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VW recalls 420,000 vehicles for driver's airbag failure

Volkswagen is issuing a recall for 420,000 vehicles in the US because of a potential failure of the driver's side airbag. The campaign affects German-made examples of the 2010 Passat; the 2010-2013 Eos and Jetta; the 2010-2014 CC, Tiguan, and US-produced units of the Passat; the 2011-2013 Jetta SportWagen; and the 2011-2014 Golf and GTI. There are no reports of accidents or injuries related to this issue. Specifically, this problem comes because the steering wheel clock spring can be contaminated by debris, which moves the part's guide loops out of position. This can cause a tear in the electrical cable that controls the driver's airbag. If this happens, a warning light would illuminate, but the safety device would not deploy in a crash. VW is still identifying all of the affected VINs and developing a fix. The company plans to notify owners once everything is known. Related Video: VOLKSWAGEN ISSUES VOLUNTARY RECALL Aug 14, 2015 Herndon, VA - Volkswagen considers the safety and satisfaction of its consumers and passengers a top priority. As such, Volkswagen of America today notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it will be issuing a voluntary safety recall affecting the steering wheel clock spring on approximately 420,000 Volkswagen vehicles in the U.S. Certain 2010-2014 Model Year Volkswagen CC Certain 2010-2013 Model Year Volkswagen Eos Certain 2011-2014 Model Year Volkswagen Golf/GTI Certain 2010-2013 Model Year Volkswagen Jetta Certain 2011-2013 Model Year Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen Certain 2010 Model Year Volkswagen Passat (German Production) Certain 2010-2014 Model Year Volkswagen Passat (U.S. Production) Certain 2010-2014 Model Year Volkswagen Tiguan On certain vehicles, the steering wheel clock spring could become contaminated with long hair or long fibers which may cause a displacement of the internal guide loops. When the guide loops are dragged out of position, they may apply tension to the internal flat cable and cause it to tear. Should the cable tear, the electrical connection to the driver's front airbag may be lost, causing the airbag monitoring indicator light to illuminate. In a crash that warrants a driver front airbag deployment, the airbag will not deploy, leading to a risk of driver injury.

Volkswagen Golf R Evo may debut at Beijing Motor Show

If a report in Auto Express is correct, a lighter, faster brother to the Volkswagen Golf R will be shown to the world at the Beijing Motor Show in April. Said to be called the Golf R Evo, the even harder hot hatch would be unveiled as one of those concepts that's practically a de facto presentation of the genuine thing. The Evo in its name will come from having a carbon fiber roof and CF in the bodywork, lighter wheels, thinner bucket seats up front and a roll cage instead of rear seats.
If there's a power increase, it's been described as "a small bump." However, as the report mentions, if the Jenny Craig regimen can drop 100 kilograms (220 pounds) from the the 3,247-pound weight of the European Golf R, then the Golf R Evo will do about the same damage on the scales as the Golf but have at least 50 more horsepower and 44 more pound-feet of torque.
Since we still don't have the current Golf, this isn't something that should keep you awake even if the 'concept' does become a production model. But it is good to know that the Golf R is really going to start pushing its boundaries.

German investigators search VW headquarters, take documents

German investigators are no longer pursuing an official investigation against former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, but prosecutors aren't giving up their detective work into the automaker's actions surrounding its diesel emissions scandal. In their latest move, authorities have searched VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg and confiscated documents and other data to learn more about how a software-based "defeat device" made it into the real world, according to Reuters. VW described the amount of material that it handed over as "comprehensive." The automaker is also conducting its own, internal investigation, but the company isn't releasing those results, yet. It has allegedly responded by suspending over 10 employees, including three top engineers. There has been reportedly no actual evidence found against this trio of men. In addition to the work of German prosecutors, many US investigators are looking into VW's actions, as well. The West Virginia Attorney General is suing the company for fraud, and there are pending class-action lawsuits. In written testimony for a Congressional hearing, Michael Horn, President and CEO of VW Group of America, said he first learned of the emissions noncompliance when the West Virginia University study was published in the spring of 2014. A recall on the affected Volkswagens isn't expected to begin until at least January, according to CEO Matthias Muller, and it could be later for some models. The costs to fix them all and deal with potential fines means that VW must delay some projects to save money. Put another way, VW will be dealing with the repercussions of this scandal for years. Related Video: