Category: Volkswagen

By Nicole Halavi

In January 2021, it was announced that automaker Volkswagen paid almost $35 billion for equipping diesel vehicles with illegal emissions defeat devices. Interestingly, this amount is negligible compared to what the automaker would face if even one of two court rulings stand.

An appeals court ruling granted two countries the right to seek an exorbitant damages award for updates made to diesel vehicles after they were sold. The suit was originally filed and dismissed in 2018. However, it was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which ruled against VW and its supplier, Robert Bosch.

The automaker is in a vulnerable position because the appeals court ruling will ultimately lead to lawsuits being filed in every country in the country, and the automaker says this “will severely compromise the EPA’s ability to regulate auto emissions.” The Ninth Circuit even admitted that the ruling may result in “staggering liability to Volkswagen.”

VW is also involved in a case currently before the Ohio Supreme Court. There, the automaker is facing claims that could potentially exceed $350 million per day or more than $127 billion per year for several years. The case was originally filed based on allegedly deceptive updates and recalls of 2009-2015 diesel vehicles that were illegally marketed and sold to 14,000 Ohio residents. In response, the automaker had argued that the state of Ohio cannot regulate automakers as that job belongs to the federal government. This case was also originally dismissed but has been revived by the Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals.

What Can I Do if I’m Driving a VW Diesel?

If you are driving a VW diesel model that is exhibiting any of the issues discussed above concerning the emissions, California’s lemon laws are here to protect you and prevent any further complications. The attorneys at CCA are very knowledgeable about the issues associated with the emissions in VW diesel vehicles and will work with you to fight back against the automaker.

Please do not hesitate to call CCA today for a free consultation: (833) LEMON-FIRM. We’ll get you the compensation you deserve – and at no cost to you!

By Nicole Halavi

Volkswagen has just issued a second recall concerning the Atlas steering knuckle, very shortly after the initial recall was issued in November 2020. The recall includes more than 10,300 SUVs at risk of losing control if the steering knuckles break.

Following the initial recall, VW discovered a certain batch of parts that may have been affected by the defective parts that caused the first recall. In October 2020, the supplier of the steering knuckles contacted VW about 2 parts that failed when the strut mounts were tightened. While an investigation revealed that the parts were built according to specification, engineers were unable to duplicate the failures.

The automaker investigated the consequences of driving with the steering knuckles and determined the faulty parts came from a batch called JD253. At this point, VW issued a relatively small recall of Atlas SUVs built with the JD253 steering knuckles.

Following this initial investigation, a subsequent investigation revealed an additional steering knuckle failure from a batch called JD254. This finding led the automaker to believe the faulty parts were mixed into 2 production batches.

As such, this second recall will include 2021 Atlas and 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles and is expected to begin on March 26, 2021. The automaker has apparently agreed to replace either one or both steering knuckles.

What Can I Do if I’m Driving an Atlas with a Faulty Steering Knuckle(s)?

If you are driving a VW that is exhibiting any of the issues discussed above concerning the faulty steering knuckles, California’s lemon laws are here to protect you and prevent any further complications. The attorneys at CCA are very knowledgeable about the issues associated with faulty steering knuckles and will work with you to fight back against the automaker.

Please do not hesitate to call CCA today for a free consultation: (833) LEMON-FIRM. We’ll get you the compensation you deserve – and at no cost to you!

By: Nicole Halavi

Volkswagen, also commonly known as VW, is a German automotive brand founded in 1937 and headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Despite its reputable position in the auto market, the brand has attracted numerous consumer complaints that have resulted in class-action lawsuits. For example, a recent class-action lawsuit filed against Volkswagen alleges that several models have exhibited defects in the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system (sometimes called a “front assist” system).  Notably, VW is one of many automakers that is reported to suffer issues with its AEB systems. 

If your Volkswagen vehicle has exhibited AEB issues or other serious warranty defects, CCA is here to help.

We invite you to call our experts today for a free consultation: (833) LEMON-FIRM.

What is an Automatic Braking System?

Automatic braking is a safety technology that automatically activates the vehicle’s brake system, to some degree, when necessary. Systems vary from pre-charging brakes to slowing the vehicle to lessen the damage. Some advanced systems completely take over and stop the vehicle before a collision occurs.  The idea is that – if a driver isn’t paying attention and about to crash, in an emergency, the vehicle’s AEB system will automatically take over and apply the brakes. 

What is the Automatic Emergency Braking Issue in the Volkswagen Vehicles that led to a Class Action Lawsuit?

According to the Volkswagen class-action lawsuit, the AEB system in various models is defected and causes sudden and abrupt activation. The lawsuit alleges that all 2015-2019 models equipped with the Front Assist Features could be equipped with this defective braking system. 

However, this mechanism seems to have a negative impact and, in fact, in certain cases actually increases the chances of a potentially dangerous accident. The plaintiffs claim the AEB is defective due to software coding problems that result in unexpected and uncalled for emergency braking.

A user of the Volkswagen Golf 2018 describes the problem as follows: “The ‘front assist’ system on a 2018 VW Golf R is prone to making unsafe abrupt stops in traffic. If a leading car makes an abrupt stop, the front assist system applies instant heavy braking even when the driver is already bringing the car to a smooth stop at a safe distance. This double-braking results in unexpected skidding and risks a rear-end collision with following cars. The manual override to front assist is pressing hard on the gas pedal. This action can’t be performed when the driver is already bringing the car to a stop.”

Here is a partial list of Volkswagen Vehicles that, according to the class-action lawsuit, experience the Front Assist issue detailed above:

• 2015 Premium Touareg SUV models
• 2015 – 2019 Jetta
• 2015 – 2019 Beetle
• 2015 – 2019 CC
• 2015 – 2019 e-Golf
• 2015 – 2019 Golf
• 2015 – 2019 Golf R
• 2015 – 2019 Golf GTI
• 2015 – 2019 Golf SportWagen

The lawsuit also states that VW has been actively concealing the issue and refuses to cover any repairs because the emergency braking system is working as intended.

What Can I Do if My Volkswagen Model is Exhibiting Issues Resulting from a Defective Front Assist System?

If you are an owner of any of the models mentioned in the list above or have been exhibiting any repeat issues with you AEB, CCA’s attorneys are here to help. Our attorneys are knowledgeable about the problems concerning VW vehicles and are prepared to get you the compensation that you deserve.

Please do not hesitate to contact our experts today for a free consultation at: (833) LEMON-FIRM.

By: Michael H. Rosenstein, Esq.

Volkswagen is a German automotive brand founded in 1937 and headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. The brand became increasingly popular with consumers worldwide and is now one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers. VW’s TSI engine is a high-performance engine known for its low fuel consumption, which also makes it one of the brand’s most popular engines. Despite its popularity, the engine has been the source of many complaints from VW drivers as a result of vehicle stalls. This has ultimately led to a class-action lawsuit against VW which alleges that VW engine defects have caused vehicle stalling in the Volkswagen GTI, Golf, Passat, Jetta, and Tiguan models.

If your Volkswagen vehicle has exhibited any serious engine issues or presents unrepaired engine defects, such as engine stalling, CCA is here to help. We invite you to call our experts today for a free consultation: (833) LEMON-FIRM.

What is the Volkswagen Stalling Defect?

The class-action lawsuit filed against the Volkswagen engine alleges that defected 2.0L TSI engines cause a stall in the following 2018 and 2019 VW models: Volkswagen GTI, Golf, Passat, Jetta, and Tiguan models. Owners of these models have filed multiple complaints that claim that the defective engine created problems such as excessive oil consumption, stalling, and clicking/tapping sounds.

Simply put, an engine stall means the engine has died or has stopped properly functioning. This can be dangerous as an engine stalling unexpectedly while driving may lead to a serious accident. A user explained these issues: “Car randomly shuts and stalls. I’ve had the car for 6 days, and it’s done it four times. Three when stopped or going 5mph or less on the highway of ramps. Once when going about 20mph in traffic. The car is a manual, and at all times the clutch was fully depressed.”

A user of the 2019 VW Jetta expressed his disappointment with VW’s service team: “VW has told me there is nothing wrong with the vehicle, despite its obvious overconsumption of oil. I have had to fill the oil tank twice now, in 6 months. Bone dry, twice… Terrible service. Not helpful, and very condescending.”

Ultimately, Volkswagen customers filed the class-action lawsuit against the automobile manufacturer. In addition to the stalling issue, the plaintiffs also claim that VW will not take any responsibility for the engine defects, leaving customers financially burdened by the cost of having these problems addressed. One plaintiff also claims that the engine problem persisted even after spending nearly $2,000 on repairs.   The lawsuit also refers to a petition that was submitted to the government requesting an investigation following 157 engine complaints regarding the engine stalling defect. NHTSA has not yet released any additional information regarding the acceptance or denial of the petition to investigate the Volkswagen vehicles. 

What Can I Do if My Volkswagen Model is Subject to Engine issues?

If you have experienced any of the engine defects discussed above or have been trying to contact the automaker regarding the issue without any luck, CAA is here to help. CCA’s attorneys are experienced in assisting VW customers throughout the State with their vehicle’s engine issues. Feel free to reach out to us for a quick and free consultation regarding your vehicle: (833) LEMON-FIRM.