Volkswagen faces protests in China from car owners unsatisfied with its handling of a recall to fix a possible suspension defect.
It would recall 581 090 New Sagitar and Beetle vehicles to affix metal plates to the rear torsion crank axle, to stabilise the vehicles and emit warning noises in case of cracks, it said this month. The axle was safe and installing the metal inlays was like “providing a double assurance”, Soh Weiming, Volkswagen China’s executive president, said on Friday.
Unconvinced car owners protested on Sunday at Volkswagen dealerships in major Chinese cities. Some held banners condemning Volkswagen for being “unconscionable” and others distributed flyers describing their fear of driving the cars. A poster on Tencent’s QQ social media service urged Sagitar owners to stage another round of protests in 100 cities on November 9.
”It’s like a ticking time bomb,” said Dai Dushi, a businessman who protested on Sunday at a Shanghai dealership. “I’m constantly afraid the rear suspension will break and my family and I will get hurt, especially when we are travelling at high speeds.”
The owners demanded that the car maker replace the rear suspension or refund buyers.
In rare cases, it was possible that a rear-side or rear-end impact resulted in bending or breakage of the rear torsion crank axle, Volkswagen said on Sunday.
Drivers had no reason to worry about the bending or breaking of the axle if a vehicle did not experience such an impact, it said.
Larissa Braun, a Volkswagen China spokeswoman, did not respond to attempts to contact her for comment.
Volkswagen is also recalling cars in the US to fix the same suspension issue.