Urgent Recall for Audi & VW: 261,000 Cars May Leak Fuel

Volkswagen Group of America recalls over a quarter-million Audi and VW cars due to a fuel leak risk, involving several models like the A3, Jetta, and Golf.

Volkswagen Group of America has announced a recall affecting 261,257 vehicles across various models, including the Audi A3 and several Volkswagen models like the Jetta and Golf, due to a potential risk of fuel leakage.

The recall is centered around a specific issue with the suction jet pump seal in certain front-wheel drive vehicles. This seal may fail because of excessive tension during assembly, as identified in the Safety Recall Report. The issue lies with the seal rings within the fuel tank’s suction jet pump, which were subjected to undue tension during manufacturing. This defect could lead to fuel seeping into the evaporative emissions system, accumulating, and possibly leaking out via the charcoal canister filter element. Such a scenario heightens the risk of fire, and vehicle owners might notice difficulties during refueling or a distinct smell of fuel.

The recall spans several years and covers both the original and a previously improved version (Version 1.1) of the pump, which was part of an earlier recall. Despite initial improvements showing better performance in the field, subsequent evaluations revealed an increased rate of failure, prompting the decision for a new recall.

Affected models include the Audi A3 Sedan and A3 Cabriolet from model years 2015-2020 and 2015-2019, respectively. Volkswagen models impacted are the 2019-2020 Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7.

To address this issue, Volkswagen will replace the faulty suction jet pump with a newly redesigned pump, Version 2.0, which features numerous modifications and enhancements. This replacement will be carried out at no cost to the vehicle owners.