Gasgoo.com (Shanghai March 26) - Despite having finally issued a recall for its DSG transmission-equipped models in China, Volkswagen is still under fire from some quarters. A report appearing in the Economic Observer News today points out that FAW-VW models manufactured in 2012 and Shanghai VW models manufactured in the latter half of 2012 are not covered by the recall.

Commenting on why certain 2012 VW models are not included in the recall, VW China's public relations department stated that "vehicles manufactured over the said period of time are not affected [by the issue], and therefore are not targeted by the recall." According to VW China, the manufacturer implemented an upgrade to improve the performance of the seven-speed transmissions in vehicles produced in 2012. However, the upgrade did not meet performance expectations, and was not installed in later vehicles. As a result, 2013 VWs must be recalled. while a majority of 2012 VWs don't need to be.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) officially released the results of a year-long investigation into issues with Chinese VW's DSG transmissions. AQSIQ arrived at the conclusion that the transmissions were indeed defective and posed a safety risk to the vehicles' occupants, ordering VW to recall the vehicles. In response, VW China, FAW-VW and Shanghai VW jointly issued a recall of 384,000 vehicles in the country manufactured from May 2009 onwards.

Chinese drivers have constantly been reporting having problems with DSG gearbox-powered VWs and Skodas. 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.

 

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