The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·19V615000·Announced 2019-08-22

Volkswagen Recalls Vehicles Due to Ignition Key Removal Risk

Volkswagen is recalling 679,027 vehicles because silicate buildup may allow the key to be removed when the transmission is not in Park, increasing the risk of a rollaway.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect (ignition/shift interlock) that creates a risk of unintended vehicle rollaway, which may result in personal injury or a crash, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.

Plain-English summary

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is recalling certain 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen, and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles. The recall affects vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake, and keyless entry. A total of 679,027 vehicles are affected.

The defect involves a build-up of silicate on the shift lever micro switch contacts. This condition may enable the key to be removed from the ignition when the transmission shift lever is not in the "Park" position. Removing the key while the shift lever is in a position other than "Park" increases the risk of an unintended vehicle rollaway, which may result in personal injury or a crash.

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board free of charge. The recall began on November 19, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE, GOLF SPORTWAGEN, JETTA, GOLF
Brand
VOLKSWAGEN
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Category
Vehicle — Passenger Cars
Hazard
Affected units
679,027

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (6)

  • BEETLE
  • GOLF SPORTWAGEN
  • JETTA
  • GOLF
  • GTI
  • BEETLE CONVERTIBLE

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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