2014 Volkswagen Jetta Se on 2040-cars

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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.

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:

This Or That: 1987 VW Vanagon Syncro vs. 1987 Land Rover Defender [w/poll]

As I scoured auction sites and classified ads for the perfect vehicle to take into battle with Autoblog Associate Editor Brandon Turkus, I knew I needed to find something unique. You see, I'm currently 0-2 at winning a round of This or That, in which two of our editors agree on a category, choose a side, and argue it out over a (mostly) friendly chain of emails.
The first time we did this, my chosen Fiat 500 Abarth took about a third of the popular vote in our reader poll. The second time, my lovely 1980 Oldsmobile 442 did just a little bit better against a 1989 BMW 635 CSi. Despite holding the opinion that my automotive choices, though perhaps a little bit more... obscure than my fellow editors, are still better, an outright win would go a long way toward boosting my vehicular self worth a few notches upward.
With all of that out of the way, even if three isn't my lucky number after all, I go into battle against Brandon knowing full well that I've made the perfect choice: A 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro. My rough-and-tumble van/'ute has a formidable opponent in the form of a 1987 Land Rover Defender, which, truth be told, is exactly what I was expecting from Turkus, a self-proclaimed Rover aficionado.