The Audi A3 - named 2010 Green Car of the Year - faces recall due to the fuel line defect. Audi CEO Johan de Nysschen is shown accepting the award.
Volkswagen Group of America has taken the unusual step of ordering a stop sale on its imported diesel car line-up due to a problem with a high-pressure fuel line that can come loose and potential cause a fire.
The move impacts a variety of models including the Jetta TDI and Audi A3 TDI produced from May 2009 until a month ago when the defect was discovered. The maker will need make repairs on vehicles now on dealer lots. Meanwhile, it plans to issue a recall for those cars already in owner hands, a move that will affect about 160,000 Volkswagen vehicles and another 7,000 Audis.
The recall is a potential black eye for a company that has put significant emphasis on its diesel technology as a way to differentiate itself from the competition. Demand for the high-mileage powertrains has been strong and growing – reaching 30% with some Volkswagen models, according to company data.
VW has also been struggling to shed an image of poor quality. It has lagged in many consumer studies over the past decade but has more recently begun to bring its quality problems under control. Jonathan Browning, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, has listed quality as perhaps the single biggest issue VW must deal with if it hopes to meet a goal of doubling sales by 2018.
The diesel problem involves a metal fuel line that doesn’t meet proper specifications. Normal vibrations from driving can lead to the lines coming loose and leaking fuel. That, in turn, could result in a fire.
The maker plans to issue a recall notice in the coming weeks asking customers to bring their vehicles in for inspection. Defective fuel lines will be replaced while mechanics will also add dampers designed to reduce vibrations. The dampers will also be installed on vehicles that don’t have a fuel line problem.
The repairs will be made free of charge and should take about an hour, the maker says.
The recall covers 159,844 Jetta, Jetta SportWagen and Golf TDI models built between May 2009 and last month. Those vehicles may be badged 2010 and 2011 models, and a few have been sold as 2012s. Also impacted are 7,335 Audi A3 TDI hatchbacks.
Delivering as much as 20% to 30% better mileage than comparable gasoline vehicles, diesels have dominated European markets and are beginning to make headway in the U.S. And while they still account for barely 3% of the American automotive market, “oil-burners” now outsell all hybrids, plug-ins and battery-electric vehicles combined.