It is disappointing that this is once again the subject of more questionable practices around safety and consumer relations. In the past, it was the Diesel Gateway scandal that ultimately cost it billions of dollars. Recently, it is delinquent for as long as possible. The twice recalled Golf hatchback had reported problems starting in January 2021 but used the “watch” as an excuse to finally issue a recall this month.
What is a Volkswagen recall?
The radiators on Golf models get loose. This can cause the coolant hose to contact a V-belt, which can puncture the hose. The results could be loss of control from a coolant spill on the road, or engine frying. Most automakers will consider those urgent issues to rectify. Apparently, Volkswagen does not.
It was finally released on September 14, 2022.
“The decision was based on 27 claims of damaged coolant hoses that can be traced back to this issue in the US market,” Volkswagen says. But the initial allegations it began receiving in January 2021 were from outside the US and Volkswagen claims the problem only affects Golf R and GTI cars made between June 2022 and August 2022.
And what’s the reason? Volkswagen says the coolant was not properly connected to the intercooler during assembly. He goes on to say that an “improved process for installing the coolant to the intercooler was introduced into production in the week of July 4, 2022. But this still raises the more questionable claims made by Volkswagen.
Why was the golf built after the patch affected?
Reports indicate that the build dates for the affected Golf were between March 9, 2021 and July 14, 2022, for the Golf R. For the Golf R, the dates are February 10, 2021 to July 20, 2022. But VW has already stated that the new coolant and coolant deliveries have been made between 4 and 10 July this year.
So, based on what the automaker says, there are still cars built with the problem at least 10 days after starting a new operation on the assembly line. If I fix the compilation issue on July 10, how can it last another 10 days minimum? This leads many to conclude that Volkswagen is hiding more than it reveals.
Unfortunately, it falls within the lack of transparency the world saw over the diesel emissions scandal a few years ago. Do you trust Volkswagen to honestly deal with the problems you’ve encountered? Based on her track record, we have some doubts.
