Volkswagen Group of America, Inc (VWGoA) announced it will initiate a new customer service program to address concerns raised by customers with certain Direct Shift Gearboxes (DSG) in Volkswagen and Audi models. The aim is to affirm its confidence in the technology.
"Safety, customer satisfaction, quality and long-term reliability are top priorities at Volkswagen and Audi. We have been studying the symptoms customers have reported, and are working closely with the NHTSA," said Stefan Jacoby, president and CEO, VWGoA. "We listened to our customers' concerns and are taking action to address them. We are focused on taking the appropriate action to ensure the complete satisfaction of our existing customers."
The new service program affects a number of model 2007-2009 Volkswagens and Audis, including the VW R32, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GTI, Eos, as well as Audi A3 and TT.
Some customers have reported transmission performance issues under certain driving conditions. This was due to a faulty component inside the Mechatronic unit within a limited production range. VWGoA will repair or replace the components in the transmissions of approximately 43,000 VWs and 10,300 Audis at no charge to the owner. Additionally, VWGoA will reimburse customers who have had it repaired at their own expense.
The company has begun increasing the parts supply to expedite this customer service program. As the parts become available, owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted to schedule an appointment at their dealer. The company will make loaner vehicles available at no charge.
In the meantime, owners who may have experienced problems with their transmissions are requested to contact their dealers (Volkswagen 1-800-444-8982 or Audi 1-800-253-AUDI (2834).
This new service program is unrelated to a voluntary safety recall that VWGoA announced August 20. Under that recall, VWGoA is replacing a faulty temperature sensor in a separate and smaller group of vehicles. The earlier action addresses the potential for a faulty temperature sensor to cause the transmission to shift into neutral while the vehicle is being driven.
The company will extend its New Vehicle Limited Warranty to cover the DSG transmissions affected by the customer service program and the voluntary safety recall. This extended warranty is for 10-years/100,000-miles, transferrable to subsequent owners.