 852 reports shown in the table above eliminates 6 duplicative reports received by ODI and the manufacturer.This Recall Query has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA18-003) to further evaluate the scope and effectiveness of the remedy associated with 15V-483 and perform a review of the design changes implemented by Volkswagen and its suppliers to address this issue.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI identification numbers: 11080741, 11079877, 11079805, 11079124, 11076709, 11076645, 11076297, 11076249, 11076133, 11075756, 11075726, 11075358, 11075259, 11075055, 11074920, 11074565, 11073090, 11072745, 11072457, 11072089, 11071933, 11071880, 11071630, 11071592, 11067396, 11067061, 11066738, 11066601, 11066511, 11065909, 11065871, 11065262, 11064701, 11064564, 11064544, 11064531, 11063961, 11063501, 11063095, 11062772, 11062464, 11062353, 11062344, 11061463, 11061310, 11061311, 11060735, 11058154, 11057519, 11057477, 11057341, 11056793, 11056243, 11056063, 11055639, 11054279, 11052812, 11052678, 11052384, 11052228, 11051336, 11051155, 11051074, 11048803, 11047037, 11044226, 11043653, 11039142, 11033893, 11033330, 11032548, 11025475, 11025356, 11024647, 11023423, 11020570, 11020312, 11019415, 11019067, 11015441, 11015431, 11014595, 11014016, 11013709, 11013415, 11012596, 11011753, 11006668, 11006521, 11006307, 11006181, 11005301, 11003865, 11001780, 11001783, 11001334, 10994184, 10993360, 10993524, 10992490, 10985926, 10983678, 10981220, 10980831, 10980941, 10980549, 10979418, 10971152, 10967344, 10967155, 10959968, 10958624, 10957279, 10956488, 10949129, 10947562, 10945122, 10936498, 10936543, 10933950, 10927311, 10925421, 10924034, 10915612, 10915569, 10911171, 10902066, 10898733, 10896537, 10896510, 10895526, 10893938, 10891686, 10864967, 10863742, 10861984, 10851242, 10822505, 10821562, 10818403, 10795068, 10794402, 10788738, 10787804, 10782544, 10780725, 10780145, 10779145, 10776477, 10775448, 10763492, 10763423, 10763289, 107626

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags:frontal:driver Clockspring/spiral Cassette

In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models.Contamination of the clockspring can cause the ribbon cable to tear resulting in loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag and any steering wheel mounted controls.The loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag will result in illumination of the air bag warning light and will prevent operation of the front driver air bag in a crash of sufficient severity requiring a commanded deployment.In November 2017, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ17-009) after the agency received 90 complaints alleging failure of the clockspring in the subject models.Several of the complaints allege failure of the clockspring after receiving the recall remedy.The majority of the complaints allege the same failure mode without being included in the original recall, 15V-483.In its March 2018 response to ODI's Information Request under the Recall Query, Volkswagen provided approximately 700 consumer complaints and field reports on the recalled vehicles.These reports allege clockspring failure similar to the NHTSA reports described above.To date, NHTSA has received approximately 154 allegations of clockspring failure since the recall has launched.The total of 852 reports shown in the table above eliminates 6 duplicative reports received by ODI and the manufacturer.This Recall Query has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA18-003) to further evaluate the scope and effectiveness of the remedy associated with 15V-483 and perform a review of the design changes implemented by Volkswagen and its suppliers to address this issue.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI identification numbers: 11080741, 11079877, 11079805, 11079124, 11076709, 11076645, 11076297, 11076249, 11076133, 11075756, 11075726, 11075358, 11075259, 11075055, 11074920, 11074565, 11073090, 11072745, 11072457, 11072089, 11071933, 11071880, 11071630, 11071592, 11067396, 11067061, 11066738, 11066601, 11066511, 11065909, 11065871, 11065262, 11064701, 11064564, 11064544, 11064531, 11063961, 11063501, 11063095, 11062772, 11062464, 11062353, 11062344, 11061463, 11061310, 11061311, 11060735, 11058154, 11057519, 11057477, 11057341, 11056793, 11056243, 11056063, 11055639, 11054279, 11052812, 11052678, 11052384, 11052228, 11051336, 11051155, 11051074, 11048803, 11047037, 11044226, 11043653, 11039142, 11033893, 11033330, 11032548, 11025475, 11025356, 11024647, 11023423, 11020570, 11020312, 11019415, 11019067, 11015441, 11015431, 11014595, 11014016, 11013709, 11013415, 11012596, 11011753, 11006668, 11006521, 11006307, 11006181, 11005301, 11003865, 11001780, 11001783, 11001334, 10994184, 10993360, 10993524, 10992490, 10985926, 10983678, 10981220, 10980831, 10980941, 10980549, 10979418, 10971152, 10967344, 10967155, 10959968, 10958624, 10957279, 10956488, 10949129, 10947562, 10945122, 10936498, 10936543, 10933950, 10927311, 10925421, 10924034, 10915612, 10915569, 10911171, 10902066, 10898733, 10896537, 10896510, 10895526, 10893938, 10891686, 10864967, 10863742, 10861984, 10851242, 10822505, 10821562, 10818403, 10795068, 10794402, 10788738, 10787804, 10782544, 10780725, 10780145, 10779145, 10776477, 10775448, 10763492, 10763423, 10763289, 107626

Air Bags:frontal

In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models.Contamination of the clockspring can cause the ribbon cable to tear resulting in loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag and any steering wheel mounted controls.The loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag will result in illumination of the air bag warning light and will prevent operation of the front driver air bag in a crash of sufficient severity requiring a commanded deployment.In November 2017, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ17-009) after the agency received 90 complaints alleging failure of the clockspring in the subject models.Several of the complaints allege failure of the clockspring after receiving the recall remedy.The majority of the complaints allege the same failure mode without being included in the original recall, 15V-483.In its March 2018 response to ODI's Information Request under the Recall Query, Volkswagen provided approximately 700 consumer complaints and field reports on the recalled vehicles.These reports allege clockspring failure similar to the NHTSA reports described above.To date, NHTSA has received approximately 154 allegations of clockspring failure since the recall has launched.The total of 852 reports shown in the table above eliminates 6 duplicative reports received by ODI and the manufacturer.This Recall Query has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA18-003) to further evaluate the scope and effectiveness of the remedy associated with 15V-483 and perform a review of the design changes implemented by Volkswagen and its suppliers to address this issue.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI identification numbers: 11080741, 11079877, 11079805, 11079124, 11076709, 11076645, 11076297, 11076249, 11076133, 11075756, 11075726, 11075358, 11075259, 11075055, 11074920, 11074565, 11073090, 11072745, 11072457, 11072089, 11071933, 11071880, 11071630, 11071592, 11067396, 11067061, 11066738, 11066601, 11066511, 11065909, 11065871, 11065262, 11064701, 11064564, 11064544, 11064531, 11063961, 11063501, 11063095, 11062772, 11062464, 11062353, 11062344, 11061463, 11061310, 11061311, 11060735, 11058154, 11057519, 11057477, 11057341, 11056793, 11056243, 11056063, 11055639, 11054279, 11052812, 11052678, 11052384, 11052228, 11051336, 11051155, 11051074, 11048803, 11047037, 11044226, 11043653, 11039142, 11033893, 11033330, 11032548, 11025475, 11025356, 11024647, 11023423, 11020570, 11020312, 11019415, 11019067, 11015441, 11015431, 11014595, 11014016, 11013709, 11013415, 11012596, 11011753, 11006668, 11006521, 11006307, 11006181, 11005301, 11003865, 11001780, 11001783, 11001334, 10994184, 10993360, 10993524, 10992490, 10985926, 10983678, 10981220, 10980831, 10980941, 10980549, 10979418, 10971152, 10967344, 10967155, 10959968, 10958624, 10957279, 10956488, 10949129, 10947562, 10945122, 10936498, 10936543, 10933950, 10927311, 10925421, 10924034, 10915612, 10915569, 10911171, 10902066, 10898733, 10896537, 10896510, 10895526, 10893938, 10891686, 10864967, 10863742, 10861984, 10851242, 10822505, 10821562, 10818403, 10795068, 10794402, 10788738, 10787804, 10782544, 10780725, 10780145, 10779145, 10776477, 10775448, 10763492, 10763423, 10763289, 107626

PE15010 · Air Bag Clockspring Failure

Opened Mar 24, 2015 · Closed Sep 28, 2015

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:frontal; Electrical System

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of steering wheel clock spring/steering column control module (SCCM) failures in model year (MY) 2012 Volkswagen Passat and CC models.The SCCM is a module within the steering column that incorporates a spiral conductor (a ribbon cable) to electrically connect the steering wheel to the vehicle's electrical system while allowing for the turning of the steering wheel.Complainants alleged that that the clock spring failed while driving and without warning.When the SCCM fails electrically, an air bag warning light is illuminated on the dash of the vehicle.If a vehicle with a failed SCCM were to be involved in a crash of sufficient severity to require deployment, the driver air bag may not deploy properly, or deploy at all.As the result of an Information Request response from Volkswagen, ODI determined that the same SCCM was used in several vehicle models and MYs including: 2010-2013 CC, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2013 Golf, 2012-2013 Jetta and Jetta SportWagen, 2010 and 2012-2014 Passat and 2011-2014 Tiguan.ODI identified a total of 29 NHTSA complaints across all affected vehicles potentially indicating a failed SCCM.Drivers often indicated that an audible noise was heard from the steering column when the unit failed. Some drivers also mentioned that there was a noticeable but minor resistance to turning of the steering wheel after the failure with noises coming from the steering column.The average failure mileage is approximately 30,500 miles and failures often occur outside of the factory warranty.There were no reported crashes or injuries identified in either the NHTSA or Volkswagen data as a result of SCCM failures.On July 30th, 2015 Volkswagen notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-483) to remedy the SCCMs in 415,825 MY2010-2014 vehicles.According to Volkswagen, the SCCM can become contaminated with human hair or similar fibers entering the unit between the steering wheel and steering column.Over time this can cause the electrical cable to tear and lose connection between the steering wheel and vehicle.Volkswagen will install a cover that attaches over the SCCM to help prevent contaminants from entering the unit.A new SCCM designed to reduce outside contamination intrusion was previously introduced into new vehicle production during the 2014 model year; accordingly vehicles equipped with the new design SCCM are not included in the recall.The recall action initiated by the manufacturer addresses the safety risks identified by the investigation.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchSafetyIssues under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10760644, 10758777, 10748922, 110734168, 10731545, 10721424, 10717651, 10715305, 10713742, 10713139, 10712295, 10711945, 10704830, 10704221, 10702926, 10702212, 10701406, 10691906, 10683944, 10682136, 10672715, 10670517, 10669312, 10628549, 10607240, 10575783, 10561143, 10552113, 10397670.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Air Bags:frontal

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of steering wheel clock spring/steering column control module (SCCM) failures in model year (MY) 2012 Volkswagen Passat and CC models.The SCCM is a module within the steering column that incorporates a spiral conductor (a ribbon cable) to electrically connect the steering wheel to the vehicle's electrical system while allowing for the turning of the steering wheel.Complainants alleged that that the clock spring failed while driving and without warning.When the SCCM fails electrically, an air bag warning light is illuminated on the dash of the vehicle.If a vehicle with a failed SCCM were to be involved in a crash of sufficient severity to require deployment, the driver air bag may not deploy properly, or deploy at all.As the result of an Information Request response from Volkswagen, ODI determined that the same SCCM was used in several vehicle models and MYs including: 2010-2013 CC, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2013 Golf, 2012-2013 Jetta and Jetta SportWagen, 2010 and 2012-2014 Passat and 2011-2014 Tiguan.ODI identified a total of 29 NHTSA complaints across all affected vehicles potentially indicating a failed SCCM.Drivers often indicated that an audible noise was heard from the steering column when the unit failed. Some drivers also mentioned that there was a noticeable but minor resistance to turning of the steering wheel after the failure with noises coming from the steering column.The average failure mileage is approximately 30,500 miles and failures often occur outside of the factory warranty.There were no reported crashes or injuries identified in either the NHTSA or Volkswagen data as a result of SCCM failures.On July 30th, 2015 Volkswagen notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-483) to remedy the SCCMs in 415,825 MY2010-2014 vehicles.According to Volkswagen, the SCCM can become contaminated with human hair or similar fibers entering the unit between the steering wheel and steering column.Over time this can cause the electrical cable to tear and lose connection between the steering wheel and vehicle.Volkswagen will install a cover that attaches over the SCCM to help prevent contaminants from entering the unit.A new SCCM designed to reduce outside contamination intrusion was previously introduced into new vehicle production during the 2014 model year; accordingly vehicles equipped with the new design SCCM are not included in the recall.The recall action initiated by the manufacturer addresses the safety risks identified by the investigation.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchSafetyIssues under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10760644, 10758777, 10748922, 110734168, 10731545, 10721424, 10717651, 10715305, 10713742, 10713139, 10712295, 10711945, 10704830, 10704221, 10702926, 10702212, 10701406, 10691906, 10683944, 10682136, 10672715, 10670517, 10669312, 10628549, 10607240, 10575783, 10561143, 10552113, 10397670.

Air Bags

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of steering wheel clock spring/steering column control module (SCCM) failures in model year (MY) 2012 Volkswagen Passat and CC models.The SCCM is a module within the steering column that incorporates a spiral conductor (a ribbon cable) to electrically connect the steering wheel to the vehicle's electrical system while allowing for the turning of the steering wheel.Complainants alleged that that the clock spring failed while driving and without warning.When the SCCM fails electrically, an air bag warning light is illuminated on the dash of the vehicle.If a vehicle with a failed SCCM were to be involved in a crash of sufficient severity to require deployment, the driver air bag may not deploy properly, or deploy at all.As the result of an Information Request response from Volkswagen, ODI determined that the same SCCM was used in several vehicle models and MYs including: 2010-2013 CC, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2013 Golf, 2012-2013 Jetta and Jetta SportWagen, 2010 and 2012-2014 Passat and 2011-2014 Tiguan.ODI identified a total of 29 NHTSA complaints across all affected vehicles potentially indicating a failed SCCM.Drivers often indicated that an audible noise was heard from the steering column when the unit failed. Some drivers also mentioned that there was a noticeable but minor resistance to turning of the steering wheel after the failure with noises coming from the steering column.The average failure mileage is approximately 30,500 miles and failures often occur outside of the factory warranty.There were no reported crashes or injuries identified in either the NHTSA or Volkswagen data as a result of SCCM failures.On July 30th, 2015 Volkswagen notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-483) to remedy the SCCMs in 415,825 MY2010-2014 vehicles.According to Volkswagen, the SCCM can become contaminated with human hair or similar fibers entering the unit between the steering wheel and steering column.Over time this can cause the electrical cable to tear and lose connection between the steering wheel and vehicle.Volkswagen will install a cover that attaches over the SCCM to help prevent contaminants from entering the unit.A new SCCM designed to reduce outside contamination intrusion was previously introduced into new vehicle production during the 2014 model year; accordingly vehicles equipped with the new design SCCM are not included in the recall.The recall action initiated by the manufacturer addresses the safety risks identified by the investigation.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchSafetyIssues under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10760644, 10758777, 10748922, 110734168, 10731545, 10721424, 10717651, 10715305, 10713742, 10713139, 10712295, 10711945, 10704830, 10704221, 10702926, 10702212, 10701406, 10691906, 10683944, 10682136, 10672715, 10670517, 10669312, 10628549, 10607240, 10575783, 10561143, 10552113, 10397670.

Electrical System

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of steering wheel clock spring/steering column control module (SCCM) failures in model year (MY) 2012 Volkswagen Passat and CC models.The SCCM is a module within the steering column that incorporates a spiral conductor (a ribbon cable) to electrically connect the steering wheel to the vehicle's electrical system while allowing for the turning of the steering wheel.Complainants alleged that that the clock spring failed while driving and without warning.When the SCCM fails electrically, an air bag warning light is illuminated on the dash of the vehicle.If a vehicle with a failed SCCM were to be involved in a crash of sufficient severity to require deployment, the driver air bag may not deploy properly, or deploy at all.As the result of an Information Request response from Volkswagen, ODI determined that the same SCCM was used in several vehicle models and MYs including: 2010-2013 CC, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2013 Golf, 2012-2013 Jetta and Jetta SportWagen, 2010 and 2012-2014 Passat and 2011-2014 Tiguan.ODI identified a total of 29 NHTSA complaints across all affected vehicles potentially indicating a failed SCCM.Drivers often indicated that an audible noise was heard from the steering column when the unit failed. Some drivers also mentioned that there was a noticeable but minor resistance to turning of the steering wheel after the failure with noises coming from the steering column.The average failure mileage is approximately 30,500 miles and failures often occur outside of the factory warranty.There were no reported crashes or injuries identified in either the NHTSA or Volkswagen data as a result of SCCM failures.On July 30th, 2015 Volkswagen notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-483) to remedy the SCCMs in 415,825 MY2010-2014 vehicles.According to Volkswagen, the SCCM can become contaminated with human hair or similar fibers entering the unit between the steering wheel and steering column.Over time this can cause the electrical cable to tear and lose connection between the steering wheel and vehicle.Volkswagen will install a cover that attaches over the SCCM to help prevent contaminants from entering the unit.A new SCCM designed to reduce outside contamination intrusion was previously introduced into new vehicle production during the 2014 model year; accordingly vehicles equipped with the new design SCCM are not included in the recall.The recall action initiated by the manufacturer addresses the safety risks identified by the investigation.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchSafetyIssues under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10760644, 10758777, 10748922, 110734168, 10731545, 10721424, 10717651, 10715305, 10713742, 10713139, 10712295, 10711945, 10704830, 10704221, 10702926, 10702212, 10701406, 10691906, 10683944, 10682136, 10672715, 10670517, 10669312, 10628549, 10607240, 10575783, 10561143, 10552113, 10397670.