Volkswagen internal-use cars sold without safety standard confirmation

NHTSA campaign 20V561000 · Reported 2020-09-16 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

medium How serious is it? About this label

The notice says a vehicle that does not meet all safety requirements may carry a higher risk of a crash or injury to the people inside, and it does not tell owners to stop driving.

What's wrong, in plain English

A small number of Volkswagens that the company had been using internally were sold to customers without confirming they were built to all federal safety rules, and they may have been changed in some way before being sold. Because nobody verified them, Volkswagen cannot say they meet the safety standards every new car must meet. Rather than repair them, Volkswagen is buying these vehicles back from the people who own them.

What you should do

1. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your vehicle is one of these.
2. Call Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and mention recall 01E9.
3. Arrange the buyback — Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicle at no cost to you.

Affected vehicles (3)

2018 Volkswagen Atlas
2018 Volkswagen Golf R
2018 Volkswagen Passat

Who to contact

Volkswagen — official Volkswagen recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-893-5298

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Why is Volkswagen buying back these cars instead of repairing them? · all 3 Volkswagen recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R and Atlas, 2017 Golf Alltrack and E-Golf and 2016-2018 Passat vehicles. These internal use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Safety risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. The recall began October 6, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01E9.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.