Volkswagen and Audi engineering analysis EA11003
High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this engineering analysis about the fuel system, diesel on 18 model years (2009–2012). Opened Feb 7, 2011, closed Mar 27, 2015 after 4.1 years without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThe Office of Defects Investgation (ODI) opened EA11-003 on February 7, 2011, based on 160 complaints to ODI and Volkswagen involving high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures in model year (MY) 2009 through 2010 Volkswagen Jetta and Golf and Audi A3 TDI vehicles and questions regarding fuel sample results provided by Volkswagen as part of its response to PE10-034. During EA11-003, ODI analyzed design information, field experience and test data for MY 2009 through 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, Golf and Touareg and Audi A3 and Q7 vehicles equipped with TDI engines. Volkswagen has not identified any design or manufacturing defects in the subject TDI Clean Diesel pumps and has stated that the subject pumps were designed, tested and approved for use in the United States market, with substantial design margins for fuels that are out of specification. Volkswagen believes that misfueling with gasoline is the primary cause of HPFP drivetrain failures in the field. Only the Q7 vehicles were built with misfuel protection devices. In May 2013 Volkswagen initiated a service campaign to install misfuel protection devices in all MY 2009 through 2012 Jetta, Golf and A3 vehicles. Volkswagen implemented misfuel protection devices in all of the subject models beginning in MY 2013. ODI?s analysis of HPFP drivetrain failure incidents indicates that most failures do not result in engine stall while driving and, when pump drivetrain failure does result in stall while driving, it is usually preceded by numerous warning symptoms (e.g., glow plug warning lamp, chime, limp mode, and driveability symptoms).The failure data for the subject vehicles show relatively low stalling rates (less than one percent at three years in service) for each of the pump designs used in the subject vehicles. There have been no reports of crashes, injuries or fatalities related to the alleged defect. Based on these facts, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted. For additional information, see the closing report in the document file for EA11-003.
A Engineering Analysis is the deeper stage, usually upgraded from a Preliminary Evaluation: NHTSA tests, requests engineering documents and decides whether a safety defect exists. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2010 Audi A3; 2011 Audi A3; 2012 Audi A3; 2009 Audi Q7; 2010 Audi Q7; 2011 Audi Q7; 2012 Audi Q7; 2010 Volkswagen Golf; 2011 Volkswagen Golf; 2012 Volkswagen Golf; 2009 Volkswagen Jetta; 2010 Volkswagen Jetta; 2011 Volkswagen Jetta; 2012 Volkswagen Jetta; 2009 Volkswagen Touareg; 2010 Volkswagen Touareg; 2011 Volkswagen Touareg; 2012 Volkswagen Touareg.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs EA11003 a recall?
No. A engineering analysis is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is EA11003 still open?
No. It closed on Mar 27, 2015 without a recall.
Which vehicles does EA11003 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 18 model years: 2010 Audi A3, 2011 Audi A3, 2012 Audi A3, 2009 Audi Q7, 2010 Audi Q7, 2011 Audi Q7 and more. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.