A Black Eye for VW and Audi

By CHERYL JENSEN

IDESPREAD failures of a crucial engine component have left owners of 2001 and 2002 Volkswagens and Audis stranded and stewing while the companies scramble for replacement parts. The problem, faulty ignition coils, potentially affects more than half a million cars in the United States.

For VW, which hopes to turn itself into an upscale brand, the timing couldn't be worse. The company is bringing out a new $40,000 sport utility, the Touareg, and this fall it will sell a large luxury sedan, the Phaeton, for $60,000 to $75,000. But even as the company lays out a red carpet for demanding luxury-car buyers, it is trying to mollify its current customers and keep their cars running.

Audi, a subsidiary of VW, already competes in the luxury market.

The failures have left owners at roadsides waiting to have cars towed to dealerships. Because replacement parts have been in short supply, some cars have sat for days or weeks. Furthermore, because each car has four or more potentially faulty coils, the experience can be repeated over and over.

VW and Audi have generally declined to replace coils that have not yet failed, angering owners. But late last week, the company said it would have enough parts in March to replace all potentially defective coils.

Ignition coils produce the high-voltage current that fires the sparkplugs. Some automakers use a single coil, but VW has one for each sparkplug — four coils, for instance, on a four-cylinder engine. If a coil fails, the sparkplug will not fire and the engine will lose power.

The company began hearing about problems last fall, said Tony Fouladpour, a Volkswagen spokesman in Auburn Hills, Mich. But it wasn't until Friday that VW and Audi began sending letters to owners of 2001 and 2002 models explaining the problem and what the companies intended to do about it.

VW says more than 500,000 vehicles in the United States may be affected, but the problem is global; even The China Daily has reported on coil failures. Web forums for VW and Audi owners in the United States and Britain have been deluged with complaints. One site — "http://forums.vwvortex.com
/zerothread?id=575535" — recently had 29 pages of postings on the subject.

VW is aware that owners are saying the company doesn't care about their problems. "That is absolutely not the case," Mr. Fouladpour said. "Have we been playing catch-up? Absolutely. Have we been just trying to get the parts and get them to the dealers? Absolutely. But at this point, we want to prove we can take care of the customer."

The experience of Pat and Carol Navin of Evanston, Ill., seems typical. While Mrs. Navin was driving their 2002 Passat wagon — with just 3,100 miles on the odometer — the "check engine" light came on, and the car rumbled, shook and lost power. Mrs. Navin pulled off the road and had the Passat towed to their dealership. Two of the four coils on the 1.8T four-cylinder engine had failed.

Mr. Navin said that his dealer treated them well and quickly fixed the problem, but that it was inexcusable that VW had only now begun to communicate with owners. "I think I would not have been nearly as angry if I'd gotten a letter," he said. "Instead, they've really chosen to bury their heads in the sand and let everybody discover it for themselves."

VW says the ignition-coil failure rate has been "higher than normal" on 2001 and 2002 models of the New Beetle, Golf, GTI, Jetta and Passat with the turbocharged 1.8T engine, as well as on Audi A4's and TT's with the same engine.

Mr. Fouladpour said that there had been some cases of ignition-coil failures on other engines, but that the rate was not as high as with the 1.8T. Those engines are the 3-liter V-6 in some A4's and A6's; the 2.8-liter VR6, a narrow-angle V-6 in the Eurovan, GTI and Jetta; and the 4-liter 8-cylinder in the Passat W8. No 2003 models are affected, Mr. Fouladpour said, nor is the 2.8-liter V-6 also used in Passats and some older Audis.

He said that the company was working hard to keep its owners happy and that getting enough parts had been the top priority. The German supplier of the defective part has been working three shifts and, starting Jan. 20, twice as many coils have been delivered to the United States.

"We have filled the backlog of orders," Mr. Fouladpour said. "Today, if you come in with a car with a malfunctioning ignition coil, your dealer should be able to, in a very timely manner, get that part."

In the letters to owners, VW and Audi agree to pay for repairs even if the warranty has expired, and to reimburse owners for previous repairs. Dealers will provide loaner or rental cars without charge.

When an ignition coil fails, the owner has two options: either call the toll-free numbers for VW or Audi roadside assistance, which can be found with the owner's manual and other materials in the glovebox, or try to drive the vehicle.

"We don't recommend people drive for an extended period with it," Mr. Fouladpour said. "And they should drive slowly to prevent damage to the catalytic converter."

The situation has left owners like Mr. Navin worried about driving their cars and wondering why the loss of power is not a safety issue that would prompt a recall to replace all the coils. "What if there is a failure while a driver is being tailgated by a tractor-trailer?" he asked.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "has the matter under review," said a spokeswoman, Liz Neblett.

Even before the coil problems became news, Volkswagens were slipping in the reliability ratings of Consumer Reports. The Passat is the only VW remaining on the magazine's list of recommended vehicles, and "it doesn't need many more problems to put it into the `unreliable' category," said David Champion, director of automotive testing.
 

To see a further explanation of the VW and Audi Engine coil problems click here.