The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Passat vehicles, equipped with diesel engines and Direct-Shift Transmissions (DSG). The vehicle's underbody heat shield may not be long enough to protect the right half-shaft grease boot from heat, potentially resulting in a grease leak.
The risk
If the leaking grease contacts a heated surface, such as the exhaust system and/or the diesel particulate filter (DPF), it could increase the risk of fire.
The remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft heat shield, free of charge. The recall began on July 7, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23W5.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Passat | 2012, 2013, 2014 |
Components: POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Passat | 2012 | 484 | 11 |
| Volkswagen Passat | 2013 | 749 | 9 |
| Volkswagen Passat | 2014 | 594 | 10 |
Other power train recalls in 2017
47 of the 810 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2017 concerned the power train; Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. filed 321 campaigns in all.
| 17V840000 22 Dec 2017 | PACCAR Incorporated |
| 17V821000 20 Dec 2017 | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) |
| 17V796000 11 Dec 2017 | Aston Martin The Americas |
| 17V730000 17 Nov 2017 | Daimler Trucks North America LLC |
| 17V706000 9 Nov 2017 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) |
| 17V702000 6 Nov 2017 | Crysteel Manufacturing Inc |
| 17V671000 24 Oct 2017 | Ford Motor Company |
| 17V669000 23 Oct 2017 | Ford Motor Company |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2017