Volkswagen rejects recall over US engine problem (Roundup)

Feb 12, 2011, 17:31 GMT

Wolfsburg, Germany - Volkswagen rejected Saturday suggestions that it might have to recall up to 100,000 cars in the United States after Washington stepped up an inquiry involving diesel engines.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said 160 motorists had complained about the engines' fuel pumps. In about half the complaints, the engines had stalled while driving.

'Yes, there is an investigation,' Peter Thul, head of product communications at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg told the German Press Agency dpa. But he said the problem arose from filling the tanks of the diesel cars with the wrong fuel: petrol.

He denied there had been any such problems with the equivalent engines in cars running in Germany.

The Detroit News had quoted US Volkswagen executives as saying even a small amount of gasoline in the diesel fuel may disrupt the necessary lubrication required and could cause the high-pressure fuel pump to fail.

But Thul said, 'There is no fault in the engine's design.' He said Europe's biggest carmaker suspected US owners had picked the wrong pump at gas stations, adding, 'In 50 cars that were checked, 90 per cent definitely had considerable amounts of petrol in the tank.'

A 'preliminary investigation' by the NHTSA that began this month had been upgraded, the Detroit News reported, but there has been no move yet for a recall.

The 2.0-litre TDI Clean Diesel engine is fitted to 97,272 late- model Volkswagen Jetta, Golf and Audi A3 vehicles in the United States.

The Detroit News said the stalling had led to one minor accident. It said Volkswagen warned dealers in May about the problem. In December, Volkswagen recalled 377,000 cars in the US to correct a fuel line.

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