The problems with the new VW Golf do not stop. A success for the still most important product of the largest German industrial group would be so important right now.
Wolfsburg (dpa) - Volkswagen has to prepare for a recall of the Golf 8 that has just started and has imposed a delivery stop for the new model. The reason is problems with the electronic emergency call assistant eCall.
According to information from corporate groups on Friday, at least 30,000 copies of the most important VW product may need to be in the workshop, the reason for the failed function are difficulties with the software. Golf production continued for the time being - but all new cars would first be put in stock.
VW confirmed the delivery stop in the afternoon. "In the course of internal investigations, it was found that data transmission to the control unit could be unreliable for individual Golf 8 vehicles". Therefore, the function of the emergency assistant cannot be fully guaranteed. A decision by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) for a recall and a remedial action via software update is pending in the next few days.
The Golf is still considered the most important product of the largest German industrial group. For this reason, works council chief Bernd Osterloh had only expressed his anger about non-stop problems with the new Golf 8 just a few days ago. The main reason given by the employee representatives was software and electronics malfunctions. For Osterloh, the start of the 8th edition was already misguided. The numbers are a tragedy. Of the planned around 100,000 units, only around 8,400 were produced in Wolfsburg in 2019.
So now another problem, which, according to a group spokesman, is a compliance case. According to the EU regulation, new models must have had a corresponding emergency call facility since March 31, 2018. Accordingly, VW immediately canceled the stop on Thursday. Osterloh believes that golf problems could create new risks for jobs. "If you play golf like this, you also play with the workplaces of the employees," he had said.
To make matters worse, VW wants to tackle two huge projects at the same time with the Golf 8 and the expansion of electromobility. But there are also delays in the central project of the current year, the market launch of the ID.3 electric car. The car is slated to start in 2020 together with the new electric SUV ID.4. Both create the electrical ID family, into which billions of dollars are invested.
Volkswagen officially declared several times that the ID.3 was on schedule and would be ready in the summer. However, observers also reported on many actually manufactured cars that are to be temporarily stored and only later used with the complete software scope. VW explained that the first installed version of the software should be updated at regular intervals with the ID.3.