NHTSA opens engineering analysis of 2009–2016 Volkswagen CC and 9 other models: Air Bag Clockspring Failure

Vehicles under investigation

As listed in NHTSA’s investigation file. Not every vehicle of a listed model is necessarily affected.

What ODI says

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

Official summary by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation for EA18003, quoted in full (U.S. government work, public domain).

What owners have reported

Owners filed 7,379 complaints with NHTSA about the model years in this investigation, reporting 267 crashes, 65 fires, 182 injuries, 4 deaths. These are all complaints on file for those vehicles, about any problem, not only this one; complaints are unverified owner reports.

Recalls and problems for these vehicles

• Volkswagen Jetta recalls by model year
  Volkswagen Jetta complaints, TSBs and investigations
• Volkswagen Golf recalls by model year
  Volkswagen Golf complaints, TSBs and investigations
• Volkswagen Tiguan recalls by model year
  Volkswagen Tiguan complaints, TSBs and investigations
• Volkswagen Passat recalls by model year
  Volkswagen Passat complaints, TSBs and investigations

Timeline

1. April 18, 2018ODI opens engineering analysis EA18003
2. OpenNo closing date yet