The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SULFUR IN FUEL INTERACTS WITH CERTAIN ADDITIVES FOUND IN WIDELY AVAILABLE GASOLINE CAUSING SULFUR TO BECOME DEPOSITED ON THE CONTACT POINTS OF THREE FUEL SENDING UNITS MOUNTED INSIDE THE FUEL TANK. THIS COULD CAUSE THE FUEL GAUGE TO READ FULL WHILE THE FUEL TANK MAY NOT IN FACT BE FULL OR COULD BE EMPTY.
The risk
RUNNING OUT OF FUEL WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATES THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT FUEL IN THE TANK LEAD TO SAFETY PROBLEMS.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE EXISTING FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNITS AND REPLACE THEM WITH FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNITS USING A NEW ALLOY COMPOSED OF GOLD, SILVER, AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF NICKEL, WHICH WILL NOT CHEMICALLY REACT WITH SULFUR. VW/AUDI WILL ALSO CALL BACK VEHICLES THAT WERE REPAIRED UNDER A PREVIOUS RECALL LAST JUNE IN ORDER TO INSTALL THE UPDATED FUEL SENDING UNITS NHTSA 00V137/AUDI LB). OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 1, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT AUDI AT 1-866-892-2834.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Audi A6 | 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 |
| Volkswagen Passat | 2000, 2001 |
Components: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audi A6 | 1998 | 130 | 10 |
| Audi A6 | 1999 | 217 | 9 |
| Audi A6 | 2000 | 148 | 4 |
| Audi A6 | 2001 | 113 | 7 |
| Volkswagen Passat | 2000 | 507 | 3 |
| Volkswagen Passat | 2001 | 430 | 3 |
Other fuel system, gasoline recalls in 2001
23 of the 461 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2001 concerned the fuel system, gasoline; VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC filed 204 campaigns in all.
| 01V385000 14 Dec 2001 | POLARIS INDUSTRIES, INC. |
| 01V374000 5 Dec 2001 | DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION |
| 01V355000 16 Nov 2001 | RANSOMES CORPORATION |
| 01V278000 20 Sept 2001 | HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR COMPANY |
| 01V275000 5 Sept 2001 | GULF STREAM COACH INC. |
| 01V272000 24 Aug 2001 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE |
| 01V259000 15 Aug 2001 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC |
| 01V257000 15 Aug 2001 | MONACO COACH CORP. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2001