Volkswagen and Audi are recalling about 16,000 cars because of a
vehicle defect that involves faulty transmissions. According to an ABC news report, these defective transmissions can cause the vehicles to suddenly lose acceleration and in some cases, completely stall. And what is surprising here about this product defect is that these are not older cars or models we’re talking about. These are brand new vehicles.

Government Investigating Auto Product Defects

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been investigating this particular auto product defect since July 17, but Volkswagen, which also owns Audi, did not issue a recall until a popular television program on the national network started questioning the safety of those vehicles. Many Volkswagen and Audi owners from California called in with complaints that their cars would stall without warning. One woman said her transmission failed just as she was merging on the highway. She said the car was in motion, but she did not have any acceleration. She had to struggle to get to the side of the road as fast-moving traffic streamed around her. She also had four children in the car at the time!

Another man said he and his son had a similar experience on a freeway in Maryland. He nearly got into a car accident but managed to get to the side of the freeway. Car owners dealing with this defective part have come up with a phrase to describe it–”The flash of death.” Consumer safety advocates say transmission problems are quite common in many vehicles. However, the fact that they are occurring in brand new vehicles is shocking.

It’s indeed fortunate that no one has suffered serious personal injury as a result of this safety hazard. Volkswagen officials say they have not received any reports of injuries or deaths due to this auto product defect. NHTSA’s investigation included 50,000 vehicles, but VW has only recalled 13,500 Jettas and about 2,500 Audis. The auto maker says they will replace faulty temperature sensors that may have been causing the transmissions to shut down. But what about the 34,000 vehicles, which seem to have a different transmission-related problem? According to the ABC report that looked into NHTSA documents, the vehicles had problems such as “lurching,” “surging” and “delays in engaging gears.”

Auto Products Liability Attorney

If I were a consumer who bought one of these cars recently, I would be mad as &*%$ to learn that Volkswagen continues to sell these cars knowing they have a serious defect. If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of this or other auto product defects, please consult with an experienced California personal injury lawyer who has a winning track record against large auto makers in auto product liability cases. In such cases, injured victims could seek compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages and other related damages.