Volkswagen recall query RQ17009
Air Bag Clockspring Failure. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this recall query about the driver clockspring/spiral cassette on 33 model years (2010–2014). Opened Nov 13, 2017, closed May 4, 2018 after 6 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedIn 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. This Recall Query has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA18-003) to further evaluate the scope and effectiveness of the remedy associated with 15V-483 and perform a 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, 107626
A Recall Query is a look at a recall that already exists — whether its remedy works, whether it reached every vehicle it should have, whether the manufacturer met its obligations. 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 is closed. A recall query ends with NHTSA’s finding on the recall it examined — the remedy stands, is widened, or a new campaign follows; the file names the recall it concerned and NHTSA’s closing resume carries the reasoning.
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; 2012 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen; 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen; 2014 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen; 2010 Volkswagen Passat; 2011 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 RQ17009 a recall?
No. A recall query 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 RQ17009 still open?
No. It closed on May 4, 2018 without a recall.
Which vehicles does RQ17009 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 33 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.