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. Owners of Volkswagen and Audi vehicles have filed a lawsuit claiming there's a defect in the timing chain tensioner system that allows the chain to "jump a tooth" in the camshaft.

    Once that happens, the engine could be destroyed. Want to repair it? You'll destroy your bank account too.

    The lawsuit focuses on 2008-2013 Audi and VW models equipped with 2-liter TSI or 2-liter TFSI EA888 engines. The plaintiffs say the problems happen well before 120,000 miles (the recommended time to repair them) and can cost upwards of $11,000 to fix.

    "The plaintiffs claim Audi and VW not only refused to acknowledge the alleged timing chain problems, but also refused to compensate certain owners for engine repairs. The lawsuit also alleges Audi and Volkswagen didn't offer loaner or replacement vehicles even though the vehicles were useless to owners."

    This isn't the first lawsuit to accuse VW of concealing timing chain defects.

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Engines Fail After the Timing Chains 'Jump a Tooth' in the Camshaft"

  3. A German newspaper says Volkswagen has been cheating again. This time using unapproved software on its 3-liter diesels. Oh, wunderbar.

    The programs are allegedly used to shut off nitrogen oxide emissions controls after 22 minutes, about two minutes longer than the 20 minutes it takes to perform a typical emissions test. If true, emissions regulators would see normal emissions levels on test machines, then after about 22 minutes the emissions levels will shoot up.

    The newspaper, Bild am Sonntag, doesn't say how they got their information but did say the software was discovered on Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg vehicles equipped with turbocharged direct injection (TDI) 3-liter engines.

    keep reading article "VW Caught Cheating Again?"

  5. Car sales reps --- can't trust 'em, cant load them into a rocket and fire it towards the sun.

    Listen, everyone knows to be skeptical of anything a sales rep tells you, whether they're pitching cars or on a 3AM commercial selling a revolutionary toaster. But an undercover investigation by a British TV show reveals that VW dealerships are stretching the truth too far.

    "Channel 4 TV sent undercover personnel posing as potential buyers into eight Volkswagen dealerships and six of those dealerships provided false safety ratings information."

    Some VW sales reps are saying the Polo has a 5-star safety rating. Only problem is, the last time the European New Car Assessment Programme awarded 5-stars for that car was in 2009.

    To be fair, VW says this is a problem with only a "small number of dealer staff." Just keep that grain of salt handy next time you talk to them.

    keep reading article "VW Polo As Safe As Salesman Claim?"

  6. Volkswagen just can't seem to catch a break. Well, unless you count their child door locks. Those are breaking all over the place.

    Simple vibrations are disengaging the rear door child locks in many 2016 VWs, prompting a recall.

    "A molding problem caused the locking mechanism to be improperly manufactured causing the position retaining mechanism inside the door lock to break"

    That's a problem, especially for my toddler where her seat-kicking-snack-throwing-booster-seat-bouncing routine creates much more than a simple vibration.

    The 2016 CC, Golf R, Tiguan, and eGolf are all involved. For specific build dates, visit CarComplaints.com.

    keep reading article "Vibrations Opening Child Door Locks in 2016 Volkswagens"

  7. Hey emission-wagön owners, VW has setup a special website just for you.

    Volkswagen says owners will eventually be able to learn more about the settlement terms and determine how much compensation is available by visiting VWCourtSettlement.com.

    "Owners can always opt out of the settlement if they want to hire an attorney and tackle Volkswagen in court. As part of the preliminary settlement, owners will receive official notifications concerning their rights and available options, but the final settlement approval won't occur until October 18, 2016."

    The whole thing is rather complex. There are a good amount of details available now, but those could change up until the final settlement. VW promised to have the final calculations automated on VWCourtSettlement.com by the end of the month.

    keep reading article "There's Finally A Website for Diesel Settlement Details"

  8. Natural gas explosions are nothing to sneeze at. Especially if sneezing is what prompts the explosion.

    About 6,000 Volkswagen Touran vehicles are recalled worldwide to replace gas tanks that can explode due to corrosion. The 2006-2009 Touran minivans have front compressed natural gas bottles that can burst.

    VW says the minivans should be driven using only gasoline until they can be repaired. Makes sense.

    keep reading article "Touran Recalled for Natural Gas Explosions"

  9. The settlement details for VW diesel customers in the USA is here and you know what? It actually looks pretty good.

    The agreement involves 500,000 2-liter engines that VW called "clean diesels" but turned out to be NOx spewing polluters. The full details are available here, but here's some cliff notes:

    1. Volkswagen will offer to buy back the affected diesels using their pre-scandal NADA book value (September 2015)
    2. Owners can sell their cars back or keep them and wait for an EPA approved fix
    3. Whether you sell it or keep it, VW will compensate owners somewhere between $5000-$10000 for their trouble
    4. Lessees will have the option of terminating their lease without penalty

    So far there is no word on what the fix will be for these vehicles or how that'll affect MPG or performance. Owners of the following are eligible for compensation:

    475,000 2.0-liter diesel cars including the 2013-2015 Beetle, 2010-2015 Golf, 2009-2015 Jetta, and 2012-2015 Passat, along with the Audi A3 between 2010-2013 and 2015. All in the USA.

    keep reading article "VW Close to Agreement to Buy Back Diesels and Compensate Owners"

  10. Volkswagen says they've made "tremendous progress" towards reaching a final settlement with U.S. officials concerning diesel emissions in vehicles with 2-liter engines.

    After months of waiting, any news at all feels like tremendous progress.

    VW will present a final plan to a judge during their court date on June 21, 2016. The plan should include information on fixes, settlements, and potential buyback options.

    German officials have given VW the green light to repair cars with the 2-liter diesel 189 engine. Volkswagen says the fix is a "retrofit" and it will make the cars legal to drive without affecting performance or MPGs. Hopefully that's a sign of things to come in the USA.

    3-Liter Owners Continue to Wait ∞

    Meanwhile, owners of 80,000 Audi, Porsche, and VW vehicles with 3-liter NOx-spewing engines will still have to wait for a fix. The 3-liter cars have the same problem as their 2-liter counterparts, but the root cause --- and thus the fix --- are completely different.

    There's plenty more information about the VW diesel emissions problem for those who want to dive deeper.

    keep reading article "A VW Emissions Fix is Finally Close for USA Customers"

  11. A lawsuit filed in New Jersey says Volkswagen's timing chain tensioner has serious defects and can lead to premature engine failure.

    According to the plaintiff, in VW's warranty and maintenance schedules the tensioning system is expected to last 120,000 miles without the need for maintenance.

    "The VW and Audi A3 vehicles are equipped with EA888 2.0L TSI engines with engine codes CCTA or CBFA. The remaining Audi vehicles are equipped with EA888 2.0L TFSI engines designated with engine codes CAEB, CAEA, or CDNC. The plaintiff says all the engines with these five codes are versions of the EA888 engine and all use the same timing chain tensioning system."

    When the tensioning system fails, the results can be catastrophic and lead to out-of-pocket expenses that will make your bank account cry.

    This is a big lawsuit, covering many VW and Audi models from the 2008 model year on.

    keep reading article "VW Timing Chain Tensioner Lawsuit Says Defects Cause Engine Failure"

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