Gasgoo.com (Shanghai March 18) - Volkswagen China, alongside its joint ventures FAW-VW and Shanghai VW, announced this week that it will conduct a recall of its vehicles sold in the country, Gasgoo.com (Chinese) reported today. It has taken the manufacturer over a year to issue a recall order for its DSG transmission-powered VW and Skoda models sold in China. VW will announce more details regarding the recall order very soon.
The manufacturer made the statement after receiving a notice from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ). According to the notice, AQSIQ would actively issue its own recall order if VW refused to take action.
Chinese drivers have constantly been reporting having problems with DSG gearbox-powered VWs and Skodas since 2011. Common issues include spontaneous vibrations and noises when using the gearbox. There have also been reported incidents of the vehicles' engine not functioning properly or the drive system shutting off entirely. AQSIQ's Defective Product Center responded to these complaints by opening an investigation last March to get to the bottom of the issue. After over a year, AQSIQ has arrived at the conclusion that the DSG gearboxes are indeed defective and constitute a valid safety risk, and therefore must be recalled.
Ever since the problems first begin appearing, VW constantly denied that there was any such safety risk with the DSG gearboxes. While it would go on to supply software upgrades via its dealership network and extend warranties of DSG-equipped models, it constantly refrained from ordering a vehicle recall. Several automotive experts have hypothesized that VW kept from issuing a recall due to the instability of the core DSG technology. The manufacturer previously issued a recall of DSG-gearbox equipped VWs in the US in 2009.
