The reliability record of the VW Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) is taking a hit with a great deal of reports coming in from around the world for not behaving like they should, and dealers refusing to come up with a viable fix.
Apparently, these self-shifters just don’t cope with “hot and wet climate, extreme stop-and-go traffic as well as pollution typical of some Asian cities”, says a report from Reuters, citing a company spokesman.
Incidentally, Japan has some of the worst pollution and congestion problems in the world, so the fact that VW has announced the recall of 91,000 vehicles in the country is less surprising. The culprit is yet again the DSG, which was also the cause of a 384,181-strong recall in China, earlier this year in March, as well as another in February of 2012, when some half-a-million were recalled for a gearbox-related software update – the problem is older.
European owners of VW-, SEAT-, Skoda- and Audi-branded cars have also reported problems, characterized by odd noises when shifting through the first gears at lower speeds.
By Andrei Nedelea
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