Category Archives: Volkswagen

News about Volkswagen automobile manufacturer. News about Volkswagen recalls, technical service bulletins (TSB), and problems regarding Volkswagen vehicles.

Consumer Reports Top Automobile Picks For 2010

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Consumer Reports (CR) is an American magazine published by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. Consumer Reports does not print outside advertising, accept free product samples, or permit the commercial use of its reviews for selling products. Its publisher states that this policy allows the magazine to “maintain their independence and impartiality… so that CR has no agenda other than the interests of consumers.

Every year, CR publishes their top ten automobiles in ten different categories. The choices are based on performance, reliability and safety. Below are Consumers Reports picks for the 2010 year.

    Family Sedan

    Nissan Altima:

    The Nissan Altima has always been a popular choice as a family sedan. It’s roomy interior and comfortable ride makes the car an enjoyable drive. The 2010 version of this car offers improved looks, standard electronic stability control (ESC) and the best fuel economy in its class.

    Small Sedan

    Hyundai Elantra SE:

    Hyundai safety and reliability has come a long way and has made Consumer Reports top picks for the third time. The Elantra SE, offers a comfortable ride, good fuel economy and plenty of features for the price. The SE comes with standard ESC that is often not offered on similar competitors vehicles.

    Sporty Car

    Volkswagen GTI:

    The 2010 Volkswagen GTI is a sporty version of the Golf. It offers excellent handling and acceleration and is a comfortable car to drive. The interior is tastefully finished with plenty of cargo space, especially with the hatchback model. Like all Volkswagen’s, the GTI offers a respectable fuel economy.

    Small SUV

    Subaru Forester:

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    The Subaru Forester has been labeled as the SUV that offers the most car like driving experience. It offers a comfortable ride with plenty of room and excellent visibility. The Forester offers excellent reliability and an impressive gas mileage for an SUV.

    Best Overall Car

    Lexus LS 460L:

    Lexus has always pampered it’s customers with a luxurious driving experience. The LS 460L is no exception with it’s well crafted, roomy and quiet interior. Though the price is a bit higher than some of the vehicles in its class, if you can afford it, it is well worth it.

    Family SUV

    Chevrolet Traverse:

    Overall, the Traverse stands out as a family SUV. It is comfortable and responsive, and allows up to eight adults seated comfortably as well as room for cargo. Visibility is not the best for this SUV, taking into account the size of it, but Chevy offers convex side mirrors and an optional rear view camera to help.

    Sports Sedan

    Infiniti G37:

    The Infiniti G sedans are one of the highest rated sedans tested by Consumer Reports. Excellent handling, acceleration and comfort make this luxurious vehicle a pleasure to drive. Because it is a sports sedan, space and storage are compromised.

    Family Hauler

    Mazda5:

    The Mazda5 offers a lot in a compact and affordable microvan. It offers the convenience of a minivan with the maneuverability and fuel economy of a wagon. The addition of standard ESC for 2010 makes this minivan safer and fun to drive.

    Green Car

    Toyota Prius:

    The Toyota Prius was one to the first green cars manufactured for the public. Its overall mileage has made it the green car pick for the seventh straight year. It is a comfortable car to drive, and its 2010 redesign makes it even more appealing. Toyota has also added a dedicated EV that allows it to run longer on electric power at low speeds.

    Pickup Truck

    Chevrolet Silverado 1500:

    This well rounded pickup offers a roomy cabin, an exellent payload capacity and a decent ride for a pickup. It is an excellent 4WD family vehicle offering a quality interior on higher end models.

Volkswagen Recalls Vehicles For Fuel Line Problems

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volkswagen recall fuel lineVolkswagen has announced a recall for a fuel line problem that can affect vehicles with 2.5 liter 5 cylinder engines. The problem is being blamed on an improperly secured fuel line which can chafe leading to a fuel leak and a potential fire. The vehicles affected by this recall are:

  • 2007–2009 Golf
  • 2007–2009 Jetta and Jetta SportWagen
  • 2006–2010 New Beetle
  • 2007–2009 Rabbit

Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will either remove a plastic tab from the windshield washer fluid reservoir, or position the fuel line fastening clamp to prevent the chafing. For more information, owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) vehicle safety hot line at 1-888-327-4236, or go to http://www.safercar.gov

Ignition Coil Problems For Volkswagen

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volkswagen ignition coil recallVolkswagen is conducting a voluntary emissions service program to inspect and, if necessary, replace ignition coils installed in some 2001 to 2007 Volkswagen vehicles. The coils in some of these vehicles are prone to malfunction under certain conditions, which could lead to poor engine performance, decreased fuel economy, increased vehicle emissions, and an illuminating Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL).

If the MIL should illuminate, you should take your vehicle to the nearest authorized Volkswagen dealer for diagnosis and repair as soon as possible to avoid damaging the vehicle. If you vehicle is not experiencing any problems, it is safe to continue driving until you receive a notification to bring it in. Because of a shortage of parts, customer vehicles with immediate needs will be dealt with first. Some vehicles have already been equipped with the latest version of the parts and are not included in this campaign.

If you have paid to have ignition coils replaced in your Volkswagen prior to this program, you may be eligible for reimbursement. For further information, please contact Volkswagen Customer Care at: 888.683.9156 (United States) or 888.595.8228 (Canada). For more information, go to http://www.vwcoils.com/.

NHTSA Investigates Stalling Volkswagen Jettas

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is opening an investigating into 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI cars after receiving seven complaints that the engine stalled while driving. It is estimated that about 38,000 diesel Jetta TDI and Jetta SportWagon TDI models could be affected. The NHTSA thinks the problem may be related to potential fuel system contamination issues.

VW spokesman Kerry Christopher said that Volkswagen takes safety issues very seriously and will fully cooperate with the NHTSA’s investigation.

Our Recent Lemon Law Settlements In California

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Here at the Law Offices of Delsack & Associates, we represent our clients to the highest legal standards. In over 22 years of helping California consumers, we have successfully represented thousands of clients throughout the state in all types of lemon law cases, with all vehicle manufacturers. We are especially proud of the fact that in more than 9 out of 10 of these cases we are able to reach satisfactory settlements without litigation, making the settlements fast and stress free for our clients. The high standards we have set to represent only those clients with legitimate lemon law claims means that we do not compromise our integrity or reputation. Our goal is not to be “largest” lemon law firm in California, but to continue to be the best.

Below is a list of some of our most recent success stories where we helped consumers get settlements for their lemons:

  • 1. 2008 Chevrolet Colorado Full buy back Alta Loma, CA 26,612 miles
  • 2. 2009 Honda Accord Full buy back Burbank, CA 10,845 miles
  • 3. 2004 Jaguar 3.0 S type Full buy back Aliso Viejo, CA 35,233 miles
  • 4. 2005 Chevrolet Corvette Full buy back Concord, CA 45,500 miles
  • 5. 2006 Jeep Commander Full buy back Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 42,930 miles
  • 6. 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Cash and Keep Irvine, CA 22,295 miles
  • 7. 2008 BMW 328i Full buy back Reseda, CA 30,496
  • 8. 2008 VW Passat Cash and Keep Panorama City, CA 40,869 miles
  • 9. 2005 Mercedes Benz SL 55 AMG Full buy back San Ramon, CA 40,103 miles
  • 10. 2008 Nissan Rogue Cash and Keep Whittier, CA 17,091 miles
  • 11. 2007 Land Rover Full buy back Los Angeles, CA 28,511 miles
  • 12. 2007 BMW X5 Full buy back Anaheim, CA 28,641 miles
  • 13. 2007 Toyota Tundra Full buy back Whittier, CA 19,492 miles
  • 14. 2007 Kia Rio Full buy back Santa Rosa, CA 62,825 miles
  • 15. 2007 Hyundai Vera Cruz Full buy back Upland, CA 40,111 miles

If you are in California and feel that you may have a lemon, contact our lemon law offices, or fill out our Lemon Law Case Review, for a FREE consultation.

Anywhere in California (free call): 1.888.ExLemon (395.3666)

  • California Lemon Law in Los Angeles: 310-475-1700
  • California Lemon Law in San Francisco: 415-285-5366
  • California Lemon Law in San Diego: 619-229-6900
  • California Lemon Law in Orange County: 949-856-4333
  • California Lemon Law in Palm Springs: 760-395-1000
  • California Lemon Law in San Fernando Valley: 818-837-0500

Volkswagen Recalls 2009 Routan

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Volkswagen is recalling some 2009 Routan vehicles manufactured from June 2008 to July 2009. These vehicles could have an improperly routed wire harness that could rub on the sliding door creating a short which could lead to a fire within the door.

Volkswagen will inspect the wire assembly for damage and replace and re-route it as necessary free of charge. The recall is expected to begin June 2010. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.

2009 Was A Year Of High Auto Recalls

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced 2009 as the highest for auto recalls since 2005. Although the number of campaigns was the lowest in five years, the number of automobiles recalled in each campaign was high. 2008 brought about 10.5 million vehicles recalled in 684 campaigns while there were 16.4 million vehicles recalled in 2009 in 492 campaigns. Only Honda reported a decline in recalled vehicles in 2009.

Below is a list of how the recalls were distributed amongst auto makers in 2009:

  • The leader with nine campaigns adding up to 4.26 million vehicles recalled was the automaker Toyota and their unintended acceleration problems. This is the first time a Japanese automaker has led the industry total.
  • Ford recalled 4.5 million vehicles in eight campaigns. The largest being a defective cruise control switch which was linked to vehicle fires.
  • General Motors had 2.2 million vehicles recalled in 16 campaigns. The possibility of engine fires in passenger sedans accounted for 1.5 million vehicles recalled.
  • Chrysler had 15 campaigns, recalling almost 600,000 vehicles. Chrysler’s popular minivans the Town & Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan accounted for over 350,000 of these recalls for defective crash sensors.
  • Honda had four campaigns recalling 454,000 vehicles. Almost all these vehicles were recalled due to an airbag defect.
  • Nissan Motor Co. had six campaigns, recalling 706,000 vehicles in 2009. Almost 550,000 of these recalls were due to a brake pedal pin becoming partially disengaged causing a loss of normal braking power.
  • Hyundai Motor Co. and its Kia unit recalled 1.3 million vehicles in eight campaigns. Over 530,000 recalls were due to a malfunctioning stop lamp switch that could prevent the brake lights from illuminating or cause them to stay lit after the brakes were released.
  • Volkswagen had eights campaigns and 100,000 vehicles recalled. Almost 17,000 sport-utility vehicles were recalled to fix a software program that could lead to passenger air bag failure.

What’s “Up” with Volkswagen?

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VW up By the end of 2009 the Volkswagen / Porsche merger will be completed with VW purchasing almost 50% of Porsches shares. Then the real work begins! Integrating Porsche and nine other brands under the VW Group (Also known as “Auto Union”) will not be easy.

Porsche originally hoped to take over the VW Group, but due to German state laws and its own debt, it was forced to turn to VW for help. VW board chairman Martin Winterkorn described the company’s merger, saying; VW and Porsche have excellent know-how at their disposal and can use their resources even more efficiently by combining them for additional growth opportunities. Porsche’s American “cousin” would operate autonomously keeping in mind not to offend concerned Porsche enthusiasts.

Volkswagen is also said to be buying 20% of Suzuki Motor of Japan, giving VW a big step forward in compact car markets in Asia and Suzuki benefits in environmentally friendly vehicle technologies. Neither VW nor Suzuki is commenting on the proposed merger at the moment. It is suspected that they will develop hybrids and electric vehicles together

Volkswagens car industry mergers are aimed at reducing costs and developing new technologies in the face of fragile economic economy, in hopes of becoming the world’s largest car maker, overtaking Toyota, by 2018.