Volkswagen preliminary evaluation PE15010
Air Bag Clockspring Failure. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this preliminary evaluation about the frontal on 31 model years (2010–2014). Opened Mar 24, 2015, closed Sep 28, 2015 after 6 months. It led to safety recall 15V483000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThe Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of steering wheel clock spring/steering column control module (SCCM) failures in model year (MY) 2012 Volkswagen Passat and CC models. The SCCM is a module within the steering column that incorporates a spiral conductor (a ribbon cable) to electrically connect the steering wheel to the vehicle's electrical system while allowing for the turning of the steering wheel. Complainants alleged that that the clock spring failed while driving and without warning. When the SCCM fails electrically, an air bag warning light is illuminated on the dash of the vehicle. If a vehicle with a failed SCCM were to be involved in a crash of sufficient severity to require deployment, the driver air bag may not deploy properly, or deploy at all. As the result of an Information Request response from Volkswagen, ODI determined that the same SCCM was used in several vehicle models and MYs including: 2010-2013 CC, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2013 Golf, 2012-2013 Jetta and Jetta SportWagen, 2010 and 2012-2014 Passat and 2011-2014 Tiguan. ODI identified a total of 29 NHTSA complaints across all affected vehicles potentially indicating a failed SCCM. Drivers often indicated that an audible noise was heard from the steering column when the unit failed. Some drivers also mentioned that there was a noticeable but minor resistance to turning of the steering wheel after the failure with noises coming from the steering column. The average failure mileage is approximately 30,500 miles and failures often occur outside of the factory warranty. There were no reported crashes or injuries identified in either the NHTSA or Volkswagen data as a result of SCCM failures. On July 30th, 2015 Volkswagen notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-483) to remedy the SCCMs in 415,825 MY2010-2014 vehicles. According to Volkswagen, the SCCM can become contaminated with human hair or similar fibers entering the unit between the steering wheel and steering column. Over time this can cause the electrical cable to tear and lose connection between the steering wheel and vehicle. Volkswagen will install a cover that attaches over the SCCM to help prevent contaminants from entering the unit. A new SCCM designed to reduce outside contamination intrusion was previously introduced into new vehicle production during the 2014 model year; accordingly vehicles equipped with the new design SCCM are not included in the recall. The recall action initiated by the manufacturer addresses the safety risks identified by the investigation. Accordingly, the investigation is closed. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchSafetyIssues under the following identification (ODI) numbers: 10760644, 10758777, 10748922, 110734168, 10731545, 10721424, 10717651, 10715305, 10713742, 10713139, 10712295, 10711945, 10704830, 10704221, 10702926, 10702212, 10701406, 10691906, 10683944, 10682136, 10672715, 10670517, 10669312, 10628549, 10607240, 10575783, 10561143, 10552113, 10397670.
A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage: NHTSA has decided the complaints and other information it screened are worth a closer look, and asks the manufacturer for its own data on the condition. 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 became a recall. The campaign page carries the manufacturer’s filed defect, risk and remedy, the build window and every model year covered; whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2010 Volkswagen CC; 2011 Volkswagen CC; 2012 Volkswagen CC; 2013 Volkswagen CC; 2014 Volkswagen CC; 2010 Volkswagen EOS; 2011 Volkswagen EOS; 2012 Volkswagen EOS; 2013 Volkswagen EOS; 2011 Volkswagen GTI; 2012 Volkswagen GTI; 2013 Volkswagen GTI; 2014 Volkswagen GTI; 2011 Volkswagen Golf; 2012 Volkswagen Golf; 2013 Volkswagen Golf; 2014 Volkswagen Golf; 2011 Volkswagen Jetta; 2012 Volkswagen Jetta; 2013 Volkswagen Jetta; 2014 Volkswagen Jetta; 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid; 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid; 2010 Volkswagen Passat; 2012 Volkswagen Passat; 2013 Volkswagen Passat; 2014 Volkswagen Passat; 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan; 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan; 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan; 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan.
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 PE15010 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 15V483000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is PE15010 still open?
No. It closed on Sep 28, 2015 and led to recall 15V483000.
Which vehicles does PE15010 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 31 model years: 2010 Volkswagen CC, 2011 Volkswagen CC, 2012 Volkswagen CC, 2013 Volkswagen CC, 2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010 Volkswagen EOS 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.