Volkswagen and its Audi luxury brand have recalled about 261,000 cars because a seal inside a fuel pump can fail, creating a fuel leak that could lead to an engine fire.
The defect is found only in front-wheel-drive (FWD) versions of certain cars. All-wheel-drive (AWD) versions don’t face a similar recall.
Affected models include the:
Volkswagen tells federal safety officials the problem involves a suction pump inside the fuel tank that purges fuel from the evaporative emissions system. Certain sealing rings inside the pump may have been installed too tightly, which could create cracks. That could lead to tiny fuel leaks. “Leaking fuel, in the presence of an ignition source, may result in a fire,” Volkswagen explains.
Customers could notice a fuel odor inside the car or find that when filling up at a gas station, the pump turns off long before the tank is full.
Volkswagen says it knows of no fires, but at least 1,410 warranty claims due to the defect.
Dealers will replace the pump with a model of a different design to fix the issue. Dealers never charge for recall repairs.
Manufacturers attempt to contact every owner, but they don’t always reach them all with the news. Find out if your car has any outstanding repair orders at our recall center.
