Like other media outlets, CarsShowroom has been hearing for some time about various problems with Volkswagen vehicles. Last week Fairfax Media launched a concerted campaign against the German giant which has resulted in announcement of a recall for 25,928 vehicles in Australia fitted with the seven-speed DSG transmission.
The recall by Volkswagen Group Australia affects Golf, Jetta, Polo, Passat and Caddy vehicles manufactured between June 2008 and September 2011 and follows similar recalls in North America and China. Some Audi A1 and A3 models plus Skoda Octavia and Superb models are also included.
An electrical malfunction inside the gearbox control unit can result is significant power loss (reports say the vehicles suddenly go into ‘Limp Home’ mode). Fairfax Media has identified many cases where this occurred in freeway traffic with the potential for accidents. Volkswagen Audi and Skoda will contact owners from next month and replace the control unit and also update to the latest software version at no cost to owners.
And while the recall itself will cost Volkswagen Group Australia millions, experts quoted in Fairfax Media are saying the Public Relations and Media Relations disaster could do incalculable damage to the brand’s reputation. They point to the failure of Volkswagen’s PR operation to immediately respond to media questions and consumer concerns which allowed the story to grow for a week before some action was taken.
Even Volkswagen sources in Germany have told Car Showroom they did not understand why the local division delayed the inevitable recall for so long – particularly given the massive recalls in China and North America.
