Volkswagen Tiguan Recall Issued Due to Bubbles in Fuel System

Almost 190,000 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV’s have been recalled in the United States and Canada, after the manufacturer recognized the potential for bubbles to form in the fuel system, which may cause the vehicles to stall during use. 

The Volkswagen Tiguan SUV recall was announced by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on July 21, after it was discovered that they may be prone to stall suddenly when winterized fuel with high vapor pressure is used during in warmer areas or during months with higher temperatures.

Although no reports of injuries have been associated with the recalled VW Tiguan vehicles, suddenly stalling during use may pose a serious accident risk for drivers and passengers.

The problems stem from the development of bubbles in the fuel system when winterized-high pressure fuels are used during warm weather. This could lead to reduced fuel pump performance and pressure, causing the vehicles to stall during use.

After Volkswagen internally investigated the stalling issue, the automaker in conjunction with the NHTSA concluded that a safety defect does exist in the electronic control module software and issued a recall.

The vehicles affected by the recall are the 2009 through 2014 Tiguan sport utility vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen of America Inc., from July 2007 through June 2014. The recall announcement estimated roughly 151,389 of the SUV’s sold in the United States and another 38,101 sold in Canada.

Volkswagen plans to notify all owners of the fuel system issue and repair all affected vehicles by updating the vehicle’s software to increase the fuel pump pressure free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on August 19, 2014. Customers with affected vehicles should contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987 and reference the recall number 24AV/2W.