VW says no need to recall vehicles

Volkswagen China said Wednesday the company will not recall autos due to a problem with the fast-shifting DSG automatic transmission as the reported problems pose no threat to the vehicles' safety, a spokeswoman of the company told the Global Times.

China's quality watchdog received many complaints about unusual noises, vibrations and transmission problems in the DSG automatic transmission of certain Volkswagen autos, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said in a statement on its website late Tuesday.

Ma Jinghua, a spokeswoman of Volkswagen China, told the Global Times Wednesday the company has provided free technology upgrade services to customers with DSG gearbox problem since March 9 in China. "The DSG gearbox problem can be solved by the technology upgrade," Ma said.

In North America, Volkswagen recalled 13,500 of its 2009 and a few 2010 models due to a problem with the fast-shifting DSG automatic transmission. The affected brands included Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GTI, and Eos produced between September 2008 and August 2009.

Volkswagen will not recall autos because it might have a negative impact on its brand reputation, said Fu Zhiyong, a copartner at consulting firm Adfaith Management Consulting.

The DSG problem involved several auto brands of Volkswagen, such as Golf, Sagitar, Ladiva and Bora, with a large volume of vehicles sold.

"There have been many complaints about the DSG problem since last year and the company did not address the problem until the Chinese watchdog disclosed the problem publicly," Zhu Ming, a manager at LMC Automotive, an automotive information and consulting services provider, told the Global Times Wednesday.

The problem with the gearbox can cause a potential risk, as it may bring the vehicles to a halt on the road, Zhu noted.

Since China's recall standards and regulations are not complete and mature, foreign auto brands adopt different measures to deal with auto defects, Fu said. "China has to complete the recall system as soon as possible to avoid potential risks with autos," Fu noted.

Jiang Suhua, a lawyer with Beijing-based Yinke Law firm, submitted the recall request to the Chinese quality watchdog this Monday on behalf of 372 Volkswagen auto owners. "We've collected information from 372 owners and we need to find out whether it's a technology defect," Jiang told the Global Times Wednesday.

"I do have a feeling that vibration and transmission problems exist with my car, and I hope the technology upgrade can solve it," Xia Jinbao, a Beijing resident who bought a Sagitar car only two months ago, told the Global Times.