Volkswagen has sold 6,700 pre-series and test vehicles that may not have been properly adapted to common road traffic. Now, it offers buyers a repurchase (buy back) program with the “01C5” recall code.
About a month ago, we discovered an alert in the Rapex list that we did not understand too much. In the A12/1685/18 Alert, we could read: “Cars initially used for internal purposes of Volkswagen AG might not have been correctly modified before they were sold to the general public. There is a possibility that certain safety systems of these cars are not correctly modified for street use.”
The only reference was made to the fact that the problem relates to different models produced between the 30th of December 2005 and the 19th of September 2017. No further information about the number of cars or particular models has been provided. So, we postponed the publication and searched for the hidden secret behind the mysterious “01C5” code.
We have found that the recall is not just a European issue but a global problem. In the United States, for example, recalls concern only the cars manufactured between 2011 and 2016. The official webpage VW.com also states that vehicles cannot be repaired and VW is only offering a repurchase (buy back) program for this recall. From now until March 31, 2019, vehicle values will be calculated and paid based upon the NADA Clean-Trade Value. After March 31, 2019, vehicle values will be calculated and paid based upon the vehicle’s current market value minus any daily depreciation due to the vehicle’s mileage, age and condition. Specific models are not listed here either.
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Meanwhile, a post was published on the German forum motor-talk.de, in which the owner of Phaeton is surprised that the authorized service does not want to repair his car but offers him a repurchase. Also, it adds a photo of an official letter.
The affair also appeared in the German tabloid press and the carmaker had to give a clear answer which they said that “in an internal investigation, we have found that in the 2006 to 2018 model years, around 6,700 vehicles could have been sold worldwide in a condition that may not be consistent with all applicable regulatory requirements,” the automaker’s spokesperson said. “These may be models that were used for experimental and testing purposes and were retrofitted with prototype parts that have not yet been released. But it also could be a pre-series vehicle that has been exhibited at various car shows.”
“We have no reliable documentation on whether the cars were put into their original state after testing,” the spokesperson continues. “It is not possible to identify a specific fault and there is no clearly defined remedy, which is why the dealers have been given the authority to buy the vehicles back.”
So, if you own any Volkswagen manufactured between the December 30, 2005 and September 19, 2017, contact your nearest VW Authorized Dealer and ask if the recall “01C5” does not apply to your car. How to do it, we advise here.
-rb-
Update 11. 12. 2018
The website motor-talk.de, which closely monitors the issue, has in the meantime added a list of models most likely to be affected by the recall:
- CC
- Eos
- Golf, e-Golf, Golf Plus, Golf Cabrio, Golf Variant
- Passat, Passat Variant, US-Passat
- Phaeton
- Polo
- Scirocco
- Sharan
- Sportsvan
- Tiguan
- Touareg
- Touran
- Up, e-Up
Where now?
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Currently 5223 Recalls