VW’s and Audi’s trailer hitch could swing out, causing the trailer to drop (week 24/19)

19/06/2019

Four recalls for 6 models of four carmakers were announced in the 24th week of 2019. Audi, Jaguar, Jeep and Volkswagen had one recall each.

The locking mechanism of the towbar hitch may be defective with Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi A4, Audi A6 and Audi A7. Consequently, the trailer hitch might not be correctly locked and could swing out, causing the trailer to drop while the vehicle is in motion. The defect may occur with the Volkswagen Tiguan produced between February and December 2018, including those where the towbar was retrofitted later. With Audi, the recall concerns vehicles manufactured from February to October 2018 and retrofitted between March and November 2018.

Jaguar

The fully electric Jaguar I-Pace may have a problem with braking in the event of an electrical regenerative braking system failure. The conventional friction brakes may not engage in an adequate amount of time. As a result, the stopping distance may be unexpectedly extended, increasing the risk of an accident. Btw, Audi is also recalling its first electric car shortly after its launch – read our article “Audi recalls e-Tron due to the moisture penetration that could result in a fire“.

Jeep

A defective rear seat-back locking mechanism could lead to the seat back folding forward unexpectedly in the event of heavy braking or impact with the Jeep Compass produced from August 2017 to January 2018. We have noticed that also other manufacturers, such as Alfa Romeo, Seat, Skoda, etc., have had trouble with the seats of their models recently – see the “seats tag” in our archive.

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Where now?

What should an owner do if there's a recall?

Please note that the recall may not apply to all vehicles produced in a given period. If you think your car might be affected, you should immediately contact an dealer or workshop officially authorised to perform repairs on behalf of the manufacturer and ask for the details. You can use our sample request text. After reporting the vehicle's VIN code, you will find out if the defect is present on your car, or if it has already been resolved by the previous owner if the car was purchased second-hand.

More about

Recalls and Reliability

If you wish to know more about the eventual problems of a specific car (e.g. real mileage, potential traffic accident damages, odometer rollback, repairs, etc.), in that case, we suggest going to this page.

Check the vehicle's history